Chuckwagon racers speak on criticism of animal safety at the event
Posted Jul 8, 2025 7:15 pm.
Last Updated Jul 8, 2025 9:13 pm.
Animal safety has long been a major issue at the Calgary Stampede, specifically when it comes to the chuckwagon races.
Critics continue to questions the treatment of animals taking part in the evening event, while Stampede officials and participants say changes around safety continue to reduce the risk of injury or death for horses.
Chase Vigen, who posted the fastest time in the Rangeland Derby on Monday, says he can’t be competitive if his horses aren’t in good shape.
“One goes hand in hand with one another,” he says. “If you’re not taking proper care of your horses, you’re not going to be competitive.”
The Chuckwagon and Relay Committee, the group that put on the races each night at the Stampede, say upgrades on and off the track not only ensure the safety of the animals before the race, but also during and after.
“The pool noodles, the track that you see them out there testing the compaction on the track, the way we put the pens in the barn,” are all ways safety has improved says Tal Hogbin with the committee. “We don’t have a show if these animals aren’t here, if they aren’t taken care of.”
The races have been criticized for years after several horse deaths during the Stampede, including three last year.
“I think that really speaks to the inherent risks that these events put animals in, and the inherent cruelty requiring them to compete in chuckwagon and rodeo events,” says Alexandra Pester, a staff lawyer with Animal Justice.
It’s something that those who compete in the races disagree with.
“These horses are very, very well looked after, cared for and loved,” says chuckwagon racer Jamie Laboucane. “We’re not the people to push these horses to their breaking point.”
The Stampede has so far seen no horse deaths this year.
Three horses were euthanized after sustaining injuries during the chuckwagon races last year. A steer was also euthanized after being injured during the rodeo’s steer wrestling event.
Changes were proposed to the chuckwagon races in 2020 after six horses died the previous year during the 2019 Calgary Stampede. The changes included going from four wagons to three, and lane delineation so that wagons on the inside could escape should they be pressured.
