2016-07-11

By Deborah Tetley

When 21-year-old Brittany Mercier climbed aboard a horse named Sweet Home Alabama at the 2010 Calgary Stampede rodeo, the crowd went berserk.

The diminutive Airdrie gal was about to compete in the novice bareback, shattering the gender bar.



Brittany Mercier of Airdrie hangs on while competing in the Calgary Stampede Novice Saddle Bronc in 2010.

She survived just three powerful bucks before landing face first in the dirt, but the crowd leaped to its feet and cheered anyway.

Stampede officials offered their congratulations. There were high-fives in the chutes and yahoos in the stands.

The cowgirl had a smile as wide as her hat. She had just become the first woman in modern times to compete against the men.

It was an incredible accomplishment for Mercier, who made national headlines, and indeed for the Calgary Stampede.

Minutes later a different horse bucked so hard in the infield it snapped its back and was euthanized.

Before the sun set that Monday, two more horses would die, showing how quickly that historic day’s exuberance could melt into sorrow.

And so goes the story of the 2000s – a rollercoaster of a decade.

The years 2000 to 2011 have seen the Stampede host international and renowned guests, select popular parade marshals, and break records in all corners of the park.

Since 2000, the summer fair has undergone a rebranding, launched a rebuilding and entertained millions. It’s arguably the most popular fair in Canada.

“Wherever you go in the world and say you are from Calgary, people ask about the Stampede,” says University of Calgary historian Max Foran.

But the trade-off for that wild popularity is intense scrutiny, Foran says.

“Everyone is watching all the celebrations and the tribulations, but I do believe the Stampede is really trying to get it right, to get it perfect,” he says.

One hundred years ago, the Stampede was a flicker in an earnest man’s eye.

Guy Weadick had hoped for at least one raucous Wild West show in 1912. He got it, and then some.

But even Weadick, a relentless American impresario with unapologetic visions of grandeur, couldn’t have imagined the enormous spectacle the little show on the Prairies would become.

By the turn of this century the Stampede had no trouble living up to its moniker as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

With more than 1.2 million visitors through the 64.5-hectare park in the first fair of this millennium, its popularity shimmied to another all-time high.

But it’s more than a 10-day fair. With more than 2,000 volunteers, 1,200 employees and 3,500 Stampede-time workers, the organization hosts roughly 1,000 large-scale events on the grounds annually.

Highlights have included the Global Petroleum Show of 2006, the world’s largest oil and gas show, and the WorldSkills competition of 2009.

But none is as popular or as profitable as those 10 days each July. Internationally, the fair is mentioned in the same breath as Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Locally, the not-for-profit Stampede injects roughly $350 million annually into the economy.

One major U.S. news network recently named the fair one of the top five places to party. Celebrities, royalty and tourists jockey for a seat each summer to watch the world’s richest (outdoor) rodeo or rest a boot along the rail at the chuckwagon derby’s Half Mile of Hell.

But as with any event this size, there are bound to be ups and downs.

With the 1990s’ prolonged battle over acquiring what remained of Victoria Park behind them, and a planned $550-million expansion on the horizon, the board was looking forward to the 2000s – destined to be a decade of rebuilding, rebranding and reconnecting with the community.

As has always been the case, the Stampede evolved and grew throughout the 2000s. Barcoded cards replaced paper ride tickets on the midway. An annual model search took off in popularity. For the first time in 2000, the C-Trains operated 24 hours a day to serve Stampede crowds.

And, the Stampede went green, recycling tons of waste including paper, cardboard, light bulbs, beverage containers, cooking oil, used motor oil and organic waste.



The Stampede’s Gerry McHugh, Chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee with a Recycling wagon in July 2009

The hip and famous continued to show up at Stampede for a visit, with the year 2002 seeing stars such as Kevin Costner, Tom Selleck and Robert Duval anonymously strolling around the grounds.

Entertainment continued to diversify. While visitors could take in top pop, rock and country acts (such as Janet Jackson, Bon Jovi and Dwight Yoakam), they could also find a yo-yo champion, a hypnotist who coaxed crowd members to show off their best Ricky Martin impersonations and a juggling star who used a 10-pin bowling ball, machete and a Smartie to demonstrate his craft.

A few traditions did fade, such as the practice of Stampede goers meeting each other at the clock tower. (The tower was removed in 2001.) Other traditions, however, continued to thrive, including the celebration of the Stampede’s agricultural roots.

The 2000s saw crowd and participant interest skyrocket in competitions that focused on sheep shearing, stock dogs, heavy horses, auctioneering, blacksmithing and team cattle penning.

A mini-donkey auction in 2002 brought in a record sale, with $211,000 being paid for 24 mini-donkeys.

Tradition was also given a nod in the Western Showcase of creative arts and crafts. More than 1,100 entries could be found in categories that included knitting, crocheting, quilting, stitchery, beading, pottery, calligraphy, spinning, weaving, wood working, painting, drawing and cake decorating.



A pair of gallery-goers take in the Western Showcase area of the Calgary Stampede in 2006.

At the same time, the Stampede continued to reach out to new audiences, offering a cowboy twist on the arts, for example.

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra provided musical accompaniment for the World Championship Six Horse Hitch Competition.

An inspiring collection of portrait photographs by the renowned Yousuf Karsh was exhibited. And, an opera singer performed at the Stampede, drawing attention to an upcoming performance by Calgary and Edmonton Operas that was inspired by rodeo.

The Stampede also formed a Next Generation Council, comprised of 42 people aged 18 to 34, who provided suggestions that would help the Stampede attract new and younger fans to the event.

Ryan Hayes of the Flow Riders thrills the crowd during a performance at the Bell RodeoX.

The results were revamped entertainment bookings and new attractions. Bell’s RodeoX was launched, featuring a demonstration by extreme athletes including BMX riders, in-line skaters, skiers, snowboarders, trampolinists and kayakers. Organizers also set up the Power Xone, where 24 Froster machines dispensed 5,000 slushy drinks a day, all while thumping rock music and coloured lighting provided a party atmosphere.

Within a few years, the number of visitors between the ages of 18 to 24 increased from five per cent to 18 per cent.

As has been the case for decades, key to the Stampede experience for visitors of all ages was the food. While people still loved corn dogs and mini-donuts (with two million consumed each Stampede), new offerings quickly proved popular, including spinach and feta pies, pretzels with salsa, cowboy popcorn, five-alarm cowboy chili and homemade lemonade in a variety of flavours including raspberry and saskatoon berry.

However, the culinary talk of the fair started turning to two things: 1) the food that was being served on a stick, such as bacon, sausage, pizza, chicken, cheese and waffles, and 2) the latest food that was being deep fried, with offerings including everything from deep-fried Coke, Kool-Aid, wagon wheels, vegetables and pickles to Oreos, Twinkies, jelly beans and strawberry shortcake.

Throughout it all, cowboy values rode high. Lost wallets were returned. Strangers said hello, or howdy.

And the Stampede continued to provide a Wild West experience that many folks had only imagined.

“I always wanted to ride a horse in a parade and now I have,” said 2001 parade marshal and astronaut Chris Hadfield. “This is unbeatable. Of all the places in Canada, this is the place to be.”

Parade marshal and Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield in the 2001 Calgary Stampede Parade

The Stampede also experienced some difficult times during the decade. The 2010 instalment saw an accident on a midway, in which six people were sent to hospital after the Scorpion ride broke apart. And, in one of the rare times on record, the chuckwagon races, fireworks and Grandstand Show were cancelled due to driving wind and rain.

In 2005, however, the Stampede faced one of the most heartbreaking days.

With less than a week to go before the gates opened that year, a 200-kilometre trail ride to mark Alberta’s Centennial went off the rails as it paraded from Stampede Ranch, through the city to the fair grounds.

In those final kilometres, horses were spooked and they stampeded.

A tired cowboy taking a break after delivering the rest of the wild horses to the Stampede Grounds after tragedy marred the Calgary Stampede’s Trail 2005 ‘Arrival of the Herd’.

Remarkably, none of the 50 drivers or hundreds of spectators were injured.

But eight of the 200 horses died after they jumped off the Bonnybrook bridge. A ninth was put down because of injuries.

“It will go down as one of the saddest days in Stampede history,” said then-president Mike Casey.

When the sun set on the Stampede that year, a dizzying 1,242,928 people had visited the fairgrounds – another attendance record.

Following the fair, 26 properties remained in Victoria Park, a once vibrant but now deteriorating community tucked into a bend in the Elbow River.

What hadn’t already been expropriated by the city to make way for a bigger and better Stampede was in the wrecking ball’s sight.

On Sunday, May 27, 2007, Tom Maxwell, one of several pastors of the Victory Outreach Centre, delivered his last sermon in a 97-year-old neighbourhood church, – where Alberta Premier William Aberhart had given sermons.

“The church is the heart of the community,” Maxwell said at the time. “There’s no community left and now the heart is leaving.”

But the Stampede had outgrown the park years before signing a 100-year lease with the city in 2007. At the time, president George Brookman called the grounds the “third largest city in Alberta” during the 10 days in July.

Fair-goers and exhibitors complained of the cramped quarters and officials pointed to plateaus in attendance as evidence the fair needs to expand.

If growing the festival internationally, while cultivating a deeper connection with the community, are the goals, those eight extra city blocks were desperately needed, officials argued.

Expansion progress, however, hasn’t moved as quickly as the Stampede board would have liked.

Initially, the plan was to have much of the new digs completed or close to it by the centennial celebration. Rising costs, work shortages and other economic factors slowed a large part of the development over the past few years.

The area will be revitalized and turned into a year-round destination and gathering place – from a parking lot to a park.

Long-term plans included creating Stampede Trail, which will include retail shops and restaurants, while a River Park area will be created along the Elbow River.

Officials predicted much of it won’t be finished for years.

President Casey said the redesigned space will create a more relaxed and inviting atmosphere, with less concrete and more trees.

“The project will focus on what it’s meant for the Stampede to be part of the fabric of the city for 100 years,” he said.

“I hope when they see the Stampede 100 years from now, they will see our 200-plus acres inside a growing dynamic city that is a gathering place for all citizens to come year round to find a space to relax and enjoy.”

But the Stampede hasn’t only focused on cosmetic and building changes during the past decade.

In 2007 the organization underwent a major rebranding, dropping the word Exhibition from its name and creating a unified logo to replace the dozens created over the years.

Late in the decade, the Stampede also made changes to animal care procedures, as it increasingly came under criticism from a growing number of animal welfare groups.

One of the Stampede’s changes saw a program called Fitness to Compete, launched last year. Microchips were put into horses competing in the chuckwagon derby to monitor their medical and race histories, and pre-and post-competition inspections.

Other changes over the years included more dirt added to the infield to cushion impacts for animals and cowboys, increased vigilance by veterinarians and stiff fines for chuckwagon drivers who break rules.

In the spring of 2008, more changes to the rodeo and chucks occurred. A wreck the previous July that saw three horses killed and driver Tyler Helmig badly injured resulted in new interference penalties, ranging from 20 seconds tacked on to a final time, to a $5,000 fine.

The cowboys complained these were the harshest penalties they’d seen. The Stampede argued they were pulling out all the stops to make the derby safer for the drivers and the horses.

Foran predicts pressure to drop the rodeo and chucks will dog the Stampede for the foreseeable future.

“They are going to have to come up with new ways to dodge the pressure,” says Foran, “because it’s not going away. There is no doubt the animals are cared for, but the pressure is about whether animals should be used as entertainment.”

The tens of thousands who watch the rodeo and chucks each year say yes.

It’s hard to dispute the star power of the livestock and the Stampede goes to great lengths to show respect to these four-footed athletes.

On Aug. 30, 2004, a sombre burial took place at a hillside graveyard on the Stampede ranch near Hanna.

Laid to rest were the remains of the seven-year-old speckled bull known as Outlaw, ridden for a score only once in 74 trips over four years.

The cowboys were heartbroken.

Calgary Stampede bull Outlaw stays true to his reputation as he rings the closing bell on both the NYSE and bullrider, Steven Turner at the Calgary Stampede in 2004.

Outlaw, 770 kilograms of athletic muscle, was put down after he was found sprawled out in a pen.

“We’ve never owned a bull as rank as he was, or as marketable,” said Stampede ranch superintendent Raymond Goodman.

Marketable indeed. Just a month earlier, on the opening day of the 2004 Stampede, Canadian all-around champion Steven Turner strung his bell-laden rope on the bull and, on closed-circuit television, closed that day’s trading at the New York Stock Exchange.

The publicity stunt honoured 19 Alberta companies listed on Wall Street.

Millions from around the world watched as the bucking machine ejected Turner, while simultaneously ringing the closing bell.

In 2002 Outlaw was crowned champion bull of the Canadian Finals Rodeo. The following year, after 57 unsuccessful cowboy attempts, 22-year-old Justin Volz of Charlie Lake, B.C., won bragging rights in the Stampede bull-riding finals on July 13, 2003, becoming the first (and only) cowboy to ride Outlaw for the required eight seconds.

In 2010 Outlaw was immortalized in two different artworks. The first featured his likeness on 25,000 copies of the annual Stampede poster. The oil on canvas version sold for $135,000.

Artist Don Oelze stands beside the painting of the bull Outlaw in the 2010 Stampede poster.

It’s a record for the annual poster that still stands.

Also that year, a 4.3-metre-high bronze statue of the bull was installed.

Finally, in another ode to Outlaw, midway fans had a chance to ride the famous bull – in a sense.

A new roller-coaster, named Outlaw, debuted for the centennial. It will be the first midway ride to ever carry the Calgary Stampede brand.

While the bull is at the top of the food chain in rodeo, the broncs receive a lot of attention, too.

Case in point? Namely the legendary Grated Coconut, a bay stallion that was retired in 2010 “with nothing to prove.”

He was the Wayne Gretzky of barebacks. A six-time world champion horse.

In 2005, Davey Shields earned a world record 95 points on the horse at the Stampede, a feat that earned the cowboy $50,000.

That same summer, Shields bought a wakeboard boat and named it Grated Coconut, a tribute to the bucking horse that earned the down payment.

Like Outlaw, Grated Coconut was immortalized on a Stampede poster.

As much as the Stampede loves to promote its animals, it also loves to reward the cowboys and cowgirls.

In 2006, the Stampede changed the face of Canadian rodeo by introducing a new format. The rodeo became a stand-alone show, no longer sanctioned by the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association.

It also became the richest. Prize money was increased to $1.6 million and entries were limited to 20 of the highest-profile cowboys and cowgirls in the world in each of the five major events and barrel racing.

Competitors salivated at word the final day, 10-contestant showdown would see each event champion earn $100,000, double what it had been for the previous 24 years.

And thus, the moniker The World’s Richest (Outdoor) Rodeo was born.

“As Guy Weadick put it in 1912, the money is here. Come and get it,” Keith Marrington, general manager of the rodeo, said at the time.

These days the purse has swollen past $2 million.

While the cowboys and girls said hello to fistfuls of money, there were emotional goodbyes, too.

In 2008, after 45 years and more than 20,000 races in the announcer’s seat, Joe Carbury, the voice of the chuckwagon derby, called his last race.

The phrase “aaand they’rrre off,” following the blare of the horn to signal the race is underway, will never sound the same.

Calgarians also said goodbye to live horse racing at Stampede Park, a 120-year staple.

In 2011, animal rights protestors began a new campaign against the Stampede at home and abroad.

It launched shortly before William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, included the Stampede in their honeymoon plans with a visit to Alberta.

While in Calgary the couple went to Stampede grounds and took in a bull riding demonstration, which they reportedly enjoyed.

Overall attendance rose and the royal visit created an economic boost to the city, along with being a shot in the arm for the Stampede, which was featured in media around the world.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, kick off the Calgary Stampede in 2011.

The exposure left officials giddy with excitement.

“When you consider we were right in the middle of People magazine with her on one page and him on the other page, what more could you ask for?” Stampede spokesman Doug Fraser said.

Tourism Calgary put the dollar value of the royal visit at about $50 million worth of publicity for Calgary, surrounding tourist destinations and the Stampede itself.

As the curtain was about to rise on the centennial celebration, arguably the biggest party the Calgary Stampede (in any of its incarnations) has seen, president Casey wasn’t spending too much time looking back at the past decade or even the past 100 years.

He was rubbing his hands with anticipation at the party that is set to unfold.

The red street flags were raised; chuckwagon driver ‘King’ Kelly Sutherland’s feather was in his hat; the Young Canadians were putting finishing touches on their performance; and, the Dream Home was complete.

“Excitement was not the right word,” Casey said about what he called an “unprecedented opportunity” for the city.

“We get one shot at this centennial. It’s not just another Stampede; it’s a party for the city.

“I just feel real good about it.”

****

Post-Centennial

2012

When the books were closed on the Stampede’s centennial year, attendance for the 10-day event was recorded as hitting an all-time high — 1,409,371 people.

There were dozens of highlights of the centennial Stampede including a first-rate grandstand show starring local country star Paul Brandt and an unforgettable two-night concert stand by Garth Brooks.

The legendary Ian Tyson was memorable as the parade marshal. A brilliant work of art — the Banks of the Bow sculpture — was unveiled. And, chuckwagon king Kelly Sutherland — a 12-time winner of the GMC Rangeland Derby and World Pro championship — received the Guy Weadick award for best embodying the cowboy spirit.

Western-style flash mobs, a surprise rodeo appearance by the legendary bronc Grated Coconut and a centennial zipline over the Stampede grounds were other highlights.

To top it all off, local philanthropist and rancher Bill Siebens gifted the Stampede $12 million worth of ranch land in 2012. The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth indeed had a great year.

Garth Brooks wowed crowds for two nights during the centennial edition of the Calgary Stampede.

2013

This was the year known as the “Hell or High Water” Stampede. Catastrophic flooding impacted southern Alberta, starting on June 19, leading to the evacuation of 100,000 people, killing five and causing more than $5 billion damage.

The Stampede grounds, sitting along the banks of the Elbow River, were directly in the flood’s path and were completely submerged. Stampede staff and volunteers, however, decided to go ahead with the event, come hell or high water. T-shirts featuring the slogan quickly sold out (and raised $2.1 million for the Red Cross flood relief efforts), while the Stampede moved water and earth to get the grounds ready in just three short weeks.

“The positive attitude is what really stands out,” said Stampede spokeswoman Jennifer Booth.

“To come together, put this together and put it on for the entire city of Calgary, the community, southern Alberta . . . was simply amazing . . . We’re proud of the accomplishment, considering three weeks ago today, everything was under water,” Booth said at the close of the event.

An emotional tribute to flood first responders became part of the parade and a feature was added to the Grandstand show with a photo and video montage showcasing the heroic efforts of the community coming together to recover from the flood of 2013.

In just under three weeks, the Calgary Stampede was able to clean up the water, mud and slush from its grounds and open for its annual event.

2014

The Stampede recorded its second-largest attendance figures in 2014 — 1,263,428 people walked through the gates.

The weather was probably the best it had been for decades, said Stampede officials, and a number of new attractions drew crowds.

Chief among them was the Agrium Western Event Centre, providing a first-class showcase for a number of livestock, ranching and agricultural competitions.

One of the most uplifting notes of the event was that the second-place chuckwagon winner in the Rangeland Derby (Rae Croteau) collected $15,000 during the Stampede for the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, to help fight child abuse.

To put on the Greatest Show on Earth, it took 2,500 volunteers, 1,200 permanent staff (from a wide variety of businesses) and 4,000 seasonal employees, said Stampede officials.

One in five visitors experienced the Stampede for the first time, something that was a testament to the diversity of Calgary’s growing population, said Stampede CEO Vern Kimball.

The Calgary Stampede show riders line the sidewalk for the official opening of the Agrium Western Event Centre at Stampede Park in Calgary on Saturday June 21, 2014.

2015

In 2015, attendance for the 10-day Stampede came in at 1.17 million people. While the number was a little lower than 2014 attendance, it wasn’t a surprise; 2014 had recorded the second biggest crowds in the Stampede’s history. Additionally, the economic downturn in Alberta was having an impact on spending.

One of the most memorable stories of the year was that of Christian Hudson. The then-19-year-old won the 2015 Calgary Stampede Talent Search and then did something no one in the history of the talent search had ever done. He donated his $10,000 winnings to charity — The Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre.

On a more notorious note, a Calgary man strapped 120 large helium balloons to a lawn chair to float above downtown and the Stampede grounds. However, when he saw a plane near his altitude, he bailed from the chair and opened an emergency parachute, landing in a green space about one kilometre from the grounds.

Safety also became a hotly debated topic after a knife fight on the midway saw three people stabbed. One man eventually died of those wounds.

Stampede officials quickly stepped up bag checks and also reinforced their commitment to safety at the rodeo, too. A tie-down competitor from Texas was suspended from competition after judges ruled he excessively whipped his horse.

The 2015 event drew high praise for its entertainment offerings, including standout concerts from Blake Shelton and Stevie Wonder.

Stampede Talent show winner Christian Hudson sings for Calgary Drop-In Centre staff and clients on in 2015, after presenting the $10,000 prize money he won for the capturing first place in the Calgary Stampede talent contest.

***

To read stories from other decades of the Calgary Stampede’s complete history, click on the following links:

Calgary Stampede: The Beginning — Guy Weadick’s Grand Vision | Chapter 1

Calgary Stampede: The 1920s — Frontier Meets the Fair | Chapter 2

Calgary Stampede: The 1930s — A Leap of Faith | Chapter 3

Calgary Stampede: The 1940s — The War Years | Chapter 4

Calgary Stampede: The 1950s — The Golden Age | Chapter 5

Calgary Stampede: The 1960s — Times are a changin’; Not your grandpa’s Stampede | Chapter 6

Calgary Stampede: The 1970s — After turmoil of the ’60s, the ’70s were groovy | Chapter 7

Calgary Stampede: The 1980s — A Wild Ride | Chapter 8

Calgary Stampede: The 1990s — Reaching New Heights   | Chapter 9

Calgary Stampede: The New Millennium — Building toward a bright future | Chapter 10

Some of the content in these stories was originally published in the Calgary Herald in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede in 2012.

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