The Raymond Stampede is an annual rodeo

Rodeo

Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...

 that is held in the town of Raymond

Raymond, Alberta

Raymond is a town in Warner County, Alberta, Canada. It is located in southern Alberta south of Lethbridge on Highway 52. Raymond is known for its annual rodeo and its large Mormon population...

, Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 every 1 July. It is notable for being Alberta's oldest and Canada's second oldest rodeo event, having been instituted a full decade before the world-famous Calgary Stampede

Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,...

.

The Stampede was first held in July 1902 at the instigation of Raymond Knight, the son of town founder Jesse Knight

Jesse Knight

Jesse Knight was one of relatively few Latter-day Saint mining magnates in nineteenth century Western America. Raised by the widow of Newel Knight, Jesse's family was poor throughout his youth. As a young man, he worked as a prospector and discovered the Humbug Mine in the Tintic Mining District...

. Cowboys from the surrounding ranches agreed to participate in a rodeo when Ray Knight offered to provide the necessary animals. Several hundred spectators attended and witnessed Ed Corless win the bronc riding

Bronc riding

Bronc riding, either saddle bronc or bareback bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding on a horse , that attempts to throw or buck off the rider...

 competition and Ray Knight win the steer roping

Steer roping

Steer roping, also known as steer tripping, is a rodeo event that features a steer and one mounted cowboy.The steer roper is behind a taut rope fastened with an easily broken string which is fastened to the rope on the steer. When the roper is ready he calls for the steer and the chute man trips a...

 competition.

The Stampede has been held every year since 1902. It is therefore Canada's second oldest rodeo (after the Wood Mountain Stampede).

Due to the traditional Sabbath observance of the Town of Raymond's predominant Latter-day Saint community, the Stampede is held on 30 June in years when 1 July lands on a Sunday.