SkijorDue 2026: Legal Challenge Targets Calgary Horse Event

CALGARY, AB — Three days before horses hit the course at The Confluence Historic Site, a Toronto legal group is calling the SkijorDue 2026 event a potential violation of provincial and federal law.

Animal Justice and lawyer Alexandra Pester claim the February 21-22 competition—where horses pull skiers through tight turns, jumps, and obstacles—may breach Alberta's Animal Protection Act and the Criminal Code of Canada. The Calgary Humane Society confirmed it has received at least one animal cruelty complaint related to skijoring.

What the Law Says

Alberta's Animal Protection Act prohibits causing an animal to be in distress, defining distress as deprivation of adequate care, injury, sickness, pain, suffering, abuse, or undue hardship. The Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian oversees enforcement.

Between May 5 and June 7, 2025, the province ran a public engagement process on potential updates to the Act. No new regulations specifically addressing skijoring have been introduced since.

The Municipal Gap

Calgary's Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw regulates dogs and cats but includes no provisions for horse-related competitions. Council's December 3, 2025 budget approval—$4.6 billion operating, $3.7 billion capital—included no specific allocations for skijoring regulation or horse welfare enforcement at public events.

Skijor Canada, the event organizer, has not publicly responded to the legal concerns. The competition is set to proceed as scheduled this weekend.