The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been roped into a row over animal cruelty ahead of their visit to the world’s biggest rodeo.
A Canadian group which lobbies against cruel sports has urged the royal couple to stay away from the Calgary Stampede, where they are expected to watch demonstrations of lassoing and bull riding.
The Vancouver Humane Society has written to St James’s Palace asking it to cancel the visit to the Stampede on July 7 and 8.
It describes rodeo as “a brutal spectacle of cruelty that subjects animals to unnecessary pain, stress and fear” and claims that 80 animals have died in the Stampede in the last 24 years.
Peter Fricker, a spokesman for the Society, said: “We are asking the royal couple to stay away from activities related to the Stampede because it’s going to be portrayed as an endorsement of the Stampede rodeo.”
The League Against Cruel Sports has also written to St James’s Palace, pointing out that bull riding has been banned in Britain since 1934.
But a spokesman for the couple said there were no plans to cancel the visit.
“Ultimately, the itinerary is a matter for the Albertan Government,” said the spokesman. “However, there is no doubting that the Stampede is an iconic and hugely popular festival, which celebrates so much of what is special about Alberta.
“The couple, having heard so much about it, are looking forward to attending the parade.”
The organisers of the Stampede, which attracts more than a million visitors every year, insist they adhere to the highest standards of animal welfare, with on-site animal protection officers provided by the Calgary Humane Society.
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