Suicide Race Foes Want To Hire Vet

Animal welfare activists want an independent veterinarian to examine horses slated to compete in the Omak Stampede’s annual Suicide Race next month and publicly report on their conditions.

“Anyone should be able to use these findings to appeal the safety and welfare of the race,” said Will Anderson, a member of the Progressive Animal Welfare Society. “We don’t have any plan beyond an objective, balanced report.”

PAWS has tried repeatedly to block the event, in which horses and riders plummet over a hillside that is steeper than a staircase and taller than a 10-story building.

Nine horses have died in the past 12 years. PAWS has tried for eight years to end the race, calling it barbaric and cruel.

Jack Miller, president of the Omak Stampede rodeo, said the race already uses qualified professional veterinarians.

But he said organizers wouldn’t mind PAWS supplying another independent vet if both sides could agree upon one.