Its final Sunday – Rodeo’s Richest Afternoon – with over $1 million to be given away. The best rodeo athletes in the world will take home the 2012 Calgary Stampede Championship and $100,000. It’s a one shot, go-for-broke performance.

There is so much that happens behind the scenes during the Calgary Stampede Rodeo.  What the crowd sees is an exciting ride but it takes sometimes a dozen people behind the chutes and in the Infield to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Here’s  an example of exactly what happens behind the scenes during the saddle bronc:

Steer wrestling is another event that we get questions about — questions like what happens, what are the rules etc. Here’s a post and video that hopefully helps explain what the sport is.

Timing, coordination and strength are prerequisites for a steer wrestler. The steer wrestler starts behind a barrier, which is a rope stretched across the front of the starting box that is tripped by the steer crossing the score line (the steer gets a head start). If the steer wrestler does not allow the steer a fair head start, a penalty of ten seconds is added to his time. The steer wrestler’s horse is trained to run by as the steer wrestler reaches for the steer while a “hazer” rides on the other side of the steer to make sure the steer runs in a straight line.

The steer wrestler must grab the steer’s left horn, taking the right horn in the crook of his right elbow and using the momentum of the running steer, the steer is rolled quickly to the ground. There are several penalty rules in place to protect the animal. This event is actually one of the more risky for the competitor - cowboys can face serious injury because of the speed and activity of the sport.

We get lots of questions about tie-down roping so I thought I would shed some light on what it is exactly.

Tie-down roping is a classic  ranch chore and one of the most competitive rodeo events.  It is one of the most technical events in rodeo requiring a unique partnership with a working horse and excellent hand eye coordination on the part of the cowboy.

The calf is always given a head start and releases the barrier with a breakaway cord when it reaches the end of that head start. If the roper leaves the box too early, he breaks the barrier and will be assessed a ten second penalty.

Once the calf is roped, the contestant relies on his horse to stop as he dismounts on the run to reach the animal, flank and tie three legs. Any unnecessary roughness will result in disqualification. While the roper makes the tie his horse works independently to keep the rope taught. Time is called when the roper throws his hands into the air signaling he is finished.

The calf remains tied while the roper re-mounts his horse and the time becomes official; arena helpers immediately move in to free the calf.

This is a great video explaining exactly what tie-down roping involves featuring two of the world’s top tie-down ropers Stran Smith and Trevor Brazile.

Every July, all eyes are on the Calgary Stampede Ranch stock as they give the cowboys a run for their money in the Stampede’s daily afternoon Rodeo. But what do these animals do the rest of the year? Travel all over North America like rock stars that’s what.  On average the Ranch staff travel 175,000 km a year with the stock to over 25 rodeos in both Canada and the United States. That’s a total of 125 rodeo performances a year.

With over 400 horses to choose from, only a select few go to each competition. The others stay back and graze in the lush green pastures at the Ranch, located two hours North of Calgary, east of Hanna. While each horse will only buck once or twice in a season the best might buck eight or nine times. This is to ensure that each animal is healthy, happy and safe.

Making stops in places like Denver, San Antonio and Huston, these animals are taken to some of the best rodeos in the world—like the NFR in Las Vegas or the CFR here in Canada. The Stampede Ranch staff who accompany the animals make sure that every stop along the way is planned in advance and that there are stalls, food and water for them when they roll up. Much like the cowboys, these four-legged athletes need their rest too. The Stampede Ranch animals are well respected amongst rodeo’s elite athletes and have earned a reputation for being the best of the best.

For Kelly Armstrong ranching is a way of life. He is a fourth generation cowboy who has close ties to the Calgary Stampede. His great grandfather competed in the very first Calgary Stampede in 1912 and Kelly’s grandfather was a stock contractor. Kelly started out as a bull rider and after a successful career, retired from the professional rodeo circuit and started doing what he knew second best - stock contracting.

Based out of Raymond, Alberta, Kelly’s business – Franklin Rodeo Company – provides stock to over 35 events a year all over North America. Depending on the size of the rodeo he may take upwards of 20 horses and bulls to an event. For example, he is providing 30 animals for this year’s Stampede Rodeo.

When you ask him why he loves stock contracting he’ll tell you it is because he “loves the history and preserving the western way of life”. His entire career has been centered on agriculture and rodeos. As Kelly explains, “Tiger Woods knows golf and I know bulls and horses.”

Kelly has spent many years nurturing his animals to be some of the best bucking stock in North America and they regularly make the finals in the United States and Canada. While they are on the road they are taken care as if they were at home. They rest every eight hours and  have prearranged stops with space for them to relax. They eat frequently and  receive vitamin and mineral supplements just like they do at home. Keeping the animals – especially the bulls – happy on the road is an art Kelly has come to perfect.  He loads his rig like he would a school bus, “you’re not going to put the grade 7’s with the grade 12’s. I know every animal’s personality and I put them beside those who they get along with best.”

Tucked away behind the Military display, down Saddledome Lane and inside the Northern Lights Arena, members of the Calgary Stampede Rodeo committee go over the history and the how-to for all of the events in this year’s Stampede Rodeo at Rodeo 101. This is definitely a must-see if you are new to the rodeo world and are coming down to the Park to watch the action each day.

Historically, rodeos can be traced all the way back to the early 19^th century with their roots tracing all the way back to the beginning of ranching altogether. Many of the events evolved out of necessity; for example roping calves to administer aide when they’d become ill or breaking in a new stallion that would help round up cattle during a move.

After watching this presentation you can head to the Rodeo and impress all your friends with your newfound cowboy knowledge. I know I certainly have a new appreciation and respect for the cowboys, cowgirls and animals that go out there day after day and compete for a spot on the final Sunday.

Rodeo 101 runs every day at 11 a.m. (with the exception of Wednesday, July 11 and Sunday, July 15) in the Northern Lights Arena.