By: Killa Burkinshaw

Well that was a busy week last week! Did anyone go to any of the trade shows? I went to a few and it was interesting to see all the different things that people had to offer! I even walked away with some great ideas.

This week features a concert, a fund-raiser for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, new and exciting careers, a good old-fashioned Halloween party, and as always, great hockey, so read on to find out more!

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I want to express my tremendous gratitude to the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede for having a program that continues to give an amazing opportunity to young women to represent the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. To the many Sponsors that have made us look wonderful, enabled us to be ambassadors at the many destinations we have travelled and have helped us grow as individuals, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I also, send out a heartfelt thank you to the Royalty Committee, showing such hard work and total commitment, in order to bring this whole program together.

To Kerri, Kateri and Nikkole, my partners in crime, destiny might have made us sisters but our hearts made us friends_. Thank you for an incredible year of laughter, adventures and memories.

Knowing that we are forever a part of this incredible group of passionate and dedicated volunteers and staff, the Stampede Family, is one of the greatest highlights of my year. I will forever wear my white hat with pride!

Forever yours, Tara

By: Reginald Tiangha

It’s Monday, which means it’s time for another edition of What’s Happening where we’ll highlight some of the events happening at Stampede Park in the next seven days.

This week: It’s all about the trade shows. Woodworking, digital photography, and anything and everything that could interest a woman highlight some of the things you’ll find on Park in the week ahead, so read on to find out more.

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By: Killa Burkinshaw

The Calgary Stampede Store is very excited to announce its new Loyalty Program! It’s their way of saying Thank You and to help show their appreciation for your continued patronage!

Here’s how the program basically works: Each time you spend one dollar, you earn a reward point. For each $25 you spend, you will receive a complimentary CS gift. Upon reaching the 500 point level (very easy if you shop there as much as I do!), you will be rewarded with a $50 gift certificate to use on a future purchase. Visit the Store now to pick up your CS Loyalty Card!

So go shop! If you’re visiting Stampede Park this weekend to check out all the cool things happening, then go grab some souvenirs! Or use this opportunity to get ready for Stampede 2010, or anything else that strikes your Western fancy!

The Stampede Store is located south of the Pengrowth Saddledome and the Agriculture Building along Stampede Trail, and is open year-round, Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 403.261.0355.

Note that currently, this program is valid for in-store purchases only.

By: Killa Burkinshaw

The Calgary Stampede and Wrangler is proud to present the Calgary Stampede Cutting Horse Futurity.

While watching the equine sport of cutting, lots of people compare it to an intricate dance of horse, rider and cow. It is truly a treat to watch all three working together. It began as a competition for bragging rights between working cowboys to find who had the most “cow wise” horse. Nowadays it is the cutting horse’s job to separate cattle from the herd for vaccinating, castrating, and sorting.

In the competition, the horse and rider select and separate a cow (typically a steer or heifer) out of a small group. The cow then tries to return to its herd; the rider loosens the reins (”puts his hand down” in cowboy parlance) and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the cow separated, a job the best horses do with relish, savvy and style. A contestant has 2 ½ minutes to show the horse; typically three cows are cut during a run, although working only two cows is acceptable. A judge awards points to the cutter based on a scale that ranges from 60 to 80, with 70 considered average.

Today, cutting is one of rodeo’s fastest-growing events. Cutters and cutting fans alike all share a feeling for the Old West, and a heartfelt love of horses.

This is purely communication between cow and horse; the rider is merely a passenger.

An interesting “did you know” fact about the Canadian Cutting Horse Association: It’s under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

Come watch this family-friendly event for free in the Stampede Corral, October 14-19.

For more information on the sport of cutting, see here.

By: Killa Burkinshaw

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great, safe, turkey filled Thanksgiving weekend! I know I did! Did anyone go to that Metalocalypse show last week? I know I didn’t; too loud for this country girl! I also took time to check out the Team Cattle Penning National Finals at the Stampede Corral. Did anyone else go see? It was very interesting to watch how they work the cows! If you haven’t had a chance yet, then today’s your last day!

Now, while it may be the long weekend (at least here in Canada), it’s still Monday, which means it’s time for another What’s Happening where we’ll highlight some of the events and activities happening on Stampede Park this week. This is going to be another busy and diverse week, with activities ranging from wine/food, antiques, horses, and awards, so let’s get to it!

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By:  Reginald Tiangha

The Canadian Team Cattle Penning Association will be holding their National Finals at the Stampede Corral starting today throughout the long weekend, and if you’re able, you should come down to Stampede Park and watch as this will be your last chance to see a competition of this caliber in Calgary until Stampede 2010.  Plus, this weekend you’ll get to see people of all ages compete for over $380,000 in cash and prizes, so it should be exciting.

Now, as you loyal Stampede Blog readers might recall, I had written a Spotlight piece on Team Cattle Penning for Stampede 2009. If you’re unfamiliar with the sport of Team Cattle Penning, I present to you a revised version of what I wrote back in June, complete with a new video to show what one run in a competition looks like.  If you like what you see, why not bring the family and visit this weekend for a little while and check it out? Admission is free.

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It was an intense weekend with exciting sport and fantastic music including country music darlings, Lonestar (did you know their song Amazed is the #1 first dance wedding song in the U.K.?). We hope everyone had a fantastic time. If you had to miss it (which is too bad and you should seriously consider going next year) check out this video:

For more highlights check out the amazing photos on Flickr.

By: Killa Burkinshaw and Reginald Tiangha

Wow! What a weekend! Did everyone have fun this weekend at the Canadian Rodeo Tour Championship? Did you go see Lonestar at the Blackstar Saloon? See the New Queen and Princesses? Congratulations to the 2010 Stampede Queen Katie Rochon, 2010 Stampede Princesses Kirstie Rougeau and Janelle Phillips, and the 2010 Indian Princess Sahvanne Weasel Traveller.

Anyways, it’s Monday, so that means it’s time for another edition of What’s Happening where we’ll highlight some of the events that are happening on Stampede Park this week. On tap: A concert or two, a couple of hockey games, and an old Stampede favourite: Team Penning.

Oh yeah, and the Metalocalypse is coming to town too!

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By: Reginald Tiangha

The main purpose of the Calgary Stampede’s Next Generation committee (NGC) is to attract and engage the next generation of Stampede audiences as patrons, supporters, and volunteers of the Calgary Stampede so that we can help ensure that the legacy the Stampede’s founders built almost one hundred years ago continues to thrive for another 100 years or more.

One component of that mandate involves outreach. Whether that’s helping other Stampede committees with their public facing activities (for example, providing NGC volunteers to assist with the Get Your Head in a Hat program), or whether it’s reaching out to people using technology like blog posts such as those you regularly see here on the official Stampede Blog, our committee is always looking for new ways to connect with and engage new audiences regardless of their age, ethnicity, or background.

Yesterday, the NGC hosted a group of 42 people who had never been to a rodeo before for an evening at the Canadian Rodeo Tour Championship in what we hope will serve as a pilot project for future public outreach programs that our committee may offer in the future. This group of people ranged from young adults to not-so-young adults, from professionals to students, from those who have lived in Calgary all their lives to those who have immigrated from far-away places such as China. We wanted to reach out to as much of a diverse audience of Calgarians that we could in order to help foster an understanding and appreciation of what the sport of Rodeo is all about to those who may have been unaware of it.

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