In the wake of Makwala Derrickson-Hall’s death at the Canoe Mountain Rodeo in Valemount on July 9, the Jasper Heritage Rodeo committee is making final safety preparations for their event in August. 

Following the death, a debate has been brought up over whether or not an ambulance should have been on site at the time. The Valemount rodeo is not a sanctioned Canadian Professional Rodeo Association event, and therefore was not required to have paramedics on site. It took an ambulance nearly 15 minutes to attend to Derrickson-Hall, and take him to a nearby clinic in Valemount, where he was officially pronounced dead. 

President of the Jasper Heritage Rodeo Stephen Pavlov said Jasper’s rodeo is a CPRA-sanctioned event, and will have an ambulance on site as usual this August. 

CPRA rules state that whenever competition is going on, there must be an ambulance on site. In the event of an injury, and the need for a trip to the hospital, the rodeo must pause competition until the paramedics return.

But at the Jasper Heritage Rodeo, that doesn’t mean long waits. The Seton General Hospital is only five minutes away from the rodeo, so the action can start up quickly once the paramedics return.

“We’re a little more fortunate in this community,” Pavlov said. 

In addition to having an ambulance on site, the Jasper rodeo is mandated by the CPRA to take other precautions to ensure the safety of riders and the animals. 

In each ring there must be a minimum of two rodeo clowns (now called bull fighters) to help deter the bulls from the cowboys once their ride is over. 

“Their job is to distract the bull and save the cowboy,” Pavlov said. 

Bull fighters don’t just walk in off the street and start staring down angry 1,000-pound bulls, either. Pavlov said most bullfighters who are interested take courses and learn how to face down a bull before they step into the ring. There are even schools run to train bull fighters. 

Pavlov said the reaction to Derrickson-Hall’s death may mean changes in rodeo regulations, but investigations into the young man’s death will have to be conducted to determine what – if anything – could have been in place to prevent the tragedy. 

“That’ll come later,” Pavlov said. 

Because the Valemount Rodeo was non-sanctioned, the CPRA’s rules were not required to be followed. 

“When you’re non-sanctioned you open yourself up to a lot of liability,” Pavlov said. 

Rodeos that are sanctioned have a lengthy rule book they must follow.

“It is strict,” Pavlov said. 

Besides the ambulance and paramedics, some rodeos have additional advanced life support trained personnel on hand. 

At the Jasper Heritage Rodeo, the paramedics have their own special seat along the ring that allows them quick and easy access to an injured cowboy or cowgirl, without having to push through a crowd. 

The ambulance is also parked conveniently beside the ring to allow a quick getaway.

A few changes have had to be made to that plan due to the construction at the Jasper Activity Centre, but the ambulance will still be easily accessible. 

“We’re still in our mind planning how to get that injured party to the ambulance and to the hospital,” Pavlov said. 

Some cowboys travel with doctors as well, but Pavlov said they generally act more as sports medicine practitioners, treating old injuries and ensuring their personal cowboy is good to hit the ring. 

Another hot button issue in rodeo sports right now, is the topic of animal abuse. The Calgary Stampede suffered six animal deaths and animal rights activists have been calling for the end of rodeo sports for years. 

Pavlov, who is an RCMP officer, said the animals are treated equal to their riders, and there is no abuse at the Jasper Heritage Rodeo. 

“In my mind abuse is neglect,” he said. “These animals are not neglected.”

As an RCMP officer, Pavlov has unfortunately had to attend to animal abuse cases in the past, and sees no evidence of anything similar at the rodeo in which he has been in charge of for many years. He has also been involved with the rodeo in Grande Prairie in the past.

“I’ve actually investigated those cases,” Pavlov said. It is easy to tell the issue of animal abuse is close to the officer’s heart. 

Pavlov admits he is not going to change the mind of skeptics. 

“I’m not going to convince the animal activists otherwise. We can’t keep everybody happy,” he said. Being an RCMP officer, it helps him recognize what to look for at the rodeo as far as animal safety. “You can tell that these animals are properly treated.”

Pavlov brings with him a wealth of rodeo knowledge, having taken part in many CPRA conventions throughout the years. 

“I’ve been attending the CPRA conventions for 20 years,” he said. There, rodeo organizers learn how to run a successful rodeo, about new safety regulations and more. 

The animals at the Jasper rodeo, like other Canadian rodeos, come from stock contractors that breed bulls and horses especially for rodeos. 

The Jasper rodeo contracts Harvey Northcott Rodeo to bring bulls and horses in. The stock companies are all under strict CPRA rules as well to ensure the animals are well taken care of. 

The animals at the Jasper rodeo have many of the same perks as the cowboys that ride them. A veterinarian shares the reserved seating with the paramedics, and an animal ambulance is nearby to whisk away any injured animals. 

“Both are treated equally,” Pavlov said. 

There have been injuries at the Jasper Rodeo. Pavlov can remember a bull and a horse breaking a leg, and both having to be euthanized in recent years. 

“It does happen,” Pavlov said. “We have had riders injured, no deaths fortunately.”

Rodeo is a naturally violent sport, Pavlov said, and injuries are inevitable. 

“People get injured in auto racing. It’s just the nature of the sport.”

With all the safety measures put in, Pavlov invites debate and suggestions on how to further improve safety for the animals and cowboys. 

The Jasper Heritage Rodeo is a professional rodeo, which means cowboys and girls can qualify for bigger events. Prize money also equals qualifying points. The prizes are tallied from entry fees and what is put up by the rodeo. 

“Each cowboy does pay to play,” Pavlov said. 

Entry for the rodeo is open for a few more weeks. In previous years Jasper has welcomed about 200 athletes to compete, and Pavlov expects about the same again this year.