An outrider horse suffered a lower front leg fracture during the ninth and final heat of the July 11th GMC Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races at the 2018 Calgary Stampede. The horse, owned by chuckwagon driver, Chad Harden, managed to finish the race. The rider came off on the third corner but was not injured.

The horse was taken by horse ambulance to the back of the barn area where the veterinarian who assessed the injury determined that the horse needed to be euthanized.

This was the first horse death at this year’s Stampede.

On the previous night, chuckwagon driver Obrey Motowylo fell from his wagon and was then run over by it at the start of the eighth heat of the chuckwagon races. He suffered a broken left scapula and a T-5 vertebrae chip. He was quickly removed from the track before the remaining three rigs came through the same section of the track a minute later as they raced toward the finish line.

Outriders, one of whom was Motowylo’s own son, were able to stop the horses.

An ambulance took Motowylo to hospital where he is reported to be in good spirits.

Motowylo is a veteran chuckwagon driver in his 15th season of racing. He placed second overall in the 2017 Calgary Stampede championships.

- With files from CBC.ca, Calgary Sun.com.

Photo: Chuckwagon races at the 2011 Calgary Stampede. Photo: Flickr/Mark Doliner