Medicine Hat Stampede & WPCA officials and drivers attend to a collapsed horse during the final heat of Thursday's WPCA chuckwagon races. (Photo Courtesy Scott Roblin)

By Chris Brown and Scott Roblin

Horse that collapsed at WPCA races has been put down: Stampede GM

Jun 17, 2022 | 4:21 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The general manager of Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede says the horse that collapsed at the end of the chuckwagon races on Thursday has been put down.

Crossing the finish line in heat 13 of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association event, a horse from Chanse Vigen’s outfit appeared to be in medical distress and collapsed in front of the grandstand.

The horse was attended to and loaded into a trailer. Stampede GM Ron Edwards says the animal was assessed by the track veterinarian and it was agreed the horse would be put down.

“We put a lot of safety into these animals, they’re like families to the drivers all these horses and I guess risks do happen in any sport but it was a sad part of the evening,” says Edwards. “I don’t know what to tell you, you know. These things happen and we do everything we possibly can to have the safety on the track and yet things do still happen.”

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Edwards says it’s too early to know exactly what happened to cause the horse to collapse.

This is the second year in a row that a horse has collapsed in Medicine Hat. On the opening night of the 2021 Medicine Hat Stampede Rodeo, a horse collapsed and died after suffering a medical incident standing in the infield.

Edwards says the Stampede and the drivers take all precautions when it comes to the animals

“We do have track personnel that tell us whether the track is safe or not safe and the track was really in good condition even after the rain we had it in really nice condition,” He said. “I don’t know what else we could do to help prevent those kinds of things. We do everything we can. We do our utmost.”

The WPCA races this weekend will continue starting with tonight’s 7 p.m. heats. There will be another heat Saturday evening before the Dash for Cash on Sunday afternoon.