Calgary Stampede

The rain came Monday afternoon to Stampede Park in Calgary, and it poured forth in buckets.

Some Stampede regulars called it one of the heaviest dumps seen in recent memory during the rodeo, turning the infield into a mudbath play zone for competitors.

As uncomfortable as it may have been, it didn't really hamper the action.

In fact, a new arena record was set in the steer wrestling, when Curtis Cassidy got his steer thrown over in three seconds flat.

And he didn't even get that muddy!

The arena infield held up remarkably well for footing, even though it looked so soupy.

While some horses may not be fans of the sloppy days, others are real 'mudders' and excelled in the conditions.

Fans who stuck it out were treated to an entertaining performance, better than any mud wrestling match.

Like golfers at this year's U.S. Open, competing in an outdoor sport means dealing with changing elements.

Cowboys are used to it and they bear down and get the job done.

That's a true test of competitive character.

Guru Gary

I recently had the chance to interview Gary Leffew, known as the guru of the bull riding world.

The colourful Californian and bull riding champion has crafted his post-rodeo career into a coach and trainer role, passing along his perspectives on positive thinking and visualization to countless young bull riders.

Leffew's big into NOT buying into "negativity," whether that's economic times or what some call lousy weather.

"I got into positive thinking in 1967 that I used to win the world championship in the bull riding," he told me.

Leffew had great memories of his days riding at the Calgary Stampede, long before the bucks at stake were so big.

"Calgary was great to me, you know," he said with a twinkle. "I think Cal stood for California and Gary stood for Gary Leffew.

"They named it after me," he joked, "because every time I came here, I won money. I probably won more firsts and day moneys at Calgary.

"I remember I made one of the great rides of rodeo history here the year I won it and it was sleeting. It was so cold and so miserable and everyone was complaining and I told a friend of mine, 'Heck it feels like Palm Springs to me,' so we jumped on and won first and second.

"Those guys were easy to beat because they were beating themselves, and that's when positive thinking really comes to the light because you make the best of what could be deemed a bad situation."

There's the rub.

Rocky Russ

It's a life lesson from rodeo and cowboys have to focus on it all the time with the variety of trying circumstances they can face.

On the first weekend in June, I was covering a rodeo in Rocky Mountain House, where you could see your breath during the performance it was that cold and wet.

But again, one of the event champions came up with the same philosophy.

Russ Hallaby won the bareback event with an outstanding ride on a very chilly day.

"I don't ride very good in the cold," he admitted. "But [three-time Canadian champion] Bill Boyd told me one time, 'You've got to get that out of your head' because that's where winners come through.

"That's when you can beat everybody else who is thinking they're cold and don't wanna be there. But I was up against some guys today like Dusty [LaValley] and Davey [Shields] and everyone rode here in the mud, so I thought, 'Shoot, I can't be a wuss here. I'd better ride tough.'"

And that's exactly what he did to win Rocky.

But Monday in Calgary, Hallaby had a tough break, injuring his foot when it was jammed in a chute when his horse rared in the bareback.

He wasn't able to ride his last horse in Pool A.

One more challenge he'll have to face.

Then as so often happens with rainy days, the sun came out in Calgary before the end of the rodeo - and the mud didn't seem nearly so bad.