- Nearly every year, animals continue to be injured or killed in dangerous rodeo and chuckwagon events at the Calgary Stampede.
- At least 110 animals have died at the Calgary Stampede since 1986, an astonishing average of one death every 3.5 days of competition.
- The Vancouver Humane Society is urging Calgary’s newly elected Mayor and Council to remove the chuckwagon races and rodeo events from the annual Stampede program.
TAKE ACTION:
Step 1: Tell Calgary’s NEW Mayor and Council to remove these inhumane and deadly animal events from the Stampede program.
Step 2: Take the #SayNoToRodeo pledge to reflect your opposition to the use of animals in rodeo events.
Image credit: Jo-Anne McArthur, We Animals
What happened at the 2025 Calgary Stampede?
- A horse named Rider suffered a fracture to his left-front cannon bone during a chuckwagon race and was euthanized.
- Video clips show the risk of injury to animals, such as a steer who was flipped over and whose neck was repeatedly twisted. Last year, a steer used in steer wrestling was euthanized due to a serious neck injury.
- Footage also shows people at risk of injury, including children.
- Animals are hit and roughly handled. In one clip, a handler uses a rope to agitate a bull’s neck while another person behind the scenes calls the bull obscene names.
- Animals show signs of fear and stress, including widened eyes, tense open mouths, excessive salivation, thrashing in chutes, panicked behaviours, and resisting handlers.
Content warning: The following footage shows a fatal incident and animals showing signs of stress and fear.
Stress, suffering & risk of injury or death in rodeo events
- Calf roping: Calves are chased, roped by the neck, abruptly stopped, and thrown to the ground, which can cause neck injuries, bruising, and stress.
- Steer wrestling: Steers have their necks twisted and are slammed to the ground, risking serious injury.
- Bucking events: Bulls and horses are fitted with flank straps and spurred to provoke bucking, a reaction caused by discomfort and fear.
- Chuckwagon races: High-speed collisions and crashes often result in catastrophic injuries and death.
- In 2025, a horse was euthanized after a serious leg injury in the chuckwagon races.
- In 2024, four animals died: three horses during chuckwagon races and one steer whose neck was broken in a steer wrestling event.
Despite efforts to improve safety, animal fatalities continue almost every year, demonstrating that these events are inherently dangerous.
Tools & practices that cause distress
- Flank straps and spurs are used to provoke animals into fleeing and bucking.
- Animals often show visible signs of fear and stress: wide eyes, drooling, open mouths, vocalizations, and defecation.
- Rodeo footage often shows rough handling — hitting, kicking, tail twisting, and ear pulling.
The Vancouver Humane Society is urging the newly elected City of Calgary Mayor and Council to remove rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Calgary Stampede program by collaborating with Stampede organizers or implementing bylaws to prohibit harmful events. Cities like Vancouver, Port Moody, and the District of North Vancouver have already banned rodeos.
Public opposition to rodeo is growing
- A 2022 Research Co. poll* found removing rodeo and chuckwagon events would have little to no effect on Stampede attendance.
- By 2023**, opposition grew to 67% of Canadians and 53% of Canadians polled that live in Alberta.
- 2024 polls*** showed a majority of Canadians polled that live in Calgary oppose calf roping, steer wrestling, bronc riding, and chuckwagon racing.
- 67% of those polled*** living in Calgary now oppose government funding for rodeos. (2024)
*Research Co. poll conducted July 11 to July 13, 2022 (n=400 adults in the Calgary Census Metropolitan Area, margin of error +/-4.9%, 19 times out of 20)
**Research Co. poll conducted August 17 to August 19, 2023 (n=1000 Canadians, margin of error +/-3.1%, 19 times out of 20)
***Research Co. poll conducted for the Vancouver Humane Society July 23 to July 25, 2024 (n=1320 Canadians, margin of error +/-2.7%, 19 times out of 20)
The Future of the Stampede
The Calgary Stampede has evolved over the decades to incorporate other attractions, including a large art festival; Indigenous performers and artists at the Elbow River Camp; the Midway rides and games; and live music featuring today’s top bands and local musicians.
- It’s time to embrace a cruelty-free future that brings people together without animal suffering.
- Removing these harmful events would align the Stampede with modern values of compassion and respect for animals.
Together, We Can Make a Difference
📢 Call on Calgary’s NEW Mayor and City Council to end rodeo and chuckwagon events at the Stampede!
Together, we can ensure the Calgary Stampede continues as an exciting celebration, without cruelty.