The Edmonton Sun, Fri Jul 3 2009
By: JENNA MCMURRAY, SUN MEDIA

Some Calgary Stampede-goers know how to party their wedding rings off.

Karen Stewart, CEO and founder of Fairway Divorce Solutions headquartered in Calgary, said in the weeks following the Stampede each year, she sees a 30% to 40% increase in clients looking to split with their spouses.

"Even people who are in the best of the best marriages find themselves going out and experiencing fun times in ways they hadn't anticipated," said Stewart.

"It's the sexual undertones, the alcohol, the letting loose."

Stewart said many of her new clients each summer have admitted the array of good-looking cowpokes was a little too tempting and that infidelity was the last straw in their relationships.

"Thousands of beautiful men and women come out of the woodwork at Stampede and people look incredibly sexy when you put them in a cowboy hat," said Stewart.

"Most people are vulnerable."

Calgary artist Shaun Doiron said the saying "it's not cheatin', it's Stampedin'," draws parallels between Cowtown and Sin City.

"It means the same as, 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,' " he said.

"Stampede is like a Vegas for a lot of people.

'A BIG PARTY'

"It's not the rodeo anymore, it's a big party."

Kathleen Bell at the Calgary Counselling Centre said business usually slows down during the Stampede as it's difficult to arrange appointment times but numbers do return to normal afterward.

"We do see a pick-up after Stampede," she said.

Stampede spokesman Doug Fraser said he's heard the odd tale of love affairs but said the events cater mainly to families and what people choose to do when they're partying doesn't reflect the general intent of the 10-day extravaganza.

"Anecdotally we hear about it, people saying I was a Stampede baby or something, but it's all just anecdotal," he said.

Don Stewart, a spokesman for Alberta Health Services, said health officials are reminding Calgarians and visitors alike not to engage in high-risk behaviour that could lead to sexually transmitted infections.

This year's Stampede starts today.