Three more chuckwagon horses killed totalling 6

Three horses were killed at Sunday night’s chuckwagon races as the 10-day Stampede wrapped.

The 2019 Calgary Stampede is now tied for second place as the deadliest year for chuckwagon horses in more than three decades.

In total six chuckwagon horses were killed — four of them from the same driver’s team.

The papers say the horses died, like it was their fault. No. They were killed, and the Calgary Stampede could care less or they would put a stop to it themselves. It appears to be little more to them than an unfortunate round of bad publicity.

In the meantime, the Calgary Stampede declined requests to provide the organization’s own details on the killings through the years.

The most complete records available publicly are from the Vancouver Humane Society, which has added up the tally since 1986 using data from the Calgary Humane Society and media reports.

The Vancouver Humane Society says the total tally includes:

72 chuckwagon horses (some reports say 73)
Nine calves
Five steers
Four bucking horses
One wild ride horse
One show horse
One bull

Predictably the Stampede trotted out the most insipid of responses to the chuckwagon horse killings, that they are going to review what happened and see what they can do. Save your breath. We can tell you right now what you are going to do — nothing.

“This is as upsetting to us as it is to our community, and is challenging for us. The Stampede’s commitment to the safety of animals and the conditions of their participation in our events is paramount to our values and brand integrity,” the statement said.

Not a great time to be talking about your brand and your values.

If the Calgary Stampede had an ounce of integrity, they would put an end to chuckwagon racing. What’s stopping them?  Business, baby. Business.

In 2018, the CBC did an in depth look at the Stampede’s business operations.

The Calgary Stampede makes and spends $150M per year, says a 2018 CBC article.

In common speech, the phrase “Calgary Stampede” can mean a lot of things but within the organization it refers primarily to the non-profit entity at the centre of all the various operations.

But the non-profit organization is just one part of the broader operation. It’s the hub around which everything else turns, including for-profit enterprises and a charitable arm. Read more »

Money talks, bullshit walks, the saying goes. Or cheap talk will get you nowhere, while money will persuade people to do as they like.