I’ve already written two posts about rodeos so far, but this is the Cowgirl Diaries after all so I figure it can deal with a few more rodeo mentions!

With rodeo season almost over, I jumped at the chance to attend a much smaller and more authentic rodeo than the Calgary Stampede. The Medicine Lodge Rodeo is based only 40 minutes from my second Workaway placement and the neighbours offered to take me and my fellow Workawayer along to the final day of events. 

The Rodeo

As I mentioned, this rodeo is much smaller than the Stampede. The stands are small bleachers, so close to the fence you almost feel in danger when the Bulls come barrelling out. It makes for much better action shots of the events than being on the top floor of the 25,000 seat Stampede Grandstand, that’s for sure!

 

The events of this rodeo were pretty similar to the Stampede and included many of the standard pro-rodeo events (Bronc, bareback, tie down roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and bull riding)

       

 
The Two-Step (and dinner)

When my friend picked me up from the airport in Calgary back in July and started telling me stories about the Stampede, she mentioned going to Nashville North (a popular stampede bar) and “two stepping”. I told her in horror that I don’t partner dance… Ever. Well, as it turns out, at a rodeo, everyone partner dances and they all dance a particular cowboy dance called a two-step. As a girl this is quite an easy dance as you simply have to rely on the boy to lead you (and try not to break too many of his toes). This does however mean that every partner you have dances in a slightly different way so you never really “know” how to two-step. 

At the Medicine Lodge Rodeo, after the ridden competitive events, they hold a hog roast dinner for competitors and spectators alike, and host a dance with a live band. This is where the questionable two-stepping skills I gained at the Stampede were called up to bat. The proof is in the pictures, another great cowgirl evening.