Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur \ We Animals Media
The 2025 Calgary Stampede is set to take place from July 4–13, once again bringing with it the controversial rodeo and chuckwagon races—events long criticized for their impact on animal welfare. These high-risk spectacles have a tragic track record, with animal fatalities occurring nearly every year.
Last year marked the deadliest Stampede since 2019, with four animals losing their lives. Three horses died in the chuckwagon races and one steer was euthanized after suffering a broken neck during a wrestling event. At least 109 animals have died in Stampede-related events since tracking of animal fatalities began in 1986. This ongoing toll has fueled growing public concern and calls for change.
Polling consistently shows strong and increasing opposition across Canada to the use of animals in rodeo and chuckwagon races, including among Albertans.
Take action
Call on Stampede officials and government decision-makers to end the inhumane rodeo and deadly chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede. Below are two quick actions you can take to reflect your support for a kinder Calgary Stampede!
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Suffering & stress
Rodeos and chuckwagon races are high-intensity events that put animals at significant risk of injury and death. Chuckwagon races, notoriously dubbed the “half-mile of hell,” involve teams of horses pulling wagons at breakneck speeds while navigating tight quarters—conditions that pose serious risks of injury or death.
Note: Since the above video was created in 2022, five more horses have died (updated July 4, 2025).
Animals used in rodeo events routinely endure significant stress and suffering. Bucking, roping, and wrestling events involve the use of spurs, flank straps, and aggressive handling to trigger fear-based reactions from the animals, such as bucking or fleeing.
At their core, these spectacles depend on fear, discomfort, and pressure to force animals into performing—raising ongoing concerns about the ethical treatment of animals used in rodeo events.
Animal fatalities
Animal deaths have become a recurring tragedy at the Calgary Stampede. In 2024, the event saw its highest fatality count since 2019, with four animals killed over the course of the 10-day spectacle. Among them were three chuckwagon horses who sustained fatal injuries, and a steer whose neck was broken during a steer wrestling event.
Content warning: The video below shows a steer’s neck being fatally broken during a steer wrestling rodeo event.
Since 1986, at least 109 animals have died in connection with Stampede activities. The majority of these deaths have occurred during the chuckwagon races, where the combination of speed, intensity, and crowded conditions creates a highly dangerous environment for the horses involved. The fatality rate could be much higher, as it can take up to 48 hours after an incident for an injury to present.
Public opposition to rodeo
Research Co. public polling in recent years reflects growing opposition to the use of animals in rodeo:
- 2022 poll: Removal of the rodeo and chuckwagon events from the Stampede program would have virtually no impact on attendance rates and would bring in new crowds.
- 2023 poll: A majority of Albertans oppose the use of animals in rodeo.
- 2024 poll: A majority of Calgarians oppose calf roping, steer wrestling, bronc riding, and chuckwagon racing. In addition to this, 67% of Calgarians oppose government funding of rodeo events.
