A small group of animal rights advocates rallied on Tuesday at the Alberta Legislature, calling for an end to the Calgary Stampede's chuckwagon races after the death of six horses at this year's event.
"The deadly chuckwagon races are an ugly throwback to a more ignorant time and are staining Calgary's reputation," said Ingrid Newkirk in a release from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
The organization says rule changes aren't enough to keep horses safe and want see the races excluded from future events.
"PETA is calling on Premier Kenney to end these devastatingly cruel races," said Newkirk.
The Calgary Stampede says it will begin a "thorough review process" on chuckwagon safety after three horses were euthanized on the final night of racing.
The details around that process are still not known, but Stampede CEO Warren Connell has asked for patience and understanding from the public.
"We acknowledge that despite our best efforts to reduce risk, we're dealing with animals and there is an element of unpredictability," Connell said.
With files from CTV Calgary's Mark Villani
