Video: Saddle up for a rocky ride
Thursday, 08, Jul 2010 03:13
Discover your inner cowboy at the Calgary Stampede, which kicks off this Friday (July 9th) in the Canadian province of Alberta. This video gives you a taste of the event and also shows how holiday makers can experience the life of a cowboy.
Described by its organisers as 'The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth', the event features 120 of the world's top rodeo champions, one of Canada's largest music festivals and a nightly show that includes Cirque du Soleil acrobatics.
Making its debut at the 2010 event is the new sport of Extreme Cowboy Racing and the 'Outlaw Burger' which weighs in at six pounds and is likely to be as undefeatable as its namesake, the Stampede's legendary bull, Outlaw, who bucked off all but one cowboy in a total of 71 appearances.
Calgary Stampede 2010 highlights:
The Stampede Rodeo features the greatest gathering of rodeo champions including 64 current and past champions competing for $2m of prize money.
The Calgary Stampede Cowboy Up! Challenge features the all-new sport of Extreme Cowboy Racing. Largely based on some of the greater challenges of ranch life, Extreme Cowboy Racing demands a series of highly-skilled manoeuvres through a succession of obstacles demonstrating both horsemanship and speed.
The 'Outlaw Burger' boasts a staggering 4lbs of Alberta beef topped with eight slices of horseradish cheddar cheese, twelve strips of double-smoked bacon, six whole Roma tomatoes and half a head of butter leaf lettuce buried in a 12-inch pretzel bun!
Start your day with a free cowboy pancake breakfast straight from the back of a chuckwagon in town.
The spectacle of nightly Chuckwagon Races, involving 36 drivers, 288 horses and teams of outriders each vying for over $1.15 million in prize money, conclude activities on each day.
The Stampede culminates in the top 20 athletes in each of the six major events - bareback, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, ladies barrel racing and bull riding - competing in a tournament-style rodeo with the winners of each event tucking a grand prize of $100,000 into their jeans;
In addition to a Stampede concert programme that features artists such as Bon Jovi, the 'World Party' Grandstand Show takes place each evening. Entertainers include a family of stunt riders from Columbia, international top comedians and a theatrical performance by gymnastic team, The Barre Russe, from the Cirque du Soleil show 'Quidam'.
The Calgary Stampede is a popular 10-day annual event, held in Calgary, Alberta in Canada, that boasts the richest outdoor rodeo in the world, thrilling chuckwagon races, a spectacular theatrical Evening Grandstand Show and world-class agricultural attractions and competitions. Entry to Stampede Park costs £14 per adult.
The Stampede is one of Alberta's top tourist attractions. Every year during the 10-day Stampede, Stampede City becomes the third largest city in Alberta. For more information on Alberta, its attractions, tour providers, accommodation, activities and events, visit the Travel Alberta website.
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