Category: Media Release

Cruelty allegations at the 2024 Clinton rodeo

New footage from the 2024 Clinton rodeo in British Columbia captures concerning treatment of animals, including rough handling, risk of injury, and stress and fear responses in animals. Take action to support an end to inhumane rodeo events at: vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/rodeos

VANCOUVER, July 8, 2024 – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has submitted an animal cruelty report to the BC SPCA and is calling for government action after footage from a rodeo held in Clinton in May captured inhumane and possibly illegal handling of animals. 

In one particularly concerning clip, a stressed bull resists handlers’ attempts to move the animal in the pens next to the arena. The clip goes on to show handlers kicking the bull, twisting his tail and using an electric prod on the animal repeatedly, including prodding the animal on the anus. 

The handling seen in this footage appears to violate rules around the use of electric prods, which prohibit the use of a prod on sensitive areas, including the animal’s anus. The rules also prohibit repeated prodding of an animal that isn’t willing or able to respond. 

“The treatment of this visibly stressed bull is incredibly disturbing,” said VHS Campaign Director, Emily Pickett. “We see a look of terror in the animal’s eyes, as well as tension in his body and excessive drooling, all of which are indicators of acute stress.”  

The VHS has reported the video, along with another clip of an agitated bucking horse being hit repeatedly in the face, to the BC SPCA.  

The VHS pointed to public polling conducted in February which found that a strong majority of British Columbians said that they would “probably” or “definitely” not watch calf roping (74%), steer wrestling (70%), bull riding (60%) and bronc riding (60%), all of which were held at the Clinton rodeo. 

The poll also found that 66% of British Columbians oppose the government funding of rodeo events, while 12% were undecided. More than 4,000 members of the public called on the Minister of Tourism to end public funding of rodeos after it was announced that hundreds of thousands of dollars were awarded to events that include rodeos in 2023. 

Despite public opposition, the B.C. Ministry of Tourism continues to provide taxpayer funding to events that include these rodeo activities. In 2024, more than $680,000 was awarded to events that include rodeos. The Clinton rodeo received $9,300 in 2023 and $6,400 this year. 

This is not the first time the VHS has released concerning rodeo footage in B.C. In recent years, videos from other rodeos have highlighted animals being inhumanely handled and deliberately agitated. The VHS also released footage from a rodeo held in Keremeos over the May long weekend, including one video that shows a roped steer being dangerously dragged around the arena behind a fleeing roping horse.

The VHS has launched a public campaign asking that the Province stop funding rodeo events and encouraging decision-makers to do more to address inhumane rodeo events that rely on the use of fear, discomfort and stress to make animals perform. Other jurisdictions are already leading the way, including the City of Vancouver, District of North Vancouver and City of Port Moody, which all have bylaws prohibiting inhumane rodeo events and practices. 

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society    

For more information, contact Emily Pickett: 604-416-2903, emily@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca 

Related links: 

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Related media:  

Video compilations 

https://youtu.be/yUoP07eKUgU – Clinton Rodeo 

https://youtu.be/rScPUjYa9no – Keremeos Rodeo 

Raw footage – Clinton Rodeo: 

https://youtu.be/ZGY6zfF0cMc – A stressed bull is dragged and prodded in sensitive areas (6:47 mark) 

https://youtu.be/HKGzn5-dkbo – A bucking horse shows signs of stress and is struck in the face 

https://youtu.be/TtAlcLUQxxs – A stressed calf vocalizes while being roped and dragged 

Colour graded videos – Clinton Rodeo:  

https://youtu.be/unJuQfxWhPc – A stressed bull is dragged and prodded in sensitive areas (6:47 mark) 

https://youtu.be/4UoGbjEIJhI – A bucking horse shows signs of stress and is struck in the face 

https://youtu.be/Bd1p8gdSeW4 – A stressed calf vocalizes while being roped and dragged 

https://youtu.be/Qj8JE0FRzNg – A roped calf struggles on the ground 

https://youtu.be/82tLJqE7kSQ – Steer kicked as being wrestled to ground 

https://youtu.be/LzT4NDM7cXs – Stressed calf is roughly handled 

https://youtu.be/7wKWf0Lc-hs – Calf flipped backward during roping event 

https://youtu.be/CQ30tQ4z2q0 – A stressed bucking horse thrashes and slams into the front of the chute and falls once released into the arena 

https://youtu.be/u-ClgU-2GJA – A horse falls face first during a bucking event 

Raw footage – Keremeos Rodeo:  

https://youtu.be/xFKM8hUhpXE – A steer is dragged 

https://youtu.be/E5kTNmsvvnk – A horse becomes caught in the chute 

https://youtu.be/2tav2y9mgY0  – A bull’s leg gets stuck in the chute 

https://youtu.be/yK8eM7Sy0Fk – A steer is run down by a horse 

https://youtu.be/c-XmmJM1RBk – A steer is agitated, caught in the chute, and wrestled 

Colour graded videos – Keremeos Rodeo:  

https://youtu.be/pNDlLgMF7FA – A steer is dragged 

https://youtu.be/NYcK0hNRmC8 – A horse becomes caught in the chute 

https://youtu.be/4TK2SIZWXsk – A bull’s leg gets stuck in the chute 

https://youtu.be/QOrB7mIT7GM – A steer is run down by a horse 

https://youtu.be/3EMhwSpOaSY – A steer is agitated, caught in the chute, and wrestled 

Incident reportedly results in horse death at Hastings Racecourse, May 25, 2024

Less than one month after the racing season began at Hastings Racecourse, the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has received an anonymous tip that 3-year-old Lizzie’s Rayne was euthanized following an incident at Saturday’s event. Video: Hastings Racecourse.

VANCOUVER, May 27, 2024 – Less than one month after the racing season began at Hastings Racecourse, the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has received an anonymous tip that a horse was euthanized following an incident at Saturday’s event. 

3-year-old Lizzie’s Rayne reportedly broke her leg during the running of the fourth race. In a live video of the event, Lizzie’s Rayne appears to be forced between the rail and another horse. She can be seen stumbling and falling behind, and does not finish the race. 

“Each time a horse loses their life at Hastings Racecourse, it is heartbreaking and sadly unsurprising,” said VHS’s Communications Director, Chantelle Archambault. “The racing industry puts these beautiful, sensitive animals through fear, stress, and risk to their lives, and these incidents are commonplace.” 

The BC’s Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) confirmed that there were eight horse deaths at Hastings Racecourse last year, including four horse deaths in the span of just three weeks between July 16 and August 7. 

The VHS has pointed to inherent welfare concerns around horse racing, including stressful, aversive training methods, the use of painful tools like whips and bits, the breeding of thoroughbred horses for speed rather than skeletal strength, the risk of injury and death, and the risk of being auctioned off for slaughter for horses who are no longer profitable at the end of their short careers. 

“This is why the VHS is asking Vancouverites not to attend horse racing events. These horses are being bred and run to death for the sake of an afternoon of human entertainment because there is profit to be made in people attending and betting on races.”

More information and a pledge not to attend horse racing events can be found on the VHS website. 

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society     

For more information, contact Chantelle Archambault: 604-416-2903, chantelle@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca 

Related links: https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/posts/hastings-racecourse-begins-live-racing-season/

Related media: https://youtu.be/P0NHNcogYBc?si=A-GpIqOmjbXYEsHJ

VANCOUVER, May 27, 2024 – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is raising concerns after footage from a rodeo held in Keremeos over the May long weekend showed stressed animals being put at risk of serious injury. 

“It was shocking and quite frankly difficult to watch some of the footage”, said VHS Campaign Director, Emily Pickett. “One video shows a roped steer being dragged around the arena behind a fleeing roping horse. You can hear the announcer yelling for someone to cut the rope and, at one point, the steer defecates – which, in this context, is an indication of stress. Finally, the rope is cut and the steer is freed, but we don’t know if the steer sustained any serious injuries from the incident, as injuries may take up to 48 hours to present and that information isn’t made readily available to the public.”

Footage also showed a horse in a bad way, with a foot stuck in an unusual body position. It appears like the horse fought being in the chute and then gave up, with a response that looks like learned helplessness. This kind of shut down behaviour happens when an uncomfortable or painful situation presents repeatedly and there is no escape. 

In yet another video, a visibly agitated bull gets his hind leg stuck for several minutes between the bars of a bucking chute, with little effort made to assist the animal as the rodeo carries on around him. 

The VHS pointed to public polling conducted in February which found that just under three in five Canadians said that they would “probably” or “definitely” not watch bull riding (59%) and saddle bronc (58%), two of the events seen in this month’s Keremeos rodeo. 

This is not the first time the VHS has released concerning rodeo footage in B.C. In recent years, videos from other rodeos have highlighted animals being inhumanely handled and deliberately agitated. These more recent incidents at the Keremeos rodeo reiterate the risk of serious injury and death that animals used in rodeo events face, all for the sake of public entertainment.  

The VHS is encouraging decision-makers to prohibit roping, wrestling and bucking events, which rely on the use of fear, discomfort and stress to make animals perform. Other jurisdictions are already leading the way, including the City of Vancouver, District of North Vancouver and City of Port Moody, which all have bylaws prohibiting inhumane rodeo events and practices.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society   

For more information, contact Emily Pickett: 604-416-2903, emily@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

Related links:

• https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Factum_VHS_26Feb2024.pdf

Related media:  

Raw footage: 

A steer is dragged at Keremeos Rodeo

A steer is roped before being dragged across the arena by a roping horse at Keremeos Rodeo. The steer displays signs of stress. Source: Vancouver Humane Society.

A horse becomes caught in the chute at Keremeos Rodeo

A bucking horse becomes caught in the chute at Keremeos Rodeo and displays signs of learned helplessness. Source: Vancouver Humane Society.

A bull’s leg gets stuck in the chute at the Keremeos Rodeo

A bull struggles in the chute at Keremeos Rodeo when his leg becomes trapped. Source: Vancouver Humane Society.

A steer falls at Keremeos Rodeo

A steer falls during an event at Keremeos Rodeo. Source: Vancouver Humane Society.

A steer is agitated, caught in the chute, and wrestled at Keremeos Rodeo

A steer is agitated in the chute and repeatedly has his leg stuck between the bars in a steer wrestling event at Keremeos Rodeo. Source: Vancouver Humane Society.

Colour graded videos: 

A steer is dragged at Keremeos Rodeo

A steer is roped before being dragged across the arena by a roping horse at Keremeos Rodeo. The steer displays signs of stress. Source: Vancouver Humane Society. Colour graded.

A horse becomes caught in the chute at Keremeos Rodeo

A bucking horse becomes caught in the chute at Keremeos Rodeo and displays signs of learned helplessness. Source: Vancouver Humane Society. Colour graded.

A bull’s leg gets stuck in the chute at the Keremeos Rodeo

A bull struggles in the chute at Keremeos Rodeo when his leg becomes trapped. Source: Vancouver Humane Society. Colour graded.

A steer is run down by a horse at Keremeos Rodeo

A steer falls during an event at Keremeos Rodeo. Source: Vancouver Humane Society. Colour graded.

A steer is agitated, caught in the chute, and wrestled at Keremeos Rodeo

A steer is agitated in the chute and repeatedly has his leg stuck between the bars in a steer wrestling event at Keremeos Rodeo. Source: Vancouver Humane Society. Colour graded.

A billboard in Calgary questions government funding for rodeo events after more than half of Calgarians say they oppose it. Source: Vancouver Humane Society.

VANCOUVER, May 14, 2024 – In the weeks leading up to the Calgary Stampede, new billboards popping up across the city are urging Calgarians to skip the rodeo and chuckwagon races.

These images remind observers that rodeo is “No fun for the animals” and that “Rodeo animals aren’t performing. They’re suffering.” They also highlight a statistic from a Research Co. poll conducted earlier this year, which found that “More than half of Calgarians oppose government funding for rodeo events” – a shocking statistic considering the Calgary Stampede receives about six million in taxpayer dollars from the provincial government each year, as well as support from the municipality.

“The billboards encourage people to rethink supporting events that cause animal suffering,” said Vancouver Humane Society’s (VHS) Chantelle Archambault. “You can see the fear in the eyes of calves being roped at high speeds and steers having their necks twisted back until they fall to the ground. It’s not entertainment; it’s cruelty.”

Archambault noted that public opinion on rodeo is already changing. This year’s Research Co. poll found that more than half of Albertans disagreed with the use of animals in steer wrestling (54%), calf roping (51%), and bronc riding (51%). When presented with photos of calf roping, 60% of Albertans and 62% of Calgarians said they would “probably” or “definitely” not watch the event.

Near-annual animal deaths at the Stampede may be one reason for the events’ declining popularity. 105 animals have died at the Stampede since the VHS began tracking fatalities in 1986, including 75 horses used in the chuckwagon races. A growing body of research shows animals used in events such as calf roping experience acute stress and are at risk of serious injury.

An end to inhumane animal events doesn’t mean an end to the Stampede. A 2022 poll from Research Co. found that the removal of the rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Calgary Stampede program would have virtually no impact on attendance rates and would attract new crowds. The VHS hopes to see the Calgary Stampede continue to evolve into an event that celebrates the city’s culture and represents events in Canada on the world stage without the rodeo and chuckwagon races.

The billboards are being run as part of the Rodeo Truth project, a collaboration between the VHS and concerned Calgarians.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society   

For more information, contact Chantelle Archambault: 604-416-2903, chantelle@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

Related links:

• https://rodeotruth.com
• https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Factum_VHS_26Feb2024.pdf

Related media: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CmkJS–Ow1QxyjZHEcZi-XkLIq3Oznqy?usp=sharing

VANCOUVER, August 10, 2023 – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is once again speaking out against the use of animals in entertainment after recent reports that three horses lost their lives and another was injured in two weeks at Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse.

A five-year-old horse named One Fifty One was euthanized due to an unrecoverable injury sustained during a race on July 16. On July 22, a three-year-old horse named Lent Me Twenty fell backward prior to a race at The Cup and died. A four-year-old horse named Memorandum was euthanized after sustaining an injury in a July 30 race. 

“It’s heartbreaking, but unfortunately not surprising, to hear of horses losing their lives at these events,” said VHS Communications Director Chantelle Archambault. “Horses’ lives are put at risk each time they step on the track.”  

The VHS pointed out that the stressful, high-speed nature of the races poses inherent welfare concerns. Experts have noted that thoroughbreds are often overbred for speed rather than skeletal strength, making their legs susceptible to injury. The events also use painful tools like bits and whips to control horses’ movements.  

“Unlike human athletes, horses are not given the choice whether to participate and their short careers are marked by fear,” said Archambault.   

Research shows that horses who begin high-intensity activities like racing at a young age have been found to have high rates of injury, and to decline and retire quickly. One study found that during the training and racing of two-year-old racehorses, 85% suffered at least one incident of injury or disease. Another found that of the horses that began racing at two or three years of age, only 46% were still racing two years later.   

When they are retired, typically around four to six years old, horses who can no longer generate a profit are at risk of being sent to auction. There, unwanted horses are sold to the highest bidder including horsemeat buyers.  

Archambault noted, “When we use animals for entertainment, we’re seeing them as objects rather than the sentient beings that they are. These incidents show once again that the safety and well-being of horses is not adequately taken into account.”  

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society   

For more information, contact Chantelle Archambault: 604-416-2903, chantelle@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca 

Vancouver, July 15, 2023 — The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is again calling on Calgary Stampede organizers and Calgary City Council to remove the chuckwagon races from the Stampede program, following the death of a horse during Friday’s event.

The horse sustained an injury during the seventh heat of the chuckwagon races and was subsequently euthanized. 75 horses used in the chuckwagon races have died at the Calgary Stampede since the VHS started tracking fatalities in 1986, including two since the Stampede recently changed the structure of the event from four wagons per heat to three.

“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,” said VHS Campaign Director Emily Pickett. “The nature of this event means that any race could quickly turn fatal.”

In fact, in the last two decades, there have only been three years in which the races did not result in horse fatalities: 2003, 2004, and 2016.

The VHS pointed to the structure of the chuckwagon races, which are dubbed ‘the half-mile of hell’, as inherently dangerous. The high speed of the race and the close proximity of the horses and wagons to each other presents a risk of creating a chain reaction if one horse falls or is injured. Furthermore, experts have raised concerns about the use of thoroughbred horses as they are often overbred for speed rather than skeletal strength, making their legs susceptible to injury.

The VHS is also calling for an end to calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling and bucking events at the Calgary Stampede, noting that the events rely on the use of fear, stress and discomfort to make the animals flee and buck for sake of public entertainment.

“Public polling shows that a majority of Canadians oppose the use of animals in rodeos,” said Pickett.

Another public poll of Calgarians conducted during last year’s Stampede found removal of the rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Stampede program would have virtually no impact on attendance rates and would bring in new crowds.

“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,” added Pickett.

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SOURCE Vancouver Humane Society  

For more information, contact Chantelle Archambault: 604-416-2903, chantelle@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca