Rodeos
Rodeos are made up of four major events - bull riding, bronc riding, steer wrestling, and calf roping. These spectator “sports” are terrifying for the animals and can lead to severe stress, injury, and even death.
The Events
Team Penning
Team Penning is a timed event that requires three riders on horses to separate three specific calves out of a herd and into a pen on the other side of the arena, in less than 60 seconds. The objective of being the quickest team to pen all three cows.
The Issues
Physical Abuse
The bulls are tormented to provoke them into being “aggressive”. Whilst in the chute, the bulls are shocked with electric prodders, jabbed with spurs, kicked and hit, have their tails twisted and pulled, and fingers shoved up their nose [3]. The physical abuse causes the bulls to respond aggressively. In addition to this, they have a flank strap tied tightly around their sensitive belly (not genitals) and a rider on their back. As the gate opens, the bull “bucks” in an attempt to dislodge the rider and remove the uncomfortable flank strap. Once again, their reaction to being ridden and abused is the same as if they were being attacked by a predator. It is not uncommon to see bulls hurl themselves into solid objects in an attempt to rid the rider and escape the situation.
Stress, Injuries, and Death
Being prey animals, calves, steers, bulls, and horses feel safest when with their herd. For these events, the animals are separated, and feel like they are being chased or attacked by a “predator”.
In NSW, it is not required to have a veterinarian on-site, meaning that some bulls have been forced to walk out of the arena and are loaded onto a truck, to be transported elsewhere to be euthanised [4]. Although the industry claims life-threatening injuries as uncommon*, any event that risks an animals life and subjects them to unnecessary stress has no place in society.
*There is no independent collation and review of injury records, making it impossible to know just how prevalent injuries are.
Transport and confinement
Life After the Rodeo
What can you do?
As consumers, we hold the power to end the suffering of animals used for entertainment. Without our money, these events and activities would simply cease to exist, freeing the animals from a lifetime of mistreatment and misery.