Animal Safety at the Calgary Stampede

Last Saturday evening at the Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon Races, a horse was injured and had to be put down.

The event has brought out those folks who are demanding that the "Chucks" - and even the rodeo events themselves - be banned from the Stampede.  I totally disagree with them!

I regard all animals involved with humans as working animals who need our respect and our protection.  That includes every critter - from police dogs to race horses to beef cattle to Fluffy, my neighbor's cat.  All of them deserve our respect!

Some animal jobs are more dangerous than others.  Animal safety groups have an important role in making sure all animals are working and living in an environment as safe as possible. 

Huge steps have been made over the years to make all manner of horse racing as safe as possible for the horses involved, but accidents do happen.  I believe the Calgary Stampede is a leader in animal safety.  Rules for all animal events are constantly being revised to make sure those events are as safe as possible.  I've been watching rodeo and chuckwagon racing for more than sixty years and I've seen dozens of changes designed to make the event safe for the animals!

Accidents will happen in any animal job.  Race horses are often injured on the track, sled dogs sometimes suffer from the cold, police horses are sometimes struck by rioters!  In 2003, two Calgary Police dogs died when the AC in their police car failed, and another police dog was shot by a fleeing culprit.  Accidents do happen.  But we need to make them as infrequent as we possibly can.

Most chuckwagon horses are former racehorses, which have not performed to the liking of their owners.  In many cases, their futures are limited to the chuckwagon world or the slaughter house!  In my experience, I've seen chuckwagon horses well cared for and living as part of that chuckwagon family.  Last evening one chuckwagon driver was really emotional while explaining to the media how he'd decided to retire an 18 year old horse in his team.  The horse had pulled his wagon for 14 years and was now going to live out his life retired to the driver's farm.  Not a bad life for a critter who might have ended up on someone's dinner plate (or, in dog food) years ago!

To those animal safety groups, I say please continue your work making all our working animals as safe as possible, but be realistic at the same time.  I think rodeo and chuckwagon racing will always be a part of the Canadian West and The Calgary Stampede, but the events will constantly be changing to make them as safe as possible.

'Ya Hoo!' for the 2015 Calgary Stampede!

"Ya Hoo!" is the call (actually the paddle signs) of Harry the Horse!  Calgary is famous for its Stampede, and the 2015 edition of that event started on Friday and is now in full swing! 

I watched the Stampede Parade on TV.  I got a chuckle over the CBC narrators who were brought in from Eastern Canada to describe the parade.  I hope they get to spend more time here, to get a real feeling of who Western Canadians are.

I'm less involved with the Stampede this year.  I usually volunteer down at Stampede Park almost every day of the ten day festival.  This year, projects here at home in Beiseker are limiting my time in the city.  I plan to volunteer a couple of days this coming week but that's about it!  

This is the second year of the agricultural exhibitors using the new Agrium Western Events Centre at Stampede Park.  I hope you get a chance to check it out.  I'm anxious to see it in operation this year too because Aggie Days is moving in there for its 2016 show!  I'm excited about the move.

I enjoy the Stampede Rodeo and the "Chucks," and I hope to take in at least one running of those events. Otherwise I will be watching the excellent coverage on CBC.  Overall, it's shaping up to be a great Stampede.  I hope you get a chance to take part in the annual festival!

Recovered from Stampede!

I think I've recovered from the Stampede.  Last Sunday was the final day of the big show, and it was HOT!  Trying to keep the critters comfortable in the old barn was indeed a challenge.  We had so many fans going it was hard to hear over the constant din.

The hot days not withstanding, I think the 102nd edition of the Calgary Stampede was a huge success.  In the infield, Canadian rodeo stars shone brightly in the finals Sunday afternoon -- winning three out of six events!  That may be a record of the number of Canadian cowboys taking home the top prize which now is $100,000!  And two of them were Albertans!

I didn't spend as much time down at Stampede Park this year as I usually do during the ten day mayhem.  Time for the younger folks to take over!  And take over they did!  The brand new Agrium Western Event Centre was opened for its very first Stampede.  Everyone pulled together to make the displays and exhibits shine in their new digs! Well done everyone!

No, I didn't try Scorpion Pizza or Deep Fried Everything, but I had fun there nevertheless.

Something that really bugs me is that the media do an amazing job of covering the rodeo and chuckwagon events during the Stampede.  This year's CBC TV and press coverage was absolutely awesome!  Unfortunately, as soon as Stampede is over, finding out anything about those sporting events is almost impossible. 

Likewise, the rodeos leading up to the Stampede are rarely mentioned in the newspaper or on TV.  The "chucks" are running in High River today (Guy Weadick Days) and over the weekend, yet I've heard not a word!  Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, and many other sports are reported in the media -- but not rodeo!  It's almost like the media believes that the Rodeo and Chuckwagon season begins and ends at the Calgary Stampede.

It's Stampede Time Again!

We're well into Calgary's annual western shin-dig, with the start of the Calgary Stampede.  I was down at Stampede Park last week, helping with set-up but I haven't been back since the "Big Show" started.

My Stampede committee puts on Aggie Days each spring but many committee members help out with Agrium Ag-tivity in the City at the Stampede.  I will likely be down there during this week to help out.

This year, the Agriculture display area includes the new Agrium Western Events Centre!  The building officially opened about a month ago.  The agricultural displays are spread out this year between this new building and the old original barn.  Everything is there to see!  All the producer groups have displays set up there to show Stampede visitors just exactly where their food comes from, and the care and attention producers take to make sure our food is as safe and nutritious as it can be.

Let's hope for continued good weather, not too hot.  Check out the Ag Displays in their new digs when you visit the Stampede this year. I might see you there!

And -- any respect I had for animal rights groups was lost when I read of an incident the other evening when two members of an out-of-province animal rights group chained themselves to the race track rail fence at Stampede Park.  This prevented the start of the chuckwagon races for 30 minutes, while officials sawed off the protesters' restraints and bundled them off to the slammer.

I understand that they have the right to protest, but delaying the evening event was, in my opinion, very silly. 

Before they protest, I wish groups like this would do their research properly.  They might find out what measures have been taken in recent years to make the wagon races safer for horses.  They could talk to the veterinarians in charge of animal health and safety.  They should talk to the chuckwagon owners and drivers to see how their animals are treated off the track. They might talk to the folks at Spruce Meadows or Cavalia to see how their horses are treated.  They need to get their facts straight. 

We need folks out there to remind us to humanely look after all the critters in our charge.  But in my opinion, this action the other evening accomplished nothing but disdain for those groups.