Posted on 2005-07-07

Nine Horses Die in Calgary Stampede

At least nine rodeo horses are dead in Calgary near the end of a 200 km trail ride

His father Eric said: "Initially, I thought it was deliberate. The horses were all of a sudden starting to run and as soon as they hit the bridge, they were going to run to the Stampede. But within three seconds, I realized there was a major problem going on."

His wife Jane thought a nearby train might have spooked the animals.

"The engine got really loud, and it was shunting cars back and forth," she said. "It seems like the horses just took off at that point, because they were really calm (before), actually."

Stampede spokesman Lindsey Galloway said: "It's been a tragedy. It's a sad day for the Stampede. We're very upset about it."

The animals were wild, and moving them poses risks, he said, but added similar drives in 1987 and 2000 were complete successes.

The rest of the horses continued to the Stampede grounds with one incident. However, a chuckwagon tipped, leaving the driver with an injured groin.

Officials say one horse remains unaccounted for.

The surviving horses will be used as bucking stock in the riding events of the Stampede's world-famous rodeo.

With a report from CTV's Nujma Yaqzan

"Help us lead Canada's horses away from barbarism . .
and into the protected pastures of a civilized nation."