Another horse was tragically killed at the Calgary Stampede, marking the 110th animal death in nearly 40 years. On Saturday, July 12, a horse named Rider fractured his leg while being forced to in the 2025 Stampede chuckwagon races, and was killed shortly after.
Chuckwagon racing is one of the most dangerous events held each year. Horses are pushed to their physical limits, pulling wagons at breakneck speeds around tight corners. Year after year, these reckless races result in injuries, and often, death.
Chuckwagon Racing: A History of Death
This year’s horse death is far from an isolated incident. Since 1986, at least 79 horses have died in chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede. Last year alone, three animals were killed in the annual Stampede’s first few days. Among them were two outrider horses, animals forced to race alongside speeding chuckwagons to help riders navigate the track. Both of these fatalities were hidden from the public for days until their deaths were finally reported by the media.
Often described as the “Half-Mile of Hell,” the event is notorious for being deadly to animals. Horses are not athletes who choose to participate. They are forced into these chaotic, high-speed races that put their lives at risk.
With yet another Calgary Stampede horse killed this year, concerned citizens must continue to speak out. Urge the Stampede to end these deadly rodeo events once and for all.
Why Calgary Stampede Animal Deaths Must Be Prosecuted
Under provincial and national laws, it is illegal to cause an animal distress, suffering, or death for entertainment. Yet rodeo cruelty continues to go unpunished, even in the most egregious cases—including when a cowboy snapped a young steer’s neck with his bare hands at the 2024 Stampede. In fact, no rodeo event or participant has been prosecuted in Canada since 1950, despite decades of animals being abused and killed.
Animal Justice’s legal complaint calls for an investigation into this latest tragedy, and explains why predictable rodeo cruelty is illegal.
Time to End Rodeo Abuse at the Calgary Stampede
The death of Rider the horse at the 2025 Stampede is yet another reminder of why deadly rodeo events must end. Animals forced to participate in these spectacles endure extreme fear, physical harm, and are killed far too often. Just days earlier, a horse collapsed during the Stampede parade, further underscoring the risks animals face in these chaotic, high-stress environments. All this just for the sake of entertainment.Rodeo participants whip, rope, chase, and slam animals to the ground—causing them pain, fear, and distress, even when they survive. Support for rodeo is low and declining amongst the public, with most Albertans and two‑thirds of Canadians overall opposed to using animals in rodeos. It’s time for the Calgary Stampede to end these outdated spectacles and prioritize the well-being of animals.
Take Action
With yet another Calgary Stampede horse killed, the Stampede must stop putting horses, bulls, and calves at risk. These heartbreaking deaths are preventable and unacceptable.
Tell the Stampede to cancel abusive rodeo events, including dangerous chuckwagon racing.
Banner Image: Sportsnet via Vancouver Humane Society