EVENTS
Rodeo Producer
Known as the “father of Canadian rodeo,” Guy Weadick is arguably one of the most important figures in the sport’s history. A first-generation Irish American, Weadick was born in New York in 1885. He went west at age 20 and learned to cowboy in Wyoming.
Guy Weadick began his career in 1908 as a trick roper with the 101 Ranch Show. He also performed a roping act in vaudeville and wrote a column for Billboard Magazine, in which he promoted performers like Will Rogers and Tom Mix.
In 1912 Guy Weadick organized the first Calgary Stampede in Alberta province. With financing from Canadian ranchers, he recruited the best cowboys and cowgirls and leased the best livestock in North America and Mexico. Weadick directed the 1912 production, and within a decade this master showman built the Stampede from a “ranch rodeo” into a pioneer of mass entertainment. The Stampede offered big cash prizes in the competitive events and featured unusual, crowd-pleasing acts like chuck wagon races.
In 1932 Weadick left the Stampede and retired to his ranch south of Calgary. In later years he occasionally performed in vaudeville. He died in 1953.
