The Omak Stampede, which operates the Suicide Race, has been hosted at a local rodeo facility, the Stampede Arena—renovated in 2009[102]—since 1933.[103][104] The Omak Stampede occurs annually on the second weekend of August. During the event, the city has an estimated population of approximately 30,000 people.[105][106] As part of the Suicide Race, horses and riders run down Suicide Hill—a 62-degree slope that runs for 225 feet (69 m) to the Okanogan River.[107] Horses must pass a veterinarian examination to ensure they are physically healthy, and a swim test to ensure they can cross the river, to demonstrate their ability to run the race and navigate the river.
Category: Animals | Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues | Contests, Races and Other Competitions | Parades and Festivals | Regionalism | Twentieth Century | Twenty-first Century