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Horse Euthanized After Sustaining Injury in Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon Race

On Friday, during a chuckwagon race at the Calgary Stampede, a horse had to be euthanized due to an injury it sustained. Stampede officials reported that Kris Molle’s team experienced the incident during the seventh heat of the Cowboys Rangeland Derby. Immediate medical attention was provided to the horse, and after assessment by a veterinarian, the difficult decision was made to put the horse down in a humane manner, as stated in a release by the stampede to Global News.

Last year, the stampede took measures to enhance track safety by reducing the number of wagons competing per heat from four to three, following the unfortunate deaths of six horses in 2019. However, some animal rights activists expressed their skepticism regarding the effectiveness of these new restrictions. Shaun Hofer, an animal rights activist with Direct Action Everywhere, voiced his opinion, stating, “It’s good to see that something is being done, but it’s nowhere even close to where we should be.”

The Vancouver Humane Society has urged the Calgary Stampede and Calgary City Council to eliminate chuckwagon racing from their event programming. Emily Pickett, the Vancouver Humane Society’s campaign director, highlighted the ongoing issue of horse fatalities in the chuckwagon races, stating, “The reality is that despite efforts over the years to make the event safer, horses continue to die nearly every year in the chuckwagon races. The nature of this event means that any race could quickly turn fatal. It’s time for the Calgary Stampede to move away from these dangerous and inhumane events and to instead focus on the many alternative events and activities that already attract hundreds of thousands of attendees to the Stampede every year.”

For numerous years, the chuckwagon derby has been a prominent event at the Calgary Stampede, which awarded over $1.4 million in prize money in 2019. Vern Nolin, a chuckwagon driver, emphasized the importance of safety in an interview before last year’s event, stating, “We’ve got a lot invested in horses and our crew, and some of these horses have been in the family for generations. They are like kids to us. I have a son outriding behind me. These things are the world to us.”


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