"Extreme Race Day" at Canterbury Park
Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota is adding“extreme” races to its usual lineup of horse racing, proclaiming “It’s a real zoo! Camel, Ostrich, and Zebra races!” Join ARC to protest this ridiculous, inhumane event on Saturday, July 14, from noon to 2:00 p.m. Let’s use our voices to peacefully tell Canterbury and its patrons that animals should not be treated this way.
Hedrick Exotic Animal Farm, the exhibitor providing the animals, has a history of dangerous incidents and poor animal care and has been cited for multiple violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, including repeatedly failing to provide structurally sound enclosures to protect animals from injury. During a previous Hedrick's race in California, an ostrich ran frantically into a barrier—breaking his leg—and had to be euthanized. At the 2015 Ostrich Festival in Chandler, Arizona, two attendees reported that an ostrich was trampled to death by two other birds. And this March, two zebras provided by Hedrick’s escaped from a pen at the Ostrich Festival—one of the zebras was hit and killed by a car.
Signs will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. We will protest at the intersection of Canterbury Road and 12th Ave, across the street from McDonalds. This is a high traffic area as it is where folks will come off Highway 169 to head into the park and there are many businesses nearby. If you cannot attend, please consider posting a comment on the
Canterbury Park Facebook page and contact Randy Sampson, President of Canterbury Park, at rsampson@canterburypark.com and ask him to cancel the event. Please be polite as rude or offensive comments will not help the animals.
