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Officials from the Calgary Stampede say a horse that was hurt during a chuckwagon race on Saturday has been euthanized.
A Stampede spokesperson said a horse on Chad Fike’s team sustained a racing injury during the eighth heat.
They said medical care was immediately dispatched, but following an assessment, the owner and the veterinary team made the “humane decision” to euthanize the horse.
An entry on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association website says Fike, who lives in Cremona, Alta., is a fourth-generation chuckwagon competitor.
The horse is the first reported animal death at the 2025 Calgary Stampede, which wraps today.
Three horses and a steer were euthanized at last year’s Stampede, and animal rights groups have long called for the rodeo portion of the event to be eliminated because of the deaths.
‘Extremely frustrating,’ animal rights group says
During a Sunday media availability, Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley said the horse, which was named Rider, “suffered a fracture to his left front cannon bone.” He called it “an unfortunate incident.”
In a statement, the Vancouver Humane Society said at least 110 animals, including 79 horses in chuckwagon races, have died during the event in the last four decades.
“It’s extremely frustrating to see the Stampede chuckwagon races proceed each year, knowing after decades of advocacy that another horse will almost certainly lose their life,” campaigns director Emily Pickett said.