A loonie for the red wagon

Going to the chuck wagon races and the evening show and fireworks afterwards at the Stampede was one of the most memorable nights of my time in Calgary. I loved this photo so much that I have a copy of it framed in my home. Three women from three different countries brought together by chance and circumstance who became the closest of friends. We were photographed by Marc, who none of us had a problem smiling at.

Laura can always be relied upon to pull out something special and she organised wonderful tickets for myself, Marc, herself and Kelty to go to this event.

The chuck wagon races are held every night of the Stampede, with the finals being held on the last night. No expense is spared. We took our seats directly behind a lovely old couple in the stands and stood up for the singing of the Canadian national anthem. Due to our trips to the hockey, by now Laura and I had a good handle on this one. It was a special treat though to be singing it for the first time with Kelty, who is a 100% Albertan soprano.

During the anthem to our surprise, a helicopter flew over the stadium, dragging the biggest national flag I've ever seen. The old lady in front of me turned at the end of the anthem and said something nice about my singing. I surprised her by telling her I was an Aussie. Well, that was the beginning of a great chat with her and her husband and Marc began some friendly side-bets on the chuck wagon races, one loonie apiece ($1) per race. Marc was on a bit of a winning streak though, and to avoid "fleecing an old-timer" he spent all his winnings on shouting him beers to even the score.

I'm still not exactly sure on all the technical rules of a chuck wagon race but it involves the wagon driver and two outriders, who must mimic breaking camp by loading the "stove" into the back of the wagon and then mount their horses and stay within a certain distance of the wagon as it careens down the racetrack. It's fast, wild and dangerous and one of the more unusual sports to have major corporate sponsership.

The races were followed by the evening stadium show, which left me speechless, but I will try to describe it. Checking out the web albums will help explain the sheer scale of "razzle dazzle plastic western" that was nevertheless highly entertaining.