Wednesday, July 14

The Longest Calgary Stampede


This year I'm here in Calgary in July and I went to Calgary Stampede after 4 years, the longest one ever. We were there at about 10:30 AM and left around 11:00 PM. I was expecting a bigger crowed but it was a Mon., may be that was why. We were cut by a hail storm around 11:30 AM and got soaked! It's usual for this time of the year but looked like that it didn't want to end. We then spent a quite long time in Saddledome watching different Cowboy competitions, including one which was being held for the first time. We also spent some time in Nashville North listening to Country singers and watching drunk guys and gals. I had bought a Flames shirt from Fanatic store and had it on in the there. The Flames fans liked it a lot and appreciated that. Native dance in Indian Village was not as impressing and interesting as the other previous years that I had seen them. They had less number of dancers with less experience and expertise. For example the Hoop Dancer looked like a learner to me. It's a very difficult dance and I think requires long time exercise before a tremendous performance and this year's dancer lacked it.
(Photo: Cowboys have to do a series of jumps, runs, spins and walks in this new competition held for the first time in Stampede. This is one of them that the horse is being directed to walk on a wooden path with a 90 degrees angle at the beginning and a moving and shaking part at the end)

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