'These horses are born to run': Dawson Creek Exhibition keeping chuckwagon races

Despitebacklash from animal advocates after six chuckwagonhorses diedat this year's Calgary Stampede, the Dawson Creek Exhibition Associationhas no plans to eliminate the race from their own five-day event in August.

Chuckwagon races have been part of the northern B.C. city'sexhibition and stampede since it started 97 years ago, saidConnie Patterson, president of the Dawson Creek Exhibition Association.

"For us of course, that's part of our event and [always] has been," she said.

"The first event we had here was done with the settlers that came to the Peace River country to make this their home, and they had a rodeo, and they had chuckwagon races, and a ball tournament."

This year, they have 36 wagons coming and she doesn't expect what happened in Calgary to change anything.

"That's never bothered anybody, ever. It might be a kerfuffle for some people," said Patterson, noting she doesn't thinkit will effect attendance levels.

'Less stress here,' says association president

The Dawson Creek Exhibition has 80 acres of land, a pasture for the horses, andthetruck that hauls them turns into a barn for them,said Patterson.

"They're under so much less stress here," she said.

They also have six vets on call. "Should something go wrong on the track or wherever, and there's a crisis and we need help, we have trained people."

However, the Calgary Stampede also had veterinarians onsite, but theyweren't able to save the three horses that were injured when Evan Salmond's wagon went downSunday night. All three horses were euthanized.

"The sad thing about a horse is, it doesn't matter what kind of a horse it is, you can't put a cast on it. So if you break a bone in the ankle or up into the knee, or any of those bones like that, you have to put them down," she said.

"I've been president for 18 years. So you know, it isn't that we haven't had the odd horse pass for us. We have. At most times it'ssome of them for old age, or a broken bone, and of course thoroughbreds are very light boned, doesn't take much to snap thecannon bone."

'Born to run'

The association president feels "a sadness" when she sees chuckwagon horses die.

"Those horses live until 16, 17, 18 years old. So they have a whole rest of their life and they have a wonderful life. They actually do, and they love to run. They're born to run," said Patterson.

One safety measure the association is looking intois installing plastic rails to try to prevent future injuries, like the incident at the Calgary Stampede where the lead horse from Salmond's wagon died after it hit aguard rail.

For now though, they still have metal ones.