WilliamsLakeStampede
Contributed
The Williams Lake Stampede, which is believed to have originated in 1919, began - some say - with a group of cowboys putting on a `Wild West type show’ for the passengers sitting on the train as it stopped in Williams Lake. The entertainers would then pass a hat to gather some funds for the cowboys that were participating.
Well, it was the West and times were pretty wild. Cowboys like Lloyd `Cyclone’ Smith, Jo Flieger and Leonard Palmantier were men of the West - horsemen, bucking horse riders, and cowboys.
The first organized Williams Lake Stampede was held in 1920, and people came from all over the Cariboo to take part in some way or another. They came to camp and compete, to visit, dance, gamble, and party, not necessarily in that order. It was a major social occasion for the entire Cariboo, and things in the surrounding countryside generally came to a standstill while the Stampede was taking place. Once the success of the Stampede was apparent, all of the village businessmen and merchants were wholeheartedly behind the event because of the number of people it brought to town. In early times the Stampede was held at the beginning of June. Over the years the dates were changed to run the first weekend in July.
The most interesting travelers to see were the First Nations peoples who traveled in from their various homes around the Cariboo, usually arriving a day or two before Stampede. In the early years, the only mode of travel was by horse-drawn wagon and saddle horse as very few country people owned automobiles. The wagons of all shapes and descriptions were in attendance, with the most common type being the rubber tired wagon with a bench seat across the front; some were covered, but the majority were open.
Things have changed a bit, but the Williams Lake Stampede is still a place for fun, family and great rodeo action. It’s about tradition and having a good time. Things in the surrounding countryside still tend to come to a grinding halt when all the ranch cowboys come to town for the four days of Stampede.
The daily rodeos open with a grand entry featuring the Stampede royalty, which are crowned each year after an exhilarating year-long period of preparation and training. Also prior to each past rodeo are performances by the Cariboo Cowgirls, a highspeed, all women, horse drill team that is gaining a solid reputation among rodeo fans around western Canada.
There is something for everyone at the Williams Lake Stampede - professional rodeo events, mountain and express races, barn dance, a midway, karaoke, kid’s night, Let R’ Buck Saloon and live entertainment nightly - the list is endless.
Stampede Park is home to a large campground that has undergone a major renovation project for the last year and will now feature nine new pull-through sites with 50 amp service, nineteen additional fully serviced RV sites, beautiful landscaping and an expanded and completely renovated washroom facility featuring new handicapped shower and full laundry.