Activists lock down Chuckwagon track

[Devils'Advocate]

1) You presume other rodeos are not protested? I have protested at 3 rodeos, none of which were in Calgary. (not the sit in and chain myself to something protest - just holding sign and handing out pamphlets)

2) Needless killing of animals is part of your identity. Congratulations. You should be so proud. I've been to Calgary and had a blast. The city has far more going for it than the animal related events at rodeo.

[The Ditch]

I've met the drivers many times and those guys love those horses, pay a lot of money for them and treat them extremely well. They ride as much of the year as possible in mostly ####ty rodeos and then farm as well. These horses also come from former backgrounds of racing and a lot of times if these drivers didn't buy them they wouldn't be around anymore.

Think what you want about the races and call it barbaric but just know that these guys really do live this and it's not a week long "show".

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

And for the most part the horses that would otherwise being racing in the wagons would be going to slaughterhouses where they are often inhumanely killed. What's more unsafe than painful certain death?

Okay. "We are going to do this form of animal cruelty to save them from worse animal cruelty". Perhaps then we should be addressing BOTH?!?

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Okay. "We are going to do this form of animal cruelty to save them from worse animal cruelty". Perhaps then we should be addressing BOTH?!?

Theres the C word. These animals are treated better and cared for better then all others. The animal cruelty statement is one hundred percent myth.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Okay. "We are going to do this form of animal cruelty to save them from worse animal cruelty". Perhaps then we should be addressing BOTH?!?

In what way? They've been changing rules and doing research into reducing risks associated with the chuckwagons for years. Unfortunately it hasn't exactly seemed to bare fruit at this point but that's how that's how they are trying to address it.

What would be your solution though? I don't want animals to needlessly die and if you got a a plan to stop it I'm all ears. Stopping the chuckwagons kills the horses though, so I'm at a lost. To me, I'd rather see the select and lucky few see their twentieth birthday growing up with a loving family doing what they've been bred and trained to do all their lives as opposed to being shot on their 6th birthday. Do you disagree?

And this is about chuckwagons, not any other animal cruelty you want to throw in your retort.

[irrevocable]

Just shut up and enjoy the show. Heh.

[Resolute 14]

The news story should have consisted of nothing more than "a pair of ######s trespassed, were arrested".

Losers.

[WhiteTiger]

I wonder how much of the difference here is simply between "city slickers" and "cowpokes". Having lived a decent chunk of my life on/around a farm, and having been brought up by family very much involved in the rodeo circuit, I simply see it in a different light than someone who only sees the 'show' and the accidents.

Knowing what goes into the rodeo beyond the "10 second" clip someone can see on the TV or watch for the Chuck race gives me a different perspective. Who knows...if all I saw was a single chuck race or two, in which there was a horrible accident and some horses had to be put down...I might have a different perspective, too.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The news story should have consisted of nothing more than "a pair of ######s trespassed, were arrested".

Whether you think it's "######ed" or not, it's something that a lot of people really dislike about the Stampede. It's a complex issue, but not one that should just be systematically ignored. I'm not vegan or a PETA follower by any means, but it is something that makes me a uncomfortable about the Stampede, and clearly there are many who feel the same. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of any even that makes animals into a spectacle, whether it be the Stampede, a Circus, or Sea World. Every time I go to the zoo, I feel for all those giraffes in their tiny boxes, and the tigers just circling their enclosure.

The one event that I personally can't really stomach is the one where they release some scared steer, chase it down, and wrangle it to the ground by the neck. Those animals always look frightened beyond belief.

[2ArmBands]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The news story should have consisted of nothing more than "a pair of ######s trespassed, were arrested".

Losers.

I heard they were from Vancouver...

Obvious Canucks fans

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Whether you think it's "######ed" or not, it's something that a lot of people really dislike about the Stampede. It's a complex issue, but not one that should just be systematically ignored.

That's fine. I've said my peace about the chuckwagons and how I believe most people are just ill-informed with regards to it but for those informed and still are against it they should be able to try and express their concerns. Just do it legally.

This isn't a case of Rosa Parks sitting at the front of the bus. It's two idiots who want to get on the news by doing something that was illegal. Probably more attention whores than activists.

[Jbo]

I wish vancouver would focus on its own issues, like maybe the homeless in east Hastings or hell, there own aquarium, before coming here and stirring up crap.

[BigNumbers]

The Rodeo is awesome, and is part of what makes us Calgarian. As has been said numerous times already; These animals live a better life than 99.9% of all animals on the planet... No one protests herds of wild horses dying of starvation in the winter. We lose more horses in one month due to 'free range'/wild issues like starvation then have ever been lost at the Stampede.

Some people need perspective - Why is it always those with the least amount of life experience (in terms of breadth) who whine the loudest?

[Peanut]

There's a big difference (in my mind, anyways) between the chucks and the rodeo. Mostly it's the humans getting hurt in the rodeo (thinking back to the bull rider last year who got his crotch stomped on, for example. That bull was fine. That cowboy was not fine). The chucks does seem riskier than just generic track racing for horses, mostly due to the fact they are harnessed together, so if one goes down, they're all going down.

If they got rid of the chucks I wouldn't be heartbroken. But I don't think they should get rid of the rodeo.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Whether you think it's "######ed" or not, it's something that a lot of people really dislike about the Stampede.

Like it or don't, that's your right. But frankly, there is absolutely nothing redeeming about self-absorbed attention whores trying to get themselves into the spotlight. This isn't about animal welfare or anything else. This is two losers trying to make a name for themselves. They should be ignored the exact same way other attention whores should be ignored.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The news story should have consisted of nothing more than "a pair of ######s trespassed, were arrested".

Losers.

Just curious, why are they losers?

I don't have an opinion on the chuckwagons and the ethical question it brings, but the protesters got their message out in a non-violent way without really interrupting, well, anything.

Do you not like their message? Or their tactics?

[MelBridgeman]

PETA kills more animals in a year then the entire history of the stampede and quite possibly every rodeo combined.

[Ne7en]

"These owners love their horses more than anything". Pushing a horse so far as to cause a heart attack doesn't exactly resemble care to me.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Peanut

The chucks does seem riskier than just generic track racing for horses, mostly due to the fact they are harnessed together, so if one goes down, they're all going down.

No. You're 100% mistaken. The average generic race track horse is sent to the slaughterhouse around 6 years old. Certain lucky ones go on to become chuckwagon horses who can live past 20.

In a nice ideal world every race horse would retire to pasture to live peaceful for the rest of their lives, or maybe not be subjected to racing in the first place. That's obviously not the case, they get injured, old and used and are done and sent for a couple dollars to be shot in the head and ground up for dog food. The chuckwagons save the lives, at least unfortunately temporarily, of these generic race horses and provide an opportunity that very few race horses get to see old (and middle) age.

Of course an even better life would be just kept safely as a pet but financial that's impossible.

I think for the most part people are just misinformed and think the majority of these horses are bred from the beginning to be chuckwagon horses or are auctioned off where the options are being sent to the stud farm to be jerked off for the rest of their lives or be savagely killed in the chuckwagons. If that was the case I could see the argument, but it's not. And I know some people hold the view that it would be better to be dead than a chuckwagon horse. But I've been around these horses. I'm not a horse whisperer but they seem happy and well taken care of. If a couple accidents a year kill a dozen, while unfortunate, isn't it better than just killing them all?

[Jbo]

As many others have pointed out, the owners of horses, and stampede as a whole, does 1000x more for these animals then any org. like the Vancouver group could or would. They protest for attention, and then disappear the rest of the year. I read somewhere (and I can't find the source) that only about 15% of this groups budget actually goes toward the welfare of animals.

So to those in support of banning it, please present an alternative for the animals, that does not turn them into glue.