Oh no, you didn’t? These are a couple of awesome, funny, and interesting things that we cracked open the history book for and found out from Strathmore and District Agricultural Society General Manager Ryan Schmidt about the annual Strathmore Stampede.

Did you know?

 

1. The Strathmore, Stampede's origins come from an annual trail ride where ranchers and farmers, mainly out east of Strathmore, would trail ride into the Calgary Stampede, and traditionally they would camp in Strathmore as they stopped along the way.

The first Strathmore Stampede was held on July 19, 1921, on the opening day of the Great Memorial Hall.

“In 1965, when they all gathered to get to camp, they decided they'd put on a little display of horsemanship in Strathmore and so a bunch of them got together and started basically showing off their horsemanship skills with different trials and locals from the community ended up coming out to watch it, and taking it in because they enjoyed it so much,” said Schmidt. “Later on that day, a bunch of local farmers and ranchers and those who had put on the bit of the show all gathered at the Strathmore Hotel, which still stands today,” he said.

They agreed that next year they'd come back, and put on an actual official ticketed show and so from that was the beginnings of the Strathmore Stampede in 1966.

2. At one point in time, the Strathmore Stampede was referred to as Whooper Upper of Whooper Up days. However, Lethbridge also had a rodeo and fair called Whooper Upper days and a fight ensued as to who had rights to the name. “Strathmore being the more kindly of the two locales,” Schmidt joked, “Kindly agreed to change their name.”

3. The Strathmore Stampede, once included outhouse races through downtown Strathmore! People built their own outhouses on wheels and there was a race down main street.

4. The rodeo grounds used to be located at Lambert Park.

5. It takes over 500 volunteers every year to put on The Strathmore Stampede.

The Strathmore Stampede kicks off this weekend with the parade through Strathmore, then is followed by a weekend of fun on the grounds watching the rodeo contest, chucks, concerts, food, rides, sales, shows, and lots of fun for everyone. For event details check out http://strathmoreag.com.