Baby cows were once again tormented for entertainment at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair’s calf scramble—an event previously cancelled, but then reinstated last year by organizers. This troubling decision comes despite opposition from hundreds of citizens, warnings from Manitoba’s Chief Veterinary Office (CVO), and outcry from animal protection groups over potential illegal cruelty.
On April 1, 2025, Animal Justice attended the event to document the treatment of the calves. What we saw was shocking.
The calves were visibly frightened before the event as they were brought into the arena, desperately looking for an exit. Some huddled together in a tight group, seeking safety. Once the scramble started, the teens charged at the calves, violently grabbing and tackling them to remove their halters. At least one participant wrenched a running calf so hard that the animal’s back legs flipped over his head, sending him crashing onto their back.
Some of the participants struggled to remove the halters of the cows, and aggressively tugged and pulled at their necks and faces for long periods of time. All the while, the crowd cheered loudly, contributing even further to the calves’ fear and distress.
Under provincial laws, it’s illegal to harm and terrify animals for the sake of entertainment. Prior to this year’s calf scramble, Animal Justice and the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS), with the support of the Brandon Humane Society, filed a formal complaint with the CVO urging the Fair and law enforcement authorities to cancel the scramble. After what we saw in person, Animal Justice sent a follow up complaint urging the authorities to take action and prevent animal scramble events from taking place in the future.
Authorities Warned Fair About Animal Cruelty—But Organizers Ignored Them
In 2022, following complaints from Animal Justice and the WHS, and outcry from hundreds of compassionate citizens, the Fair cancelled both its pig and calf scramble events. But in 2024, the calf scramble returned under a new name, the Barnyard Challenge, masking the cruelty involved.
A Freedom of Information request obtained by Animal Justice shows that in March 2024, the CVO advised the Fair to “carefully assess” whether its calf scramble aligns with modern animal welfare standards and the Fair’s own mission. While the CVO stopped short of taking action to halt the event, it raised serious concerns about whether animal scramble events are in line with provincial animal welfare standards.
Despite this warning, Fair organizers decided to once again move forward with the calf scramble, knowing full well about the suffering it causes young cows.
Animal Suffering at the Petting Zoo
At the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, the petting zoo was also extremely concerning. Animals were put on display in front of fair goers, in a loud and chaotic environment, with many unable to seek any amount of privacy or room to get away from being touched or handled against their will.
The Manitoba Chicken Producer’s display showed baby chickens in various stages of hatching in a clear box that was frequently jostled and shaken by onlooking children. In another tiny pen, three goats were tightly trapped together, with nowhere to go to avoid unwanted physical contact or interaction. Three boxes containing rabbits for sale had no apparent supervision, and the rabbits were being constantly touched and picked up. The rabbits appeared stressed and attempted to hide in corners from unwanted physical contact—but there was nowhere to go.
In a ring of cows on display, the animals were being hit in the face by their handlers as they were forced to walk in a circle.
It’s Time to End Cruelty at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair
The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is a spring break tradition for many rural Manitobans, with long roots in the community. But the Fair should be a fun and safe environment for both humans and animals, and help teach children kindness and compassion. The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair must end cruel events that subject animals to fear and suffering for entertainment.
Calf scrambles, in particular, send a harmful message to children—teaching them that chasing, tackling, and rough-handling animals is acceptable “fun”. Please join us in calling on the Fair to cancel calf scrambles permanently!
