is an almost negligible transit point on the map of Alberta in western Canada, Canmore is the absolute "big name" on the must-go road from Calgary to Banff: under the mountains Scattered dotted with little-known pastures, cowboys created various legendary anecdotes in the dust of the horses. This time I have to face a cowboy family with a real reputation.
The magnificent turn of the Centennial Ranch and walked along the borderless jungle path for a long time, finally caught a glimpse of the pointed roof of the most famous ranch Rafter Six. In this mysterious land, not only can you experience ranch lodging, cowboy meals, and wild projects such as horse riding and bullfighting performances, what awaits me, there is a series of unusually full and solid cowboy family stories.
This ranch was founded in the 1870s by Colonel Walker, the Northwest Mounted Police who ruled the local whiskey trade. He initially set up a post here, named Rafter Six. In the 1920s, the Smiths bought the inn, converted it into a ranch, and began to entertain guests. In 1940, it was selected by Hollywood as one of the film locations, and Marilyn Monroe's first movie "Going East" was filmed here. Since then, this once extremely quiet area has become one of the important production bases for Disney and other Western movies, and has gradually become famous. In 1976, Stan Cowley bought this ranch from the Smiths to operate the hotel, but now, its function has long surpassed the hotel itself, integrating eating, drinking and playing, and it is popular with foreign tourists passing through the local area and movie fans from all over the world. Sought after. People from all over the world come here just to experience the most authentic western culture, to see how the cowboys live, or to be lucky enough to be a cowboy for a day.
These beautiful visions make Rafter Six, a nearly 150-year-old "master shop", deservedly become one of the most famous brands in Western Canada. Even the ranch managers laughed and said: "Look, every one of our computers The keyboard has the Rafter Six logo (the number 6 and the superscript on the keyboard are exactly the same as the Rafter Six logo)."
Big David, the top master who rides the elevator with his horse, as the owner of the ranch, Mr. Stan’s family can be said to be thriving. : The Stans, their 4 children and their partners jointly control and run this ranch. Cowboy felt hats, plaid shirts, jeans, riding boots, and leather belts with metal belt buckles. Although Stan is now far away from cowboy work, he still keeps this fixed outfit every day. The eldest son of
Stan, David, is the next successor to this ranch. He is tall and tall, and looks exactly like Jack in the movie "Brokeback Mountain". This has been heard before I came. The first sentence he saw when he saw me was: "You can call me Big David like everyone else." However, David was not too cold with "Brokeback Mountain": "That can only be regarded as a sheepboy? A real cowboy must be superb. The ability to drive horses.” As he said, he pointed to his belt buckle, “Each cowboy has more than one waist badge that he is proud of. This is not just a status symbol, every waist badge represents a special The meaning of it is equivalent to a trophy or certificate of a competitive game, each piece is usually worth more than 2000 Canadian dollars." David is obviously the best player among many horse trainers. Every July, he is invited to hold the Calgary Stampede. His love horse took the elevator and boarded Calgary's iconic building, Calgary Tower, in full view. Horse riding in the elevator, this standard must be unique in the cowboy industry.
Stan, the wild past of the cowboy father, the ranch restaurant is full of voices, one side is the hustle and bustle of cowboys on the bar, on the other side, in a quiet corner, there is a portrait of an Indian on the wall, which is obviously not a piece Decorations. The area across the river from the ranch is the territory of the Indians, and so far few foreigners can approach them. But the master of Rafter Six who is most up to date here, Old Man Stan maintains a close bond with them.
When I met the Indian leader, Stan was only 12 years old. The Indian rituals of confessing blood and worshiping his brothers made the boy very scared: "They painted various faces on my face.Material, dance and chant, I wonder if they want to eat my meat. But soon I knew that after this sacred worship, my friendship with them will remain the same throughout my life. "Since then, Stan has also become a rare foreign headman in the local Indian ethnic group. This was confirmed when I visited the Banff National Park Indian Museum. After a group of tribal leaders introduced it, the museum's head wall was impressive. Hanging photos of the Stan couple shows how distinguished their identities are. In the ranch, Stan has built a private museum. Except for the collection of various carriages and riding accessories on the first floor, the entire museum is themed on Indian culture. The original Indian clothing and daily necessities were gifted by his Indian friends. What's more interesting is that there is a room with bright red mounted police uniforms, boots, helmets, sabers, etc. It turned out to be with this ranch Like the earliest owner, Stan was also a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Stan once wrote about the history of cowboys, and he is undoubtedly the protagonist of the gold medal in this history.
The next morning, a piece of information came out of the window. With the sound of horse hooves, the cowboys are driving the horses to a place full of water and grass, and bring them back the next day. This ranch also raises cattle. Stan told me that Albertans grow naturally like this. Maybe apart from petroleum energy. The most eye-catching thing in Alberta is the cattle. According to statistics, in 2011, the total number of beef and dairy cows in Canada was 6.5 million, and the beef production reached 1.8 million tons, of which nearly half were used for export. The annual production of beef cattle is about 2 million heads, accounting for nearly half of the national production. There are many newspapers and magazines about beef in the local area, as well as the Alberta Beef Producers Organization (ABP), which was established in 1969. Kobe, Japan Almost everyone knows beef, but Albertans don’t recognize it. They believe that this vast and fertile land raises the best cattle in the world. Stan pointed to the vast grassland outside the window and the mountains opposite: "Look, our cattle, sheep and horses grew up in such a place. "The people here have never thought of advertised that cows listen to classical music, grow up, enjoy loose bone massage and similar legends. They believe that a natural and healthy life has created the most delicious beef. It is the great mountains and rivers that have made it. A group of the most authentic cowboys. Interview with the 2009 "Cowboy Princess" Kateri Calgary Rodeo is the world's top professional cowboy competition arena, but if you want to participate in the competition, registration is far from enough. All participating cowboys must be approved by the organizing committee. Invited to be eligible to attend. I am proud that all 3 members of the Stan family have won this honor. At the grand opening ceremony of the Denim Festival in 2009, more than 100 teams conducted a 5-kilometer journey in the city During the parade, Stan’s youngest daughter Kateri was selected as the most eye-catching "Cowboy Princess" at the opening ceremony. As a "Cowboy Princess", not only must she have superb competitive skills, but she must also have a very outstanding appearance. She is carefully selected like Miss World.
Q: It’s hard to believe that you are so beautiful, but you are a real cowboy! How did all this happen? A: It’s really a long process. Of course, first of all, I owe it to my dad, he has experience A master of all kinds of battles. I grew up on a farm and the people around me are cowboys, so I feel that I will naturally become a particularly powerful cowboy in the future! I remember that when I was very young, my father gave me a horse Birthday gift. Since then, I have started life on horseback. I have a deep relationship with every horse here. In the stables, they will keep rubbing their faces against me like cats. Especially listen to me. Since the age of 12, my three older brothers have started to train me. They stared at me every day to mount, dismount, set the horse, and whip, completely treating me as a boy.
Q: Remember How did you win the "Cowboy Princess" that year?
Q: So, what is your "killer"? A: My equestrian skills are very good among girls. I can fly on a horse without a saddle. But. There is another more powerful one. I can blindfold my "horse". Would you like to try it? Q: Has your life changed since you became a "Cowboy Princess"? A: I think there are still some changes. At least every time someone visits, you have to take a photo with me. I have become a "living advertisement" for the ranch! I have always liked cowboy culture and Indian culture, so I hope to maintain and continue with the identity of "cowboy princess" And promote these traditions and cultures. After that, I participated in many activitiesHelp the tourism bureau to make publicity from all over the world. This is very good, let more and more people know us, understand us, know us, and become friends with us.
Q: I have always wanted to know, what is the protruding object behind your boots for? A: You mean this metal decoration like gears? Have you ever watched Hollywood Westerns? This is to keep the balance of the cowboys back in the gunfight. Haha, kidding, it is actually used to stimulate the horse. When riding, the legs are tightly clamped to the stomach of the horse. They are slight. If it hurts, it will run faster and faster.
