Chuckwagon horse injured Saturday at Calgary Stampede races
No immediate report was available regarding the horse's condition, but it was loaded onto a trailer as announcer Les McIntyre told the crowd that the horse would get the best care and would hopefully be able to return to racing.
The horse was part of the rig of Chad Fike, a fourth-generation driver who has been coming to the Stampede for more than 10 years.
The Saturday night injury occurred in Heat 8 of the chuckwagon races. A time-delayed television broadcast of the race showed Fike's rig starting the race with two other competitors, but didn't make mention of why the race ended with only those two other competitors crossing the finish line. Later in the broadcast, it was announced Fike had received 'no time' in the race and had 'pulled up' in the back part of the track.
Earlier this week, Fike talked to Postmedia Calgary about how important his horses are, saying he puts countless hours into their care.
'It's about a 16-hour day in the summer — getting up early, making sure they always have food in front of them, they're staying cool and hydrated,' said Fike.
'They are professional athletes, and they have to be treated like that.'
The Calgary Stampede is known as a leader when it comes to rodeo and chuckwagon safety, and earlier this month held a news conference to share new research and safety protocols. Items are installed in barns including misters — to keep animals cool when the temperature rises — as well as a salt water spa to help reduce swelling of horses' joints and muscles.
Importantly, the Stampede has a fitness-to-compete program, which makes sure that before any chuckwagon horses are put on the track they are in good shape. At the start of the day, veterinarians check every horse that will be used in the races, which includes a check of their temperature, heart rate and overall wellness. Vets do another check around 5 p.m. daily, before the horses get final clearance to race.
'Our goal is to create the very safest conditions possible,' Kristina Barnes, the Stampede's director of agriculture and western events, said shortly before this year's Stampede.
The Stampede has a team of veterinarians on site 24 hours a day, as well as an animal behaviour specialist and a third-party auditor who works to identify improvements that can be made.
'If any animal at the rodeo is showing any signs of distress, it does not compete,' Barnes said.
Beginning in April of each year, the Stampede's venue maintenance teams begin preparing the track and infield for the rodeo. The conditions of the track play a major role in the safety of rodeo events.
'About 1,800 hours have been put into this area to this point,' Barnes said in late June. 'They will continue to work moving up to Stampede, and they'll go overnight if they need to, to make sure the track conditions are safe.'
Additionally, the Stampede's continued partnership with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is leading industry research on animal welfare and safety.
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