Breeds of Calgary
A prairie city at the foot of the Rockies, built on ranching, whose July Stampede and winter bull sale mark the cattle year.
Breeds of this place
Best time: July, for the Stampede.
Calgary grew where the prairie meets the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, in country opened to large cattle leases in the 1880s. Ranchers from Britain, eastern Canada and the United States brought herds to the foothills grass. The city still carries that history: the Calgary Stampede each July, and cattle markets and shows across the year.
The Stampede
The Calgary Stampede began in 1912 and has been held every year since 1923. For ten days in July it fills the city with rodeo events, chuckwagon races, agricultural shows and fairs. Cattle shows, sales and competitions are part of the programme, alongside the First Nations village, where the Treaty 7 Nations share their culture.
Foothills ranching
South and west of the city, the foothills are still ranching country, mostly running Hereford, Angus and their crosses, along with Simmental and other breeds. The Bar U Ranch, now a national historic site run by Parks Canada near Longview, shows how a large foothills ranch worked from the 1880s. A bull sale held in Calgary each spring is among the oldest livestock sales in Canada.
A trail idea for Calgary
- Stampede Park The grounds of the Stampede and of livestock shows through the year.
- Bar U Ranch National Historic Site A preserved foothills ranch south of the city.
- Cowboy Trail The road along the foothills through ranching towns.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Calgary Stampede" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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