The Photography of Dr. Jeff Harper

White-Hatted in Calgary.

In Calgary, Canada now for a conference and the Calgary Stampede (world's largest rodeo) - after a four-day drive through the Canadian Rockies. I received one of the highest honors bestowed by the Calgary Department of Trade and Tourism - an honor recently bestowed upon the Prince and Princess of England. I was "White-hatted" in a ceremony that required me to recite the following credo:

"I, (speaker inserts his or her name), havin' visited the only genuine Western city in Canada, namely Calgary, and havin' been duly treated to exceptional amounts of heart-warmin', hand-shakin', tongue-loosenin', back-slappin', neighbor-lovin' Western spirit, do solemnly promise to spread this here brand of hospitality to all folks and critters who cross my trail hereafter. On the count of three, we will all raise our hats and give a loud 'Yahoo!'" (Photo from my iPhone)

All four (six?) legs off the ground!  A rodeo, like the Calgary Stampede is very exciting.

Rodeo cowboys are incredible athletes.

It is hard enough to stay on a bucking horse, but the rodeo cowboys are also judged on style points. Sheesh!

This cowboy is way out of shape.

Rodeo cowboy fall off: go BOOM.

As much as I admired the bronco riders, the bull riders were just plain nuts. Notice they do not wear the traditional cowboy hat, but a helmet with full face grill.  No fun to be kicked in the teeth, I guess.

Like in the bucking horse classes, "style" points matter in the final awarding of points.  Did I mention they were competing for US$100,000.oo in every class!

Man, these bulls are really angry about having some idiot on their backs when they charge out of the chute. Notice the massive anger slobber ejecta from old #600 here. Gotta LOVE the rider's finger symbolics; Coolnicity itself.

Sometimes the bull riders fall down and go BOOM too.  Ouch!

The Calgary Stampede is not just about ruptured testicles, the girls have their fun too.  The cowgirl barrel race winner also took home US$100,000.oo in pin money.

The winning cowgirl (pictured above) took 17.28 seconds to navigate the three barrels for the big check.

The Calgary Stampede causes an annual spike in hat sales locally.

The Stampede is not just about cowboy scrotal pancaking, brave (or stupid) attendees take to the carnival rides which surround the rodeo arena.

Being flung a couple of hundred meters into the air in this rig is not MY idea of a good time.

To avoid the "dry heaves" after the carnival rides, stomach packing was on sale. Wholesome, nutritious, hand dipped, and satisfying.