Well another band pulled their magic carpet out from under Cheyenne Frontier Days and what few fans may have attended their scheduled concert. This time it's Matchbox Twenty, of whom I had never before heard. They cited potential animal abuse that may or may not occur at rodeos. Carrie Underwood did the same a couple of years ago.
I've really had to search my heart about this subject since my younger sister, who has lived in New York for over 20 years, told me her family boycotts rodeo. I, on the other hand, have been not only a fan, but a participant at times. Frankly, I think the livestock that is supplied to the rodeo circuit has a better life than a lot of "pet" animals, especially horses. I have seen far more horses abused by their riders in the English Equestrian type sports, such as jumping and eventing, than I have at rodeos.
The bucking horse has an advantage in that there is no bit in its mouth and it is expected to buck. Some horses are just renegades, and not good for anything except being in a bucking string. They love to buck. They revel in it. If not for rodeo, they would be otherwise dispatched in a hurry.
I had the pleasure of seeing Khadafy Skoal being paraded around the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas the year he was voted the top bucking horse in the world. He was the picture of health and didn't look abused to me--but then I was two seats from outside and way up in the nosebleed section! I did have a good pair of binoculars, though. His perfect blue roan flesh rippled as he came through the arch of roses they prepared just for him. He pranced and arched his neck in enjoyment as he gazed at all the spectators, then went on to drill another cowboy's head into the arena sand that evening. Hank Franzen retired him a couple of years later to their ranch in Wyoming.
My sister seemed to object mostly to the use of spurs on the animals. Professional rodeo regulations call for blunt tips on the rowels (little wheelie things) and that they roll freely so that they are just more of an irritation than anything. Horses and cattle have much thicker skin than we do, usually with a thick hair coat, and normally don't feel pain from the spurs, just an irritation, same as the mild shock from a cattle prod. Rodeo is a part of our western heritage, and spurs are part of that tradition.
There are over 60 rules in place and enforced by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and others governing the care and handling of rodeo stock. Also, statistics are kept on the rate of injury to the animals and according to the National Animal Interest Alliance that rate is somewhere around five hundredths of one percent per animal exposure. I think that compares favorably with the rate at which my domesticated livestock gets injured as it lives life out in the pastures on my ranch.
The comments in the Casper Star Tribune online concerning the cancellation by Matchbox Twenty, were running about 50 percent more in favor of the sport of rodeo than those opposed the last I checked. But this is Wyoming, not Long Island. That would probably be reversed out there.
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3 comments:
Rodeos torture and kill animals all for a little "entertainment" and Cheyenne is one of the worst. You can talk about humane rules and injury statistics, but they are lies. Absolute lies. The PRCA knows it too. Call them and ask them what rodeos are involved in that injury study from 1994 and they won't tell you. Ask them about animals injured at Cheyenne and they won't tell you. Ask them who has been punished under their much touted "Over 60 Humane Rules" and they will say that it is private and they won't release that information. Can you imagine if the NFL or ANY real sport refused to release penalty information?
These are a few points to start with and we can go from there. I'm serious. Call them (719) 593-8840. Their "Humane Coordinator" is Cindy Schonholtz so you might ask for her.
To see what happens at Cheyenne you can visit www.shameoncheyenne.com for more details and videotape.
Mr. Wilson:
I've seen ignorance kill more horses than rodeo. I have seen horses literally starve to death because their owners took on the responsibility of horse ownership without any knowledge of how much a horse eats, or that it wasn't normal for a 22-month-old quarter horse to weigh less than 300 lbs. I have seen unspeakable acts of cruelty at the hands of such "horse lovers." I also help provide medical care to some of the best bucking horses in the business. They get better health care than I do. They work only a few times a month at most and they love their jobs in a way most humans would envy. I'm not naive enough to believe that there aren't incidents of animal cruelty at rodeos, but at least there is accountability. Both to the public and to the PRCA. People caught abusing animals go home without prize money, not to mention that any animal in an abusive environment would not be able to perform to the athletic standards we see at professional rodeos. There are injuries and there are idiots, but the idiots are on both sides of this issue. You may or may not enjoy a rodeo performance, but educate yourself (preferably with non-biased, factual information instead of bleeding heart dramatics) before you cry abuse.
Thanks for the comments. I'm glad to see one on each side of the issue. Rodeo is very much a part of our heritage, just like the Sundance is part of the Native American heritage. Both should be allowed to continue.
I've also seen some so-called animal lovers who get too many animals to care for properly, and it breaks my heart. Horses eat constantly, and if there's one thing I can't stand to see, it's a hungry horse.
As my new post states, I suffered a calamity with one of my horses last week. My neighbor can tell you there were many tears shed over that incident, but it was just one of those things. As I pointed out in my blog, there is a certain amount of danger in just living.
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