Anybody who sees this as sport or entertainment is living on another planet," Ken Erickson of the Calgary Animal Rights Coalition on Sunday.
"I mean, animals are killed and injured almost every year at the Stampede and the only way to stoop it is to ban the chuckwagons and rodeo."
His group had about 12 protesters outside the annual event's grounds.
However, the Calgary Stampede's management said ending the chuckwagon races is not even up for discussion.
The activists have little support amongst cowboys and Stampede visitors.
"Well, that pretty much puts and end to the Stampede doesn't it?" said spectator Joan Kirwan about the group's demands. "I mean, that's the whole purpose of coming down here."
David Ryan, another Stampede-goer, said: "I think it's part of our heritage and part of being out in the West. It's what we do."
Racer Wayne Knight said: "We work 12 months to race three months and every day we feed those horses and look after them just like kids. If they get a cut we get a doctor."
The Calgary Stampede -- which is synonymous with Alberta's largest, richest city -- dates back to 1912, with chuckwagon racing starting in 1923. The Rangeland Derby event, which has four horses pulling a chuckwagon around a track, currently has prize money of $1 million.
The chuckwagon races -- often called the half-mile of hell -- are the final event of the night for the rodeo portion of the Stampede. There had been nine days of racing and 79 races without incident in the 2007 Stampede before the disaster happened.
Saturday night's accident occurred as the racers were heading into the first curve. Two wagons bumped, setting off a chain reaction.
One horse died instantly, another had to be euthanized on the track and a third was put down overnight.
One driver was injured, suffering a broken arm. One outrider possibly saved even more injuries and chaos when he jumped into a wagon where the driver had been ejected.
Veteran drivers admit this doesn't make their sport look good.
"It's the worst aspect of the sport that any driver wants to see. You have guys that get hurt, you have horses that get euthanized," said racer Kelly Sutherland.
Since 2000, 11 chuckwagon racing horses have died at the Stampede.
Just before the 2005 Stampede, a group of rodeo bucking horses to be used in the rodeo got spooked as they were being herded across a bridge over Calgary's Bow River. Nine of them plunged to their deaths.
Greg and I know Tyler Helmig,the driver that got hurt pretty bad,way more then broken arm but its part of the game,hes already talkin racing next year,hes got quite a recovery ahead so we'll see. The thing these idiots don't get is these horses would prob be put down cause thier finished race horses.
Anybody see that outrider jump into Tylers wagon,then crawl down the front to get the riens....that kids a brave young man :!: :!:
"I mean, animals are killed and injured almost every year at the Stampede and the only way to stoop it is to ban the chuckwagons and rodeo."
His group had about 12 protesters outside the annual event's grounds.
However, the Calgary Stampede's management said ending the chuckwagon races is not even up for discussion.
The activists have little support amongst cowboys and Stampede visitors.
"Well, that pretty much puts and end to the Stampede doesn't it?" said spectator Joan Kirwan about the group's demands. "I mean, that's the whole purpose of coming down here."
David Ryan, another Stampede-goer, said: "I think it's part of our heritage and part of being out in the West. It's what we do."
Racer Wayne Knight said: "We work 12 months to race three months and every day we feed those horses and look after them just like kids. If they get a cut we get a doctor."
The Calgary Stampede -- which is synonymous with Alberta's largest, richest city -- dates back to 1912, with chuckwagon racing starting in 1923. The Rangeland Derby event, which has four horses pulling a chuckwagon around a track, currently has prize money of $1 million.
The chuckwagon races -- often called the half-mile of hell -- are the final event of the night for the rodeo portion of the Stampede. There had been nine days of racing and 79 races without incident in the 2007 Stampede before the disaster happened.
Saturday night's accident occurred as the racers were heading into the first curve. Two wagons bumped, setting off a chain reaction.
One horse died instantly, another had to be euthanized on the track and a third was put down overnight.
One driver was injured, suffering a broken arm. One outrider possibly saved even more injuries and chaos when he jumped into a wagon where the driver had been ejected.
Veteran drivers admit this doesn't make their sport look good.
"It's the worst aspect of the sport that any driver wants to see. You have guys that get hurt, you have horses that get euthanized," said racer Kelly Sutherland.
Since 2000, 11 chuckwagon racing horses have died at the Stampede.
Just before the 2005 Stampede, a group of rodeo bucking horses to be used in the rodeo got spooked as they were being herded across a bridge over Calgary's Bow River. Nine of them plunged to their deaths.
Greg and I know Tyler Helmig,the driver that got hurt pretty bad,way more then broken arm but its part of the game,hes already talkin racing next year,hes got quite a recovery ahead so we'll see. The thing these idiots don't get is these horses would prob be put down cause thier finished race horses.
Anybody see that outrider jump into Tylers wagon,then crawl down the front to get the riens....that kids a brave young man :!: :!:
:clap: :twisted: :lol: .....