VANCOUVER, July 9, 2019 /CNW/ – The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) is calling on the Calgary Stampede to suspend its chuckwagon race after yet another horse died in the event on Monday. A horse died in the race last year and more than 60 chuckwagon horses have died at the Stampede since 1986.
“Horses die in this race virtually every year,” said VHS spokesman Peter Fricker. “The chuckwagon race clearly puts horses at undue risk of injury and death.”
VHS is calling on the Stampede to suspend the race and set up a panel of independent experts to review the event to determine if it can be made safer. Fricker said companies that sponsor the race should withdraw their support until this happens.
VHS says the Stampede rodeo should also eliminate calf-roping and steer-wrestling, which it says cause the animals fear, pain and stress for the sake of entertainment.
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