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Real cowboys wear pink.

At Alberta’s fabulous gay rodeo, goats wear panties and macho men dance the two-step together.

by Randall Shirley 19 August 2008

It may be the world’s wackiest rodeo: goats in panties, cowboys in gowns and a campground decorated with rainbow flags. But one thing’s for sure: this is real rodeo. A 907-kg (2,000-lb) bull doesn’t care if the cowboy on his back is gay or straight. The bull bucks and twists for six intense seconds either way. But at thisrodeo, the bull rider might be a cowgirl. And men can compete in the traditionally all-gal event: barrel racing.
As Canada’s only gay rodeo (2008 marks its 15th year), the Canadian Rockies International Rodeo in Alberta every summer is a popular stop on the North American gay rodeo circuit, drawing some 4,000 cowboys and cowgirls from across North America. The events take place entirely on one ranch—setting Canada’s event apart from other gay rodeos, most of which take place at fairgrounds and city hotels. Symons Valley, a rustic collection of buildings set in a shallow prairie valley, sits 15 km (TK mi) north of Calgary, is a spot that offers rodeo grounds, extensive campground and RV facilities, plus a ranch house with catering and plenty of room for dancin’.
And lots of the action unfolds at that dance hall. By evening, the rafters are shakin’ as cowboys two-step with cowboys, and cowgirls dance with cowgirls. It’s a swirl of smooth-gliding boots ‘n hats. Yes, this is “Brokeback Mountain” country—the 2005 Oscar-winner was largely filmed in the nearby Canadian Rockies.
If you want to extend the fun, here’s the perfect Calgary/Brokeback trip: do the gay rodeo, spend a few days exploring nearby Brokeback country (Kananaskis), then return to Calgary for opening of the world-famous Calgary Stampede—all in one week.
Still thinking about them poor goats ‘n their panties?Well, bring your spare underwear, head to the rodeo, and you, too, can chase down a goat and cover its privates. Do it the fastest and you could become a “buckle” winner (2007’s winning time: 19.99 seconds). You’ll have a great, uh, gay time! More than we can say for the goat.
Details: Calgary’s gay rodeo is always held the weekend prior to the opening of the Calgary Stampede. Usually this means the gay rodeo runs during Canada Day weekend, with the Stampede starting on US July 4 weekend. For 2008, the gay rodeo runs June 27 to 29.
www.argra.org. www.symonsvalleyranch.com www.calgarystampede.com

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Usage guidelines

We welcome you to use these story ideas as inspiration for your own stories about Canada. The CTC owns all rights worldwide. (Our images are also royalty-free and available for editorial print, broadcast and electronic use.) If you choose to reproduce these texts for editorial use only, please include the author's byline and "courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission." If you cut, edit or modify the text in any way, please include this note: "The text has been modified from the original." Thank you.

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