Calgary Stampede centennial celebrations have been marred by a chuckwagon crash which killed three horses.  There was no collision, but a lead horse suddenly dropped, bringing two other horses with him.  Stampede spokesperson Doug Fraser says the lead horse collapsed due to a "fatal event".  Two other horses had to be euthanized on the track due to their injuries while the fourt horse will require surgery but is expected to survive.  Driver Chad Harden calls it "one of those bad accidents" and broke down into tears talking about how close he was to the horses, comparing them to a pet. 

Reaction the crash has been mixed.  The Vancouver Humane Society, which is an advocacy group, has already issued a statement saying the races should be suspended immediately as it's clear any improvements made have failed.  Fellow driver Kelly Sutherland says they are in a risky business, but we should wait until the cause of the lead horse's death is released.  And some have taken to Twitter, with a few saying the races disgust them while others say accidents happen but not frequently enough to call for an end to the races.