Perhaps no other animal exemplifies the American West more than the horse. These noble equines played an integral role in the development and expansion of our country as we know it today. Yet nearly 250 years after its founding, horses are still being used, abused and exploited by humans in ways that should have gone the way of the Pony Express.
An event that exemplifies this exploitation is the “World Famous Suicide Race,” a deadly display that is part of the annual Omak Stampede held in Washington state. The race sends horses careening downhill in an almost vertical 210-foot drop to the Okanogan River. Horses frequently end up falling down the steep slope after losing their footing or colliding with another horse. Some have had to be euthanized after sustaining catastrophic injuries, and others have even drowned.
But the ordeal isn’t over for those who manage to make it to the bottom of the cliff still standing. The frightened horses must next swim about 100 yards across the river to reach the other side and then make a final sprint to the finish line.
