Yahooo!!!

The fabulous Jennifer Huard and I started our day of Stampeding by taking the traditional mode of transportation down to the Grounds – ye ol’ chuckwagon aka the C-train. My first observation (and Jenn’s voiced one) was how awesome it is that for ten days, this city comes together for a costume party that every one in the world is invited to. There are many cynics who state this tradition is silly and make it seem to the world that this is the way Calgarians dress 365 days a year. I guess if this is true, Germans must always wear Lederhosen and those from New Orleans must only wear beads. I love the ten days that bring this city together for flapjacks and line-dancing. It was one of the reasons I was super excited to be offered the job of an ENMAX roaming reporter at the Rodeo.

There is nothing better then being greeted with sunshine on your planned day to Stampede. Most of these events are “rain or shine”, so when the world decides to shine, you can’t help but feeling more ecstatic about your days adventures. Our first stop was the BMO centre where the hustle and bustle of the latest gadgets, gizmos and doodads filled the air with an excited buzz. We found the ENMAX IceShow photobooth just in the Corral and posed for our pictures. Unfortunately, it wasn’t well explained to us that our two pictures would be made into one hologram picture so our poses didn’t quite work. Mental note for next time is to choose my poses carefully!

After our photo session, we went back outside to satisfy our craving for Poutine and fresh-squeezed Lemonade. Carb-loaded and ready to go, we hit up the Rodeo – where the origination of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth came from.

There are 6 major events in the rodeo: The Saddle Bronc, Bareback, Tie-down roping, Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding. Watching these cowboys (and cowgirls) compete in these events not wearing any protective gear was mind-boggling. Think about how much padding hockey players and football players wear under their uniform and here we have events where one is literally bucked off of a horse or bull, and the cowboy is wearing a cowboy hat and some chaps. Not that I am complaining. They look mighty fine in their uniforms. ;-)

After our afternoon cheering on the boys (and girls) and laughing at the antics of the Rodeo clown, we made our way to the ENMAX Ice Show. If there is one thing anyone must do this Stampede is watch that show. Live music, acrobats, figure skating and Jamie Sale and David Pelltier make the best 44 minutes EVER! They give the Super Dogs a run for their money for sure. We had amazing seats courtesy of ENMAX (so follow them on Twitter - @ENMAXEnergy as they give away VIP seats through out the day) and receiving a high five from a figure skater during the show was awesome!

I think the best part of being an ENMAX Roaming Reporter was how much more in tune and observant I was during the afternoon. This opportunity had me realize even more just how lucky I am to live in a city where, for ten days, we are all living in the Wild West. Old Western theme songs have been running through my head all week and I love every minute of it.