Winter Fair event going ahead in face of objections

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This article was published 25/03/2025 (184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This year’s Barnyard Challenge — once called the Calf Scramble — will go ahead as planned during the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, despite objections and protests from animal welfare groups, says Winter Fair co-chair Clint Swain.

“We’re proud of the event that we put on, and our events are going to happen in the foreseeable future, and that’s what I advised the group Animal Justice when we received a letter from them,” Swain said.

“We have no intention of cancelling this year or in any future fairs,” said Swain, who is also president of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, the non-profit organization that has presented the Winter Fair for decades.

Animal Justice, a national animal law organization, along with the humane societies in Brandon and Winnipeg, are calling for the cancellation of the Barnyard Challenge event, said Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy for Animal Justice.

“Yet again, it seems that another Calf Scramble is being held this year,” Mitchell said. “It’s one of those issues that I keep hoping will resolve itself, and that the fair will hold other programming that’s more fun and more suitable for children and all families,” she said.

“Unfortunately, we see this archaic event being held yet again.”

In an email the animal advocacy organization sent to the Sun voicing its opposition to the Barnyard Challenge, it attached a copy of a letter from Manitoba’s former chief veterinary officer, Dr. Scott Zaari, that he wrote to the Winter Fair’s organizers on March 20, 2024.

Josh Lynn, public relations manager with Animal Justice, told the Sun the group received Zaari’s letter six months ago after submitting a request under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Zaari addressed his letter to Swain and the general manager of the Provincial Exhibition, stating, “We specifically urge you to carefully assess whether the inclusion of scramble and sheep wrangling events aligns with the current animal welfare standards and the RMWF’s mission to educate and demonstrate leadership in the agriculture sector today.”

Zaari also encouraged the Winter Fair organizers to continue to uphold the highest standards of animal welfare during the event.

The Sun requested an interview with Dr. Glen Duizer, Manitoba’s current chief veterinary officer, and was told no one was available for an interview, but received a statement from a provincial spokesperson.

“The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian — Animal Welfare is committed to attending the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare are upheld throughout the event. Ongoing communication with fair organizers and stakeholders remains essential in maintaining the well-being of all animals involved,” wrote the spokesperson in an email.

Manitoba’s Animal Care Act says animals must be given adequate food, water, shelter, exercise and medical attention, as well as be kept in areas that are uncrowded, sanitary, have adequate lighting and are well-ventilated.

Emotional or physical suffering, injury, harm, anxiety or distress must be avoided.

The Winter Fair will run from March 31 to April 5 at the Keystone Centre, with the Barnyard Challenge scheduled for the evening of April 2. It’s open to those 15 to 21 years of age who chase and grab young calves, trying to remove a halter from the animal’s neck.

Swain said there are weight restrictions for the competitors while the calves can weigh no more than 500 pounds.

“We’re working with the chief veterinary officer and animal protection officers, and we have confirmed that they will be in attendance, like last year,” said Swain.

“Last year they were on site every day, and we had zero complaints. We had glowing remarks from the animal protection officers, and a copy of that report was requested and reviewed by Animal Justice,” he said.

“And what we’re doing at our event happens every day on a normal farm with the cattle. Taking a halter off a cow is everyday life on a Manitoba or Saskatchewan farm, or any farm across Canada,” said Swain.

The position that Animal Justice takes, said Mitchell, is that chasing animals, grabbing at them, and tackling them for entertainment is not reasonable, not generally accepted, and any suffering that it causes is unnecessary.

“So, no, this is not something that happens on a farm on a day-to-day basis, where you have a number of calves standing in an arena and then a bunch of teenagers and young adults run and grab at them in order to remove these halters as fast as possible for prizes, while the crowd cheers,” Mitchell said.

Swain pointed out that in 2022, just days before the fair opened, the Pig Scramble was cancelled after a protest by the same groups, which he said shows they are open to constructive criticism.

“We want to be proactive; we’re not looking to hide anything. We expect the highest level of care for every animal attending,” Swain said.

“At some point we have to start putting our feet into the sand and providing some resistance,” he added. “We can’t just cancel an event because one group or another doesn’t like our way of life.”

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