Every July since 2009, Armadillo Studios has been crafting a set of humourous wallpapers to celebrate the always endearing “Calgary Exhibition and Stampede”:http://www.calgarystampede.com/. For better or worse, The Calgary Stampede is one of the defining elements of Calgary’s culture and identity. For many of us, it’s a huge aspect of our city’s stereotype and indentity and because of which it is always ripe for some good old fashioned ribbin’. And as I have done for the past few years, early last week I put out a call for sone witty suggestions for this year’s editions of the Wallpapers. We got sone great ideas and we had come up with a few witty ones ourselves.

Then “last week happened”:http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/06/25/calgary-flood-economic-impact.html.

With a province and a city literally decimated by mother nature’s wrath and thousands of people looking to rebuild and regroup from the devistation, making fun of the Stampede just doesn’t seem right this year.

Now many are already debating whether or not the Calgary Stampede should actually take place this year, with less than ten days from the parade kick-off. But like the “Calgary Stampede organizing committee”:http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/calgary-stampede-will-go-ahead-come-hell-or-high-water-president-1.1339295 and “many others”:http://metronews.ca/voices/krause-encounters/717057/why-the-calgary-stampede-must-go-on/, I believe that the city needs the Stampede (in whatever capacity possible) this year more than ever. After times of disaster and crisis, communities need a rallying point. A few months ago, Boston needed the Bruins and a few years ago New Orleans rallied around the Saints. This is why at this time, the city needs the Stampede. Now for most cities, putting on something like the Stampede is a gigantic and daunting task, to do it after the largest disaster to hit the region in over a hundred years would be near impossible for most communities. But this Calgary and it’s a beautiful beast of a city.

If anyone can do this, it’s Calgary and the amazing people of this city.

So in solidarity with the rebuilding of our beloved city and the great spirt of the thousands of volunteers and people all over this province, we’ve created a special Stampede Wallpaper this year.

The Stampede… It’ll take more than an epic flood to stop this party

The Stampede… It'll take more than an epic flood to stop this party

PG-13 Version

Download: Zip File All Formats
Download: 1600 x 1200
Download: 1920 x 1200
Download: iPhone

Old Cowboy Version

Download: Zip File All Formats
Download: 1600 x 1200
Download: 1920 x 1200
Download: iPhone

*Now*, If you do decide download the wallpaper *please consider* donating to the “Canadian Red Cross on behalf of Flood victims”:http://www.redcross.ca/Donate/Donate-Online/Donate-to-the-Alberta-Floods or joining the “yycHelps.ca”:http://www.yychelps.ca/ project, spend sometime with your neighbours cleaning out or even pick-up “the Hell or High Water T-shirt”:http://store.calgarystampede.com/products/hell-or-high-water or buy “The Nenshi Bad Portraits Print”:http://badportraitproject.com/floodrelief.cfm. Let’s all band together and make rebuild this city.

*For those looking for the lighter versions* feel free to download the wallpapers from “2011”:https://www.armadillostudios.ca/stampede-wallpapers-2011-carnies-edition/ or “2012”:https://www.armadillostudios.ca/stampede-wallpapers-2012-stampede-centennial-edition/.