Day 3 Olympic Park

 We made it to Calgary!!!! Our first stop is at the site of the 1988 Olympic winter games.

 Darn the torch went out!!

 So here I got the whole skier in the picture.

 Greg got a little less.

 Then I get even less......... what can I say??????

 It kind of reminded me of the time we went to where the TV show Dallas was filmed everything looked smaller in person.

 Except the ski jump eeeeeekkkkkk they must be nuts!!!

 A few houses in that area. There is only a few inches between houses really they are to close for comfort.

 Here's the jump.

 On to the Stampede grounds for the chuck wagon races. This was the 100th anniversary of the stampede. We heard they had 1 & 1/2 million people that attended over the 10 days. It was wall to wall people took along time to get anywhere.

 One of the 2 outriders on the team throws the cook stove in the back of the wagon when the whistle blows then off they go.

 Here they are introducing all the important people:)

 Then the Canadian flag another turn of the cards and its the Calgary Stampede.

 4 wagons to a race, each with 4 horses 1 driver and 2 outriders.

 It was a half mile track, we think it looked longer to me.

 The Budweiser team.

 After 2 races they worked on the track.

 These horses moved as the kids pushed ahead. a race between 2 boys and 1 girl. The girl WON   girls rule!!!!!!!!!

 Half way through the races a horse has an aneurysm on the third turn and died instantly.  The horse was the left leader he pulled the rest of the team down. When it happened people ran over and held up the black tarp so the audience couldn't see. The vet had to put down 2 other horses when it was all over. It took some of the excitement out of the crowd for the last few races.

The show after the races was awesome music, acrobatics, Native dancers, ropers, dancers. A pickup for a stage that was on cables and went up over the crowd. Fireworks and more fireworks, it was quite a show. I almost forgot motorcycle daredevils, something for everyone.
late night and always an early morning wakeup call..............JMF