The 2025 Calgary Stampede has, once again, turned deadly.
On July 12, Rider—a horse forced to participate in the notoriously dangerous chuckwagon races—suffered a catastrophic leg injury and was killed shortly after. This marks the 110th animal death linked to Stampede rodeo events, including 79 horses that sustained fatal injuries in chuckwagon races.
Rodeo events like bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, and chuckwagon racing force sensitive animals into chaotic, high-risk situations that all too often end in injury or death—purely for human entertainment.
These predictable deaths aren’t just cruel—they may also be unlawful. Under Alberta’s Animal Protection Act and the federal Criminal Code, it’s illegal to inflict distress and suffering on animals, yet not a single rodeo participant has been prosecuted in Canada since 1950.
Join us in calling on the Calgary Stampede to immediately drop cruel rodeo events, including chuckwagon racing—which the majority of Canadians now oppose. These preventable deaths must end.
Banner image: Sportsnet via the Vancouver Humane Society