Horse death prompts calls for suspension of chuckwagon racing at Calgary Stampede

Chuckwagon horse euthanized after injury A horse from Roger Moore's team was put down after it sustained an injury following the fifth heat on Sunday evening. Alesia Fieldbereg talks to the driver about the loss...

Some animal rights activists are demanding an immediate suspension of chuckwagon racing at the Calgary Stampede, after a horse fractured his leg and had to be euthanized.

“Cowboy” was injured Sunday night during the fifth heat of Sunday’s Rangeland Derby. The injury was deemed severe enough that Cowboy was put down by a veterinarian.

Peter Fricker, from the Vancouver Humane Society, said he is “appalled” that another animal was injured. He said 60 horses have died in the race since 1986.

Fricker called for an immediate suspension of the race so that it can be reviewed by an independent panel comprising members of the equine community, veterinarians and animal welfare activists.

“Nearly every year, one or more horses die in this event and we think this is unacceptable,” Fricker told CTV News Channel.

“The race goes on and the horses keep dying and the Calgary Stampede keeps making excuses,” he added.

Mike Piper, from the stampede’s chuckwagon committee, told CTV Calgary that “nobody ever wants to lose an animal,” but that this fracture was caused by a genetic predisposition.

“It could happen in a field, to be quite honest with you, if they’re out running around out there,” Piper said.

“It's no different than a football player sustaining a concussion who's wearing a helmet,” he added.

Cowboy’s owner, Roger Moore, called it a “huge loss.”

“Any time you can lose one of those it's like, for me, basically like losing a family member," Moore told CTV Calgary. “I spend more time with them than I do with my own family.”

The Calgary Humane Society opposes only what it calls “high-risk” events and works with the stampede to ensure animal welfare laws are upheld.

With a report from CTV Calgary