PRORODEO Sports News - July 26, 2024
MANAGER’S MESSAGE TRACY RENCK Inaugural trip to Calgary was one for the memory banks
T here’s no question the Calgary Stampede is one of the most storied and lucrative rodeos on the PRCA circuit. Writing about the Stampede remotely is doable, but there’s nothing like covering the rodeo in person. This scribe made his inaugural trip to Calgary to cover the the final three days – July 12-14 – of the Stampede. After flying from Denver to Calgary International Airport my adventure began with picking up my rental car and heading to my hotel, I was immediately taken back with what I noticed. My car’s speedometer went to 260 and when I
Canada – which was helpful to say the least. All this led to my reason for being in Calgary – the Stampede. And it was quite the experience. The crowds were massive. Organizers with the Calgary Stampede confirmed the 2024 edition of the event brought 1,477,953 spectators to the Stampede grounds, surpassing the 2012 attendance record of 1,409,371. The Stampede dubs itself as ‘The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth’ and it was. The hospitality was great and the final three days of the Stampede the crowds were 20,000-plus at GMC Stadium. “This was my first time here and the Stampede is just awesome,” saddle bronc riding winner Kade Bruno said. “The crowds are outstanding. It was great to be a part of for sure.” Joining Bruno in the winner’s celebration at the Stampede, which paid out $1.85 million at the Playoff Series Rodeo, were bareback rider R.C. Landingham; steer wrestler Ty Erickson; team ropers J.C. Yeahquo/Kollin Von Ahn; tie-down roper Haven Meged; barrel racer Leslie Smalygo; Breakaway Roper Kelsie Domer and bull riders Chase Dougherty and Jeff Askey. It is safe bet that all those champions will be competing Dec. 5-14 at the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. In 2023, every single Calgary winner qualified for the NFR except steer wrestler Scott Guenthner, who was in partial retirement. Following the completion of the Final Four Showdown Round July 14, I also took in some chuckwagon races for good measure – which was a sight to behold. The entire trip is one I will not soon forget. It is easy to see why fans come in droves to watch the Calgary Stampede and why contestants cherish getting to compete at this legendary rodeo.
jumped on the highway I wanted to keep up with the fellow cars – and the speed limit was 100. I like race cars, but this might be a little fast even for me. That’s when I did some quick math and realized the 260 on the odometer converted to 161 MPH and 100 KPH is equal to 62 MPH. Oh, and gas prices were so cheap – $1.58 – I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then, I found out that gas in Canada is typically measured in liters and gas prices are listed in Canadian cents per liter. Thus, gas was $5.98 a gallon. Yikes. And bathrooms are not bathrooms – they are called washrooms. A washroom is a room with toilets and sinks while a bathroom is a room that also has a bathtub or shower. That’s not what a bathroom is in America – but the two definitions make sense. On the flip side, $1 American is worth $1.38 in
Tracy Renck is the Manager of Communications and Media. He previously served three years as the editor of the ProRodeo Sports News , and before that he spent seven years as a media coordinator at the
PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism.
Saddle bronc rider Kade Bruno, left, and steer wrestler Ty Erickson crack open champagne to celebrate win events at the Calgary Stam pede on July 14. Calgary Stampede photo by Covy Moore ning their respective
ProRodeo Sports News 7/26/2024
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