🤠 Calgary Stampede Rodeo & Evening Show Cheat Sheet
Never been to the Calgary Stampede before? Here’s your quick guide to understanding what’s happening in the arena and who wins what.
Afternoon Rodeo – Daily at 1:30 PM
⏱️ Fastest Time Wins
Barrel Racing
Steer Wrestling
Tie-Down Roping
⭐ Highest Score Wins
Bull Riding
Bareback Riding
Saddle Bronc Riding
🐂 Bull Riding
Cowboys must stay on a bucking bull using only one hand for 8 seconds.
🏆 How You Win
Stay on for the full 8 seconds
Judges score both the rider and the bull
Highest score wins
Did you know?
The bull is actually half the score. A rider can have a great ride, but if the bull doesn’t buck aggressively, the score may still be lower.
🐎 Bareback Riding
Riders hold onto a special handhold while riding a bucking horse for 8 seconds.
🏆 How You Win
Stay on for 8 seconds
Riders and horses are both scored
Highest score wins
👀 What To Watch For
The rider’s legs moving in rhythm with the horse
Strength, balance, and control
🤠 Saddle Bronc Riding
Similar to bareback riding, but competitors ride in a saddle. Known as rodeo’s classic event, saddle bronc riding evolved from the skills cowboys used while breaking horses on ranches.
🏆 How You Win
Stay on for 8 seconds
Judges score style, control, and difficulty
Highest score wins
🐄 Steer Wrestling
Also known as “Bulldogging”. A steer gets a head start. The cowboy chases it on horseback, jumps off, grabs the steer, and wrestles it to the ground.
🏆 How You Win
Fastest time
👀 What To Watch For
The leap from horse to steer
How quickly the steer is brought down
🤏 Tie-Down Roping
A calf is released from the chute and the cowboy chases it on horseback.
The cowboy ropes the calf, jumps off, and ties three of its legs together.
🏆 How You Win
Fastest time
👀 What To Watch For
Accurate rope throws
Fast dismounts
Lightning-fast tying skills
🛢️ Barrel Racing
Competitors race around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern.
🏆 How You Win
Fastest time
⚠️ Knock Over a Barrel?
Add 5 seconds to your time
👀 What To Watch For
Tight turns
Incredible speed
Horses digging in around each barrel
Did you know?
The difference between first and tenth place is often less than a second.
🌟 Evening Show – Nightly at 7:15 PM
The Evening Show includes:
Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Races
Relay Races
Grandstand Show & Fireworks
🐎 Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Races
Teams of horses pull chuckwagons around the track while drivers race for the fastest time.
🏆 How You Win
Fastest overall time
👀 What To Watch For
The chaotic start
Tight turns around the barrels
Drivers battling for position
Think: NASCAR meets the Wild West.
🏇 Relay Races
Riders race around the track and must switch horses during the race.
🏆 How You Win
First rider across the finish line after all horse changes
👀 What To Watch For
Riders jumping between horses
Fast, coordinated exchanges
Incredible horsemanship