This summer, the Calgary Stampede ran from July 8th to 17th, the first time the event has been held since the pandemic. The Stampede garnered considerable scrutiny in 2019 after six horses were killed during the chuckwagon races, raising questions about the welfare of animals used in rodeo events. Animal Justice filed a legal complaint and is calling for an animal cruelty investigation after video shows a Calgary Stampede rodeo worker striking a horse in the face at least three times. The video aired on Sportsnet on July 8th and was captured during a bronco riding event. Animal Justice describes the video as showing the mounted horse refusing to move into the arena and a worker smacking the horse in the face in an attempt to make them move into the arena. Animal Justice further reminds that individuals competing in the Stampede are not exempt from any applicable provincial and federal animal cruelty laws. Read the Animal Justice blog post and see the video clip here.
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