Events

Rodeo

Equestrian

The thrill of the race!

We Albertans know those three special words that all of us want to hear: “And theyyyy’re offffff!”

We’re a betting bunch, and horses are in our blood, so the combination of a sunny day, a race meet and the opportunity to wager a few dollars is hard to pass up.

And from March into November, it’s also easy to come by in Alberta.

There are five race Horse Racing Alberta tracks in the province, kingpinned by major tracks operated by the exhibition associations in our two metropolitan cities, Edmonton (Northlands Park) and Calgary (Stampede Park).

Calgary’s thoroughbred racing season runs from the end of March to mid-June. Its major event is the Alberta Derby (this year on June 17). Harness racing, the highlight of which is the $250,000 Nat Christie Memorial Stake (August 27 this year), runs from the end of July to mid-November.

Edmonton’s spring harness racing season starts in February and ends in mid-June with the $175,000 Western Canadian Pacing Derby. There’s another month of harness racing in the fall, beginning in mid-November.

Northlands Park’s thoroughbred season starts in the third week of June and runs until late October. As always, the Canadian Derby (August 26 this year) is the highlight of the season and the Fall Classic (September 23 this year) showcases Alberta-bred thoroughbreds.

In the booming northwestern city of Grande Prairie, Evergreen Park is the site for racing that runs two or three days a week from July 5 to August 20. Schedule.

The bustling, neat-as-a-pin southern city of Lethbridge offers weekend racing at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club from May through October, with the exception of July, whose only events are July 1 (Canada Day) and July 2.

And every year for the last 101 years, the little community of Millarville (southwest of Calgary) stages a grass-roots, fun-filled day of racing on July 1. One event features cowboys, farmers and local acreage owners competing in the rousing Millarville Derby, a 7 furlong western-saddle race for local riders and their stock horses. 

Real rodeo!

Close your eyes and stick a pin in an Alberta map. Chances are excellent that there’ll be a rodeo within a few miles of that pin real soon!

Rodeo is huge throughout our province, both in our rural areas and smaller towns and cities, and in our two largest cities. It’s often said that more people attend Alberta’s rodeos than professional sports events like NHL hockey and CFL football.

There’s nothing quite like a small-town rodeo, with its midways and volunteer-run food concessions, its cotton candy sellers, beer tents and evening country & western dancing.

At a smaller rodeo, you can sit so close to the action that you hear the grunts of the bulls and the broncs as they attempt to whirl their cowboy riders to the dirt. You’ll actually feel the thud of hooves hammering the ground. And you may even have to duck the odd lump of dirt!

At mid-sized rodeos, which are often held in conjunction with regional summer fairs, the action’s still close, the midways are larger, the agricultural and industrial displays are more extensive and there’s a wider selection of food and entertainment.

But the ‘Big Kahunas’ of the Canadian rodeo are the Calgary Stampede (July 7 to 16 this year), and the Canadian Finals Rodeo at Edmonton’s Rexall Place (November 8 to 12 this year).

The Stampede Rodeo is a historical part of Calgary’s annual exhibition. You can enjoy the world-class performances of cowboys as they compete for huge prizes, sample all the fun and excitement of a Class A summer fair, then go enjoy all the shopping, dining and entertainment pleasures of one of North America’s most sophisticated cities.

During the Canadian Finals, the Edmonton region’s one million residents get right into the action. Stores – including the 800 stores of West Edmonton Mall, the world’s largest shopping centre! – dress western. Night clubs hop all week and country and western music rules! Heck, even lawyers wear jeans!

Come to Alberta and Go Rodeo!

Our cowboys are real, and real good. You’ll love the whole scene!

Check out this schedule of professional rodeos from the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, and their description of individual rodeo events.

As well, here’s a list of Wild Rose Rodeo Association events, and yet more rodeo and western events from TravelAlberta.com 

P.S.: The ‘chucks’ are great, too!

If you like rodeo, you’re going to just love our professional chuckwagon racing, where unbelievably brave cowboys drive wooden chuckwagons powered by teams of horses hell-bent for the finish line. The speeds are incredible, the danger’s palpable and the adrenaline’s at full-overload!

Top of the leap!

Albertans have long been in awe of the infinitely subtle bonds of trust and communication between equestrian athletes and their equine partners as they leap seemingly impossible and progressively more difficult barriers.

It’s an awe that saw modest growth in equestrian riding over the years, until a tenacious Calgarian named Marg Southern unleashed her dream for the sport, began what has become the world’s top equestrian centre, and changed the face of Alberta equestrian sport forever.

We Albertans work hard to retain our humility, but it’s darn hard to do when we can claim that every Olympic, World, European, and National Show Jumping Champion on earth has competed at a Spruce Meadows tournament.

This year, for example, the North American tournament (July 5 to 9) will attract North America’s top competitors and some from Europe as well. Prize money will top $1 million. From September 6 to 10, the best in the world will compete for more than $2 million at The Masters!

Spruce Meadows – located in the Rocky Mountain foothills within the city of Calgary – has been voted the world’s best equine centre four years in a row. From February to early November, whether indoors or out, its tournaments attract competitors, equestrian fans and just plain horse-lovers from all over the world. Its competitions are broadcast internationally.

Spruce Meadows’ success hasn’t gone to its head, either. Visitors are welcome to stroll around the complex, talk to friendly, informative staff, enjoy a light meal and simply relax in a wonderfully relaxed natural setting – 365 days a year!

While Spruce Meadows is obviously its shining light, Alberta’s equestrian world thrives throughout the province. The Alberta Equestrian Federation lists about 75 competitions that occur through the year in other locations.