There will be no horses at the Little Britches Rodeo parade and a horse epidemic is to blame.
The Little Britches and 4-H Beef Show which were scheduled to take place on Monday May 23 in High River have been cancelled.
The High River Agricultural Society will be closing their facility for precautionary measures due to an outbreak of EHV-1 (Equine Herpes Virus) for 21 days.
The decision was made to protect all the animals involved in the festivities.
As a result, all horse entries have been removed from the parade and members are encouraging participants to enter a truck or float instead.
The Little Britches Parade will then continue as scheduled at 10 a.m.
"The parade and rodeo has always been a huge draw for this town, for competitors, tourists and residents," said High River's Mayor Emile Blokland. "It's unfortunate that the rodeo will not be taking place this year, but the parade and scheduled activities promise to be just as exciting as in previous years."
Further information about the parade can be found on the High River Chamber website, www.hrchamber.ca
