Chuckwagon Races and the Big Show

We headed to the Crowfoot Station to take the LRT back to the Stampede around 3 p.m. This time we went to the south entrance to the park and walked through the Indian Village. Only one tipi was open, and it was occupied by a woman who barely looked up at visitors. We soon decided to move on and walked along the midway. Dennis wanted to find the big Lammle's store so he could peruse more caps before deciding on a souvenir.

When we got out of the store, the storm broke. It poured, and for a few minutes, it hailed. We ran across the street to take refuge on a porch, and finally decided that going in to see the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit might be more entertaining than watching the rain. Since we weren't familiar with the stars, much of the display was lost on us, but there was one really unusual player piano that included miniature percussion instruments in the base.

Tipis of Canada's first nations.

Some folks took shelter from the rain on the porch of the Stampede store.

At 8:00 p.m. we were in our seats in the grandstand, ready for the chuckwagon races. The races involved teams of four horses pulling a wagon, with four outriders on horses supposedly loading the wagons, then leaping on their horses and following the wagons around the track. Although it seemed chaotic and I didn't really understand the finer points, the races were certainly exciting. However, we heard that two horses had died this year in the event, one from an apparent cardiac event and another euthanized after a broken leg.

The start of a chuckwagon race.

The Big Show stage being put together for the show.

During the intermission, the arena was transformed. A giant tractor pulled a fantastically complex stage into place, and the stage was set for the "Big Show," an extravaganza involving singers, dancers, acrobats, musicians, motocross riders, and lots of extras, dramatic lighting, and a fireworks finale. The acrobats on the "Wheel of Death" gave a heart-stopping performance, especially since it rained during the entire show. The motocross had to be cut and the wheel of death act curtailed because of the weather, but the show was still a real spectacle. Cables suspended from the top of the stage to the grandstand allowed performers to fly around above the audience's heads.

For dinner, many in the group went to the buffet in the Pengrove Saddledome, but Ken and I decided to go to Mavericks, where we had a really excellent herb crusted roast chicken.