The race where horses die

Originally Posted by gwlnl    

The Suicide Race is a horse race held every year, during the second week of August, in Omak, Washington. Over a span of four days and nights, riders repeatedly run their horses off Suicide Hill with a 120-foot galloping start. Horses blindly plunge more than 210 feet down a slope that event organizer's often boast as an "almost vertical... 62-degree angle." At breakneck speed, the horses then meet the Okanogan River. Entry into the river is narrow, causing bottlenecks and horrendous multiple-horse spills.

The horses have suffered heart attacks from over exertion, broken bones from shocking collisions and tumbles, and even horrifying death by drowning. Race has provoked serious concerns among animal welfare and animals rights groups.

In the previous 25 years at least 21 horses have died, including three in 2004 and one in 2012.

Originally Posted by Sweeney Road    

Washington State law specifically exempts rodeos from animal cruelty statutes.

Originally Posted by Sharpie    

This is the first time I have heard that- could you post a reference or where you learned that? If you're right I may have some letters that need writing. While I am a fan of some well run rodeos, I don't think they should be (and had never heard they were) exempt from common anti-cruelty laws. I would love to see where that's written in the codes so I have something solid to go from.

Originally Posted by Speed Racer    

The exemption only applies to ACCEPTED husbandry practices. Anything considered harsher than the ACCEPTED practices can be charged as animal cruelty.

So no, rodeos are not exempt from animal cruelty laws in WA state.