As Langley prepares to saddle up for inaugural rodeo, SPCA raises welfare concerns

A brand new rodeo is barrelling into B.C.’s Decrease Mainland this Labour Day weekend. 

The Valley West Stampede is the primary skilled rodeo within the Township of Langley, B.C., which professes to be the “horse capital” of Canada. 

The three-day occasion, which is able to run Sept. 3-5 on the Langley Riders Society grounds, will characteristic barrel racing, saddle bronc, bull driving and bareback driving, with a $20,000 grand prize for every occasion.

“I believe it is loopy that Langley hasn’t had their very own skilled rodeo,” stampede president Sheila Hicks instructed CBC’s On the Coast. “Developing via this business and thru this sport, I am actually excited to share it with the following generations.”

Rodeos usually increase considerations amongst animal welfare advocates, citing concern and hurt accomplished to animals earlier than and through occasions. 

Hicks says the animals concerned within the rodeo are effectively cared for, and that occasions involving roping will not occur on the Valley West Stampede. 

“Animal security is our high precedence,” Hicks stated. “I imply, our horses are like our household. I grew up in rodeo and we deal with them very very like our youngsters.”

Nonetheless, B.C. SPCA chief scientific officer and director Sara Dubois says she expects the occasion to develop, wherein case these kinds of occasions could possibly be added. 

She described the creation of the occasion as “a step backward” and stated the occasion is solely for the aim of leisure for folks, moderately than caring for animals.

“There’s many different methods to have fun our relationship with animals that do not trigger concern,” Dubois stated.

However Hicks says there’s no “drastic concern” concerned in making the bulls and broncos buck. 

“If there was any drastic concern, horses are very a lot prey animals and they might not reply effectively to that. They’d not buck, they’d not carry out,” she stated. 

Hicks stated there shall be a veterinarian on website in any respect occasions.

The occasion can also be set to incorporate mutton busting — the place children trip sheep and win trophies — in addition to a cowboy breakfast, beer gardens, barn dances and different pageant actions.