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In 1908, when he approached CPR general livestock agent H. C. McMullen about holding a week-long rodeo in Calgary, Guy Weadick was a brash young trick roper performing at the Dominion Exhibition with the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show. Although McMullen thought the idea a good one, he did not feel Calgary's economy and the level of public interest were conducive to such an event. He did promise, however, to contact Weadick when the time seemed right. By 1912, Calgary was at the peak of an economic boom. Its population, a mere 4,000 in 1901, had surpassed 44,000. Encouraged by the popularity of rodeos in rural Alberta, and by the growing interest in wild west shows, McMullen notified Weadick as promised. Returning to Calgary, Weadick pitched his idea to the management of the Calgary Industrial Exhibition. The response was unenthusiastic. McMullen had greater luck when he turned to cattleman George Lane. Intrigued by Weadick's proposal, Lane contacted A. E. Cross and Pat Burns. A. J. McLean also expressed interest in the plan. Lane, Cross, Burns and McLean, soon known as the "Big Four", agreed to back a rodeo event to the extent of $1,000. The first Calgary Stampede drew over 100,000 people into the city and grossed over $120,000. Hotel owners and merchants could not have been happier. The press, rodeo management and some other segments of the population, however, had reservations, noting that many events held during the Stampede had been disasters.While the Calgary Industrial Exhibition continued annually, it was not until 1923 that the Exhibition and the Stampede merged. The amalgamated "show" set the pattern for the Stampedes that followed. It included most of the Calgary Stampede's identifiable modern features, including the chuckwagon races and the traditional Stampede breakfast. New buildings, bigger prize money, and record-breaking rodeo performances all marked the development and growth of the Stampede. The most significant indicator of the show's success remains, however, the number of people who attend. In 1976, Stampede organisers proudly noted that attendance had finally broken the one million mark. The Stampede, and the western image that it promotes, continue to be highly profitable to Calgary's economy. |
