Yee Haw! The Calgary Stampede is under way and this is the 100th anniversary of this rodeo and general outdoor phenonemon which may attract three quarters of a million people this year. There are folk from St. Paul's who plan to attend.
There is controversy about the Stampede because of the danger posed to animals and the perceptions of cruelty in events such as bull riding and bronco busting. It always seems to me that the critters are winning, but I do appreciated the concerns. In Britain travel agents have been asked not to book trips to the Stampede and Bob Barker has been calling for an end to the event.http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/06/bob-barker-on-the-calgary-stampede-rodeo-close-it-down/
It's hard to know what to think. Some of the veterinarians involved point out that while the chuckwagon races may place horses in danger, many of them would have been destroyed after careers on the racetrack if it weren't for the Stampede. And there are cowboys out west, who wear stetsons and pointy boots because this is what they do for a living. Sure there is a pro circuit for riders, but the activities reflect a culture we don't know much about.
I find it interesting that a couple of thousand First Nations people attended the first Stampede because the organizer invited them even though the Canadian government discouraged it. Apparently the government felt that a good Native was one who stayed on the reserve.
So far the United Church hasn't called for a boycott of the Stampede (thank God, we have enough on the go already) but it is worth considering how this fits in our outlook on how animals are treated.
Have you attended the Stampede, or are you planning to go? Are you okay with what happens, or does it unsettle you? Do you book an appointment with your chiropractor just thinking about the bull riding?
4 comments:
We went to the Stampede a number of years ago, and unfortunately there was a very serious chuck wagon accident on one of the days we were there. Everyone waited to see the outcome and more than one horse had to be put down due to their injuries. We were very upset, but the kids even more so. It was very hard to explain why the horses were destroyed, even though it was out of compassion for the animals, but the kids biggest concern was that if they were going to get hurt, they should not race. Out of the mouth of babes.
I was there in 1995 when several horses were killed in a chuck wagon race. Tough to see. Even harder to understand.
We were curious onlookers when we lived in Calgary. I was amazed there real life cowboys walking this earth. Chuckwagon races often played on radios around campgrounds. Every summer weekend there was a rodeo in some small town and the circuit riders chased the cash prizes, I guess. It was their living. We too witnessed a horse get badly hurt while at the Stampede to then find out that it had to be euthanized . I had watched with my heart in my mouth before that....and after that just didn't watch.
I guess it is like zoos and marineland etc....my heart says no but sometimes one grows weary of all the
battles that could be waged on so many aspects of modern society, and I retreat to those that somehow seem manageable within my life....but still feel grateful that the likes of Bob Barker keep us thinking about the well being of the animals and maybe ever so slightly changing our ways for the better as human beings.....
I guess we create our own limitations of manageable ...all part of the balancing act.
We've just arrived home from attending the 100th anniversary of the Stampede. We spent the day there on Sunday along with the other 100,000+ people. It was an experience for sure!!
We saw the Chuck wagon races that evening, and between every two races the track was grated. My sister who lives in Calgary commented, "this is new, they've never done this before". I had read somewhere that this was a new policy to try and keep accidents to a minimum. We read too while we were out there an article stating, that these animals are a part of the families of these cowboys, just like some of us have cats and dogs.
We saw the horses and carriages in their competitions, they are massive animals, and beautifully groomed, truly awesome to see a driver manage 6 or 8 horses as they pull a carriage! The over 700+ horses in the parade, some working horses, some for pleasure were also awesome to see. So like Laura says, a balancing act.
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