BRANDON—The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair (RMWF) is set to hold its controversial calf scramble again in 2025, despite a clear recommendation from Manitoba’s Chief Veterinary Office (CVO) to reconsider whether the event aligns with modern animal welfare standards. The event—where teens and young adults chase, grab, and wrestle young animals in a loud arena—has long drawn criticism for causing distress and fear to the animals involved.
A March 2024 letter to RMWF organizers, obtained by Animal Justice through a Freedom of Information request, reveals the CVO urged the Fair to “carefully assess” whether the calf scramble aligns with current animal welfare standards and its own mission. While the CVO stopped short of enforcement action, the letter makes clear that provincial authorities believe the event warrants serious scrutiny.
“I find it heartbreaking to think that terrifying animals is a form of entertainment. Have we not moved past this cruelty? Is this the message we want to send our youth? Is kindness and respect not a better message? Our kids and our animals deserve so much better. We all do. So please let’s do better, and let’s be better,” said Tracy Munn executive director at the Brandon Humane Society
Despite the CVO’s urgings, organizers have doubled down, once again including the calf scramble in this year’s lineup. In response, Animal Justice and the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) have filed a formal complaint to the CVO, urging the Fair and law enforcement authorities to cancel the scramble. The groups argue that the event is cruel, outdated, and likely violates Manitoba’s Animal Care Act.
“The Animal Care Act is clear: It’s illegal to cause distress and suffering to animals in the name of entertainment,” said Kaitlyn Mitchell, Winnipeg-based lawyer and director of legal advocacy with Animal Justice. “The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is not above the law. Instead of merely asking the Fair to reconsider these events, it is our hope that law enforcement authorities will do the right thing and ensure these cruel and outdated events end for good.”
In past years, the Fair included pig and calf scrambles and “mutton bustin,” where terrified young animals are chased, wrestled, and grabbed by children or young adults. After Animal Justice and the WHS filed complaints with law enforcement in 2022 and hundreds of concerned citizens demanded action, the Fair cancelled these events and replaced them with more humane, child-friendly alternatives.
However, the Fair reintroduced the calf scramble in 2024, rebranding it as the “barnyard challenge,” a term that continues to be used this year, obscuring its true nature. Video from last year’s event makes it clear: the event is effectively unchanged despite the rebrand, with terrified calves fleeing as teenagers and young adults chase, grab, and tackle them in a loud, chaotic arena in a frantic effort to forcefully remove a halter from the animals.
WHS and Animal Justice are calling on the public to contact the Fair’s organizers and encourage them to cancel the planned scramble events. Welfare concerns have led fairs in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick to end their animal scrambles.
“We are extremely disheartened to see the RMWF proceed with this unethical form of ‘entertainment.’ We implore the public to take a stand—not only with their voice but also by directing their time and money to events that are not at the expense of an animal’s well-being,” said Krista Boryskavich, director of animal advocacy and legal and government affairs for the WHS, adding the organization has made multiple efforts to engage with Fair event organizers to explore alternative, humane options with no response.
Additional records obtained through freedom of information requests following last year’s event also reveal troubling conditions at the RMWF’s petting zoo. These included unattended children handling and dropping animals, inadequate biosecurity measures to prevent disease spread, and animals on display in poor condition.
Contact:
Josh Lynn
Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
Kaitlyn Mitchell
Director of Legal Advocacy
[email protected]
Carly Peters
Director of Communications and Marketing
Winnipeg Humane Society
[email protected]
Tracy Munn
Director, Brandon Humane Society
[email protected]