AS DANGEROUS AS CHUCKWAGON RACING
Churchill Downs to suspend races and examine safety measures after 12 horse deaths


Chris Cwik
·Staff writer
Fri, June 2, 2023

Churchill Downs will suspend races to perform a safety check after multiple horse deaths. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Churchill Downs will suspend races and examine its safety measures after 12 horses died at the track in recent months, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) announced Friday.

In a statement, CDI said the move was made due to an "unusual number of horse injuries over the previous month resulting in 12 equine fatalities." Some of those deaths came in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs suspended trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and pulled one of his horses, Lord Miles, from the Kentucky Derby after two horses trained by Joseph died days before the event.

Bill Carstanjen, the CEO of CDI, called the deaths "deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable." He also said:

“What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable. Despite our best efforts to identify a cause for the recent horse injuries, and though no issues have been linked to our racing surfaces or environment at Churchill Downs, we need to take more time to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all of the details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, safety and integrity protocols.”

CDI said it was unable to find a reason or pattern that would explain the deaths. It said the track will be shut down out of "an abundance of caution."

The race suspension won't begin until Wednesday. Races scheduled for Saturday and Sunday will still take place at Churchill Downs. Starting June 10, some of the races that were supposed to take place at Churchill Downs will be moved to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky.

OUTLAW CHUCKWAGON RACING

In 1st event after 6 horses died, Stampede chuckwagons return with new safety measures

THERE ARE NO SAFE CHUCKWAGON RACES


Tue, July 12, 2022

Ferrier Nolan Cameron shoes a chuckwagon horse in the barns at the Calgary Stampede in 2019. The Stampede has introduced new measures it says will promote safety in its chuckwagon races. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press - image credit)

Chuckwagon races are well underway at the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth," and organizers say they've implemented new measures intended to boost the safety of the event.

Calgary Stampede spokesperson Kristina Barnes said the most obvious change will be on the track in the number of wagons.

In previous years, four wagons would compete in each heat — that's been decreased to three wagons this year.

"That's the one thing people will notice as they're watching from the stands and on television," Barnes said.

Custom-built delineator arms have also been added to the track to create a buffer between the wagons and the rails.

"In the past, people would've seen some pylons out on the track. So we've replaced those with these arms that slide out for the races," Barnes said.

"If there is contact between them and a wagon, they are made to swing back and break on the side of the rail. So not a trip hazard, but just to create that extra space on the track."

The Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races return to this year's Stampede after missing the past two years — in 2020, after the entire Stampede was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, as organizers cited safety issues.

The chuckwagons have long been controversial among animal rights groups in Canada and the United States.

In 2019, the last time the derby was held, six horses died. That matched the second deadliest toll in the Stampede's history.

The return of the event led some animal rights groups to push back.

Marc-Antoine Leblanc/Radio-Canada

When Kevin Costner was announced as parade marshal for this year's Stampede, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, called on him to step away, citing the event's history that reportedly includes the deaths of more than 70 horses over the years.

"Reducing a few of the dangerous aspects of the race is like cutting only one ear off a dog instead of two. It's better than nothing but not good enough," PETA said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

"The only way to stop horses from being hurt and from dying is to stop using them, and PETA joins every animal protection organization under the sun, and kind people across Canada, who want these reckless, barbaric races simply to end."

The Stampede has repeatedly said the safety of animals and people is its No. 1 priority.

"As always, we welcome PETA for a direct discussion regarding our animal care practices," it previously told CBC News in an email.

Drivers happy to be back

Kris Molle, a professional chuckwagon driver, said he's excited to be back at the Calgary Stampede, even despite the changes.

"It's definitely more exciting with four wagons, but it's definitely going to be more room on the track to manoeuvre," Molle said. "For safety reasons is the reason why they did it. So try it this year is all we can do."

Molle said that in his view, chuckwagon races are no different than any sport when it comes to safety.

"You have your incidents. We have to take the precautions necessary to continue to improve to get better and safer. That's with any sport," he said.

Marc-Antoine Leblanc/Radio-Canada

The Stampede said it is undertaking an effort to do enhanced veterinary inspections, and pointed to ongoing studies at the University of Calgary focused on chuckwagon races.

Researchers at the university are trying to find ways to reduce the chance of horse injuries by studying track conditions and how they impact the hooves and bones of horses while galloping at full speed. Sensors were placed on horses' hooves, cannon bones and radiuses using saddles fitted with devices to measure data.

Dr. Renaud Léguillette, a veterinary medicine professor at the university, told CBC's The Homestretch that harder dirt is tougher on bones and joints while softer tracks are harder on tendons and ligaments.

Calgary's weather changes on a frequent basis, Léguillette said, and that will change conditions.

"I'm really confident that even by next year they will probably do some changes and at least monitor, you know, the hardness of the track and apply some changes on the track as needed," Léguillette said.

The races this year are scheduled to take place over nine heats per night. Twenty-seven drivers are competing for prize money, along with their 162 horses.