The Calgary Stampede is just around the corner and officials are making some changes after an independent audit made a few recommendations to improve safety.

The Stampede completes an audit every year to see how it is taking care of the animals at the park and the results of that review were released on Monday.

One of the biggest changes includes the creation of an emergency lane for the chuckwagon races which will give drivers a place to go if trouble arises.

Other changes include a tent over the rodeo loading area to keep the animals from getting spooked, the creation of a pre-race warm up ring and the installation of safer chutes for bucking stock.

Jennifer Woods is an auditor and says people usually fear the word audit because of the negative connotation but says it can also point out the good things.

“There’s a good story to tell too because an audit will tell you where you need to change some things but an audit will also tell you what you’re doing right and getting them to understand that it’s a balance there too,” said Woods.

Woods says there are still a few areas that can be improved.

“We still need to work with facilities, but it’s the outreach. It’s getting everyone on the same page and its getting all the stock contractors in. Fitness to compete, fitness to exhibit, that we’re getting healthy animals in here on the welfare side of things, that is probably the one area where it is still, I don’t think anybody realizes how many different individuals you are dealing with when you’re bringing all these animals in,” said Woods, “When you get that buy-in it all trickles down to everything else and then you don’t have to worry about facilities as much because they’ll take care of it themselves and so that’s going to be continual.”

Stampede officials say the people involved in the rodeo are large animal experts and care is top of mind.

“Animals in rodeo are extremely well cared for. Our programs are the best in North America when it comes to animal care. Animal rodeos, if you take some of our bucking stock, their world is bucking about 12 or 13 times a year for eight seconds and then they live on a 20,000 acre ranch and that’s their job as a working animal, that’s the work that they do and that’s the work they were bred to do and they do it naturally,” said Paul Rosenburg, VP of Programming for the Calgary Stampede.

The Vancouver Humane Society has been outspoken about animal safety at the rodeo in the past and Stampede officials says its members are entitled to their opinions.

“There’s a difference between reality and some people’s opinion or beliefs. That’s certainly not the case. Rodeo is rooted in virtually most continents of the world there’s been some form of equine activity along with agriculture through central America, south America, north America, Australia, new Zealand and even some very unlikely places so this is far beyond a local issue, this is culturally embedded around the globe so I would say it really is about information and understanding,” said Rosenburg.

Rosenburg says the Stampede works hard to minimize the risk to all participants and that the show has the support of the community. “We put on a terrific rodeo, safe rodeo that’s supported by our community, we’re always trying to be safer and we will continue to be vigilant but right now our rodeo is in great shape.”

About 7500 animals are used in various shows at the Stampede over the 10 days.

The Calgary Stampede runs from July 4 to 13.

For more information on animal safety visit the Calgary Stampede’s Animal Q & A website.