Anna's Next Adventure: The Stampede Spirit ...

Cowboy hats galore at the Blue Rodeo concert

The Stampede spirit continued over the weekend, with lots of fun-filled events to attend. On Friday night, I turned up to the Blue Rodeo concert without my cowgirl hat and boots, forgetting that everything is cowboy/girl themed during the Stampede. The outdoor concert at Fort Calgary was held on a perfect night - the sky was blue, the sunshine stayed till late, the beers were flowing and the music was good. Blue Rodeo is a Canadian band who sound distinctly like Australia's Paul Kelly and obviously have a big following here in Canada. The after party was held at a local night club with a Stampede theme. The messy, drunk crowd kind of put me off and I didn't last long - they say that Stampede week produces more babies and more divorces that any other time in Calgary, surprising?!

Typical 'country' event with hay bales to sit on

Beginning of the Grandstand show

The sunny skies on Saturday afternoon inspired me to give the chuck wagon racing another go. Again, the wagon racing was great fun to watch, even better when you're winning the high stakes (quarters - 25c) betting competition. This time, I decided to stay for the Grandstand Show that followed the races. The show featured a brass band, a Michael Jackson tribute, some skillful acrobatics, too many dancing JonBenet Ramsey look alikes in midriff tops, and some amazing dirt bike performances. The evening ended with a rendition of 'O Canada' as well as a beautiful fireworks display.

'Young Canadians' perform

Young Canadians

On Sunday morning, I took a break from rodeo central to watch a (slightly) more refined form of riding - the ladies tournament at the Calgary Polo Club. This was the first real polo game I have watched, complete with umpires (field and goal) and a scoreboard. The game was exciting and the final few minutes were nail bitingly thrilling. Unfortunately, our team lost.

A show like this wouldn't be complete without representation from Canadian Idol

Four dirt bikers in a large metal sphere - exciting stuff

On Sunday afternoon, I found myself at the rodeo finals for the last day of the Stampede. A regular rodeo event was held first before the top four from each competition competed for the big cash prize of $100,000. The final was super exciting, with the crowd choosing their favourite riders and supporting them with great enthusiasm. An Aussie rider made it through to the finals, so you can guess who I was cheering for.

Dirt bike riders

A tribute to Michael Jackson

Despite the fact that the stampede is over and my cowgirl hat has been hung up (the boots are just too comfy to put away just yet!), there is still plenty going on in Calgary over the summer. Next weekend, there have the Calgary Folk Festival to look forward to, with some of my favourite bands playing, including Melbourne's own Cat Empire. If only the summer weather would make an appearance.