CELPIP Reading Part 3 Practice Test: Calgary Stampede History And Controversy

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Every July, Calgary is transformed by the Calgary Stampede, a ten-day festival that attracts more than a million visitors and calls itself “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.” Its roots, however, lie in a much more modest event. In 1886, a local agricultural society held its first fair, at which farmers and ranchers displayed livestock, grain, and produce. The idea of adding a rodeo came later from Guy Weadick, an American trick roper who had performed in travelling Wild West shows. Weadick worried that the cowboy way of life was disappearing as the open range was fenced and farmed, and he wanted to celebrate it before it was gone.

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Weadick struggled to find investors until 1912, when four wealthy southern Alberta cattlemen, later known as the “Big Four,” agreed to put up $100,000 to fund his show. The first Stampede, held that September, attracted cowboys from across North America and drew crowds larger than the population of the young city. Yet, despite its success, the event was not repeated the following year. A second Stampede took place only in 1919, to welcome soldiers home from the First World War, and in 1923 the rodeo was permanently combined with the summer exhibition, creating the annual festival that exists today.

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The year 1923 also saw the introduction of chuckwagon racing, now one of the festival’s most popular attractions. In this event, teams of horses pull wagons modelled on the mobile kitchens that once fed cowboys on cattle drives. Other competitions include bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, and barrel racing, and the rodeo’s prize money now runs into the millions of dollars, attracting top competitors from around the world. Outside the arena, the Stampede has grown into a city-wide celebration: businesses serve free pancake breakfasts, office workers trade suits for jeans and cowboy hats, and a parade through downtown opens the festivities. Indigenous peoples have taken part since 1912, even though federal officials at the time discouraged them from leaving their reserves. Today, families from the Treaty 7 Nations set up tipis at the Elbow River Camp, where visitors can learn about their cultures.

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Despite its popularity, the Stampede has long faced criticism. Animal welfare groups argue that rodeo events cause unnecessary stress and injury, pointing in particular to the chuckwagon races, in which horses have died in crashes in a number of years. Tie-down roping, in which a young calf is lassoed at full speed and thrown to the ground, has drawn especially strong objections. In response, organizers have introduced additional veterinary inspections, reduced the number of horses in each race, and set stricter rules for drivers. Supporters argue that rodeo animals are well cared for and that the Stampede keeps alive skills that were once essential to life in the West.