LIVING THE WESTERN DREAM

A fierce supporter of cowboy culture, Tariq Elnaga is passionate about giving back to the community that welcomed him into the western lifestyle.

By PIPER WHELAN

Tariq Elnaga couldn’t have predicted how a trip to Canada for the Calgary Stampede would change the trajectory of his life.

Elnaga, who grew up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was inspired to attend the world-famous rodeo after watching a western movie and searching for a related event to base a vacation around. Little did he know that what awaited him in Calgary, AB, would prompt him to immigrate to Canada and find his own place within this scene.

“I watched the rodeo and was completely blown away,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘Man, that’s exactly what I’m going to do,’ and I said, ‘I’m going to be on the other side of that fence one day.’”

Compelled to fully chase this dream, Elnaga quit his job upon returning to Dubai and made plans to move to Airdrie, AB in 2012. He embraced the cowboy culture immediately, finding opportunities to become involved in his new community within days of arriving in Canada. By reaching out to the Airdrie Ag Society, he got his first taste of agriculture, rodeo and other equine disciplines.

“Very quickly I started volunteering at rodeos and then helping out to drive tractor,” he says. “I started to learn how to ride, bought my first horse, got into team roping, ended up buying a whole bunch more horses, and one thing led to another from there.”

In doing so, Elnaga found a community he loves and many opportunities to share his passion for this way of life. “I am never happier than when I’m riding a horse or working with cows or at rodeo or at a country music concert,” he says.

“If you look at the western way of life, what the west means to me, what rodeo means to me, is community, grit, perseverance, respect, respect of the land, respect of the animals, hard work,” he continues. “These are all values that speak to me. These are all values of the West that I will never, ever take for granted if I get to live that every day.”

An electrical engineer who worked for several years in the oil and gas industry, Elnaga extended his appreciation for this lifestyle into his professional pursuits. Today, he runs an engineering consulting business as well as the very first labour supply business for ranch hands in western Canada, Bottom Hand Ranch Services.

“I’ve been showing up to brandings to help out and ranches and so on, and I made a joke last year that I am ‘the bottom hand,’” he says of the business’ unique name. “I’m the perennial assistant, and that’s okay because I’m always learning.”

Along with business partner Ashley Hygaard, Elnaga launched this service in November 2020. “Within the ranching industry, where people need labour in bursts and don’t have the time nor energy or necessarily the acumen to go out and find the right hired hands, we take care of that for them,” he explains. “We’re the Uber of ranch hands and cowboys, so whenever you need one for a couple hours or a couple months, we’ll take care of that for you.”

Bottom Hand Ranch Services had interest from ranchers immediately upon its launch, and Elnaga reports they now have clients in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan. “We just got our first ‘three-peat’ clients, rather than repeat clients, our first client that’s now contracted our services for the third time, so the model seems to be working. We’re still learning every day.”

Outside of work, Elnaga is currently the vice-president of the Cochrane Roping Club and is involved with the Airdrie Ag Society and the Airdrie Pro Rodeo. “One of the things that I’m really passionate about is getting involved back into the community and making sure that I give back to the community that’s given me so much,” he says.

“You keep hearing it from people in the West that western culture in certain parts is dying or fading and so on, and I need to do my part to keep the western culture alive and thriving.”

His commitment to giving back to his community and his strong belief in celebrating and standing up for the western

Elnaga, who had no experience with animals while growing up in Dubai, now enjoys and competes in a number of equine pursuits.

Elnaga prefers to call his schedule “active” instead of busy, having fun with all the endeavours he pursues.

lifestyle prompted Elnaga to become involved in federal politics. He recently announced his candidacy for the BanffAirdrie federal riding with the Maverick Party, a political party exclusively focused on the concerns of western Canadians. “It really is in many ways, an extension of the western culture,” he says.

“I’m very excited about it, and one of the things I told my committee when I was being interviewed for the role to be a candidate is, ‘I’m taking my cowboy hat to Ottawa,’ because to me there’s no more overt symbol of the West.”

Between campaigning, volunteer commitments and running two businesses, Elnaga’s active schedule is just as he likes it, and he’s enjoying each moment. “All of this is for the right reasons. I’m doing everything that I absolutely love.”

His passion for this way of life also inspired Elnaga to share the sport of rodeo with a wider audience, highlighting the power of making meaningful connections with those new the sport. As Airdrie Pro Rodeo’s chute experience director, he leads the chute tour program, giving brand-new spectators the chance to learn about rodeo by being close to the action. The goal is to dismantle misconceptions about the sport and create new fans.

“We sold tickets to the Airdrie Pro Rodeo that gave you a full backstage chute experience where either myself or our rodeo queen or one of our rodeo athletes would take you backstage,” he explains. The tours not only “show you the chutes but literally put you in the chutes, put you in the box, have you touch and feel the equipment, meet the athletes, both two-legged and four-legged, get to meet the officials, the rodeo entertainer, and

really explain where rodeo comes from.”

After the chute tours, participants watch the rodeo with athletes not competing at the time to point out details about the events. “Let’s say if bareback was on, we’d have a saddle bronc (rider) sit with you… and explain what was going on while you were watching the rodeo.”

The chute tours, which Elnaga refers to as the “this is my first rodeo” program, were an instant hit and have been offered for three years. “We had tourists from New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Ireland. We had a couple that flew in on their private plane from Ontario to Airdrie to just come watch the rodeo because they wanted an opportunity to get the accessibility and had great questions about all the misconceptions around animal welfare.”

This isn’t the only rodeo where Elnaga has had the chance to welcome new spectators to the sport. “I’ve also done Stampede 101 for new Canadians the week before the Stampede in partnership with an immigrant services organization. They bring in about 100 to 150 new Canadians, and I go and talk to them about the sport of rodeo and western culture.”

He likes to speak to new Canadians about just how welcoming and inclusive he’s found the ranching and rodeo community to be, and having come to this lifestyle from a very different background, Elnaga has nothing but good things to say about the warm welcome he’s received. “I have never once, in the time that I’ve been living the western culture every single day, never once felt on the outside, never once felt like I wasn’t included and have always, always been welcomed into it,” he says.

For those who want to become part of this lifestyle, Elnaga encourages learning through volunteer opportunities, as well as embracing the values of the West and being genuine in your interest.

“I think as long as you are authentic about it, you are genuine about learning… and to me, as long as you’re willing to learn and embrace it, it is a great culture to be in,” he says. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Following this dream and creating a life he loves was all the more satisfying when Elnaga was able to fulfill the promise he made to himself at his first Calgary Stampede.

“In 2017 I was backstage with my trainer at the time showing a couple horses at the western events centre at the Stampede, and I could look backstage and I could see the seat I was sitting at as a tourist in the grandstand, and it was all the validation I needed to know that I made the right move. I was finally on the other side of that fence.”

For more information about Bottom Hand Ranch Services, please visit: www.bottomhandranchservices.com. WHR

Seeing the need for seasonal labour on ranches prompted Elnaga and business partner Ashley Hygaard to start Bottom Hand Ranch Services, a labour supply company for ranch hands.

Serving as the vice-president of the Cochrane Roping Club is just one of the many ways Elnaga gives back to the western community.