turkey stampede

For the past 12 years, Nancy and Gil Riegler have orchestrated the Wild West Turkey Stampede every summer at the San Diego County Fair and other venues to a crowd of mesmerized and delighted fans.

The stampede is a  family -friendly event that features flocks of turkeys waddling, chasing, and pecking, around a pint-sized rodeo arena, as they try to catch up the feed that’s traveling in a remote control truck.

Many of the turkeys who participate in the event are destined to be Thanksgiving dinner, and the event helps offset the cost of The Oasis Camel Dairy, located in the heart of San Diego County’s wine country, America’s first “Camel Dairy.” The dairy hosts twenty beautiful dromedary camels, and in addition, is home to the stars of the POLLYWOOD Bird Show.

By Hypatia Livingston

"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all."Writer, thinker, researcher, philosopher.

5 thoughts on “Video: Wild West Turkey Stampede Race”
  1. I’ve never heard of this before but it seems like it could be really funny and silly to watch. I’m surprised, though, that PETA hasn’t tried to say this is cruel or inhumane. They love ruining things like this.

    1. I have never heard of this either. I would love to go and watch one of these though. The only event that I have seen like this are the pig races at our local county fairs. I hope that PETA never steps in on events like this since the money that is raised usually is donated back to the farms.

    2. That is what I was thinking of. I mean I understand the need to offset a big cost and in a way it is cute but it seems kind of cruel too. Then again I might be over-thinking it.

      1. We don’t have anything like this where I live. It looks like fun, but at the same time, I feel bad for the turkeys. I know that the proceeds of this event go to help offset the cost of the Camel Dairy, but it does seem cruel.

  2. I have been to one of these before and they are so much fun. You get to see which turkey is the fastest and which ones aren’t. Plus, it’s really nice for the owners too since these turkey’s are going to end up being sold to the market and the profits from the event help pay for feed.

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