Michael Mountain
July 17, 2013 

Last Wednesday at the Calgary Stampede, steer wrestler Zane Hankel wrestled a steer to the ground in 4.4 seconds. The animal never rose to his feet again. Hankel had snapped his neck.

Out came the infamous black tarps so the audience wouldn't be troubled by what had just happened. Just as the tarps did last year, when three horses were killed in a chuck wagon accident. Just as they did in 2010 when six horses were killed. And in 2005, when 12 horses were killed.

And the show went on.

The steer never rose to his feet again. Hankel had snapped his neck.According to Renaud Leguillette, a veterinarian hired to look after the animals at the Stampede, "only 0.05 percent of rodeo events lead to an animal fatality."

Imagine if we talked about football deaths that way.

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