The driver of a chuck wagon involved in a crash at the Calgary Stampede says he and his horses were unhurt in the incident.
Rick Fraser was taking a turn in a race on Sunday when his chuck wagon clipped a barrel, and flipped on its side. He was tossed through the air. Fraser described feeling a "whiplash effect," but he managed to roll with the impact and quickly returned to his feet to chase his four horses.
"I took off running but I'm not 20 years old anymore," Fraser told CTV Calgary. "I was looking for a golf cart or something to give me a ride," he joked.
He added that his animals were not hurt in the collision. "We take every precaution here," he said. "It's been 30 years since somebody tipped over, so it's a big deal."
The Stampede has taken measures to improve the safety of its chuck wagon drivers and horses. The number of outriders was reduced from four to two in 2011, and barrel placement was widened this year in an effort to reduce collisions.
"Time will tell whether the barrel pattern itself is helping the drivers and helping them with that transition," Katrina Barnes, a spokesperson for the Stampede, told CTV Calgary.
Fraser said each barrel is designed to be soft "like a pillow," to reduce the risk of injury to the horses in the race.
With files from CTV Calgary
