The Wild West

Rodeos

History

Types of Rodeos

Life on the Circuit

Types of Races

--Omak Suicide Race

--Calgary Stampede’s Chuckwagon Races

--Wild Horse Race

Laws Governing Rodeos

Take Action

History                                                                                      Back to Top

Images of a cowboy on horseback riding the range come to mind when we hear the word “rodeo.” In fact, rodeos did grow out of the practices cowboys used to herd cattle to slaughterhouses. Roping and wrestling cattle to manage a herd were common activities. The rodeo tradition began in Spain and Mexico and eventually came to the United States and other parts of the world.            

Today, the skills the cowboys once demonstrated in moving herds to slaughter have been turned into the spectacle of the rodeo involving cowboys, and cowgirls in some cases, competing for vast amounts of money while deliberately hurting, permanently injuring, and even killing animals.

Types of Rodeos                                                                       Back to Top

Today’s rodeos are divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events. Rough stock events include such activities as bronc and bull riding. Timed events include such activities as calf roping, often referred to as tie-down roping, and team roping. Additional events that can occur at a rodeo include barrel racing, steer wrestling, and goat tying.

Regardless of the event, animals suffer. The bulls, broncs, calves, etc., used in today’s rodeos are not wild animals but domesticated creatures who must be induced to behave erratically in order for there to be a show. For that is all a rodeo is—a show of human dominance over these unsuspecting animals.

The cowboys use such means as tail twisting and shocks from electric prods to create aggressive behavior in the animals. To get normally docile horses to buck, flank straps that fit just below the rib cage are pulled tight. The discomfort, often pain, causes the horse to buck—not his nature or background. These flank straps cause the frightened animals to buck wildly, trying to rid themselves of the strap. In fact, such wild bucking can cause them serious injury and even kill them. These same straps are used on bulls as well to get them to buck.

In calf roping, the calf’s tail is twisted just before the calf is let out of the pen. As the calf flees out into the arena, he or she is chased by a rider on horseback who lassoes the calf. The calf is jerked to the ground, often injuring his or her neck. The rider dismounts and then slams the three-to-four-month-old calf to the ground again causing injury while he ties up the calf’s legs.

Steer wrestling involves a mounted cowboy chasing a steer. The cowboy leans off his horse and grabs the horns of the steer, forcibly twisting the steer’s neck, and then slams the steer to the ground.

Life on the Circuit                                                                     Back to Top

The animals suffer not just in the ring but in other ways, as well. They are often forced to travel from early spring to late fall—the rodeo season—in cramped trucks and trailers that may not have adequate ventilation. Most times they are fed and watered whenever there is the chance—not on any regular schedule. In the majority of cases, their waste is removed whenever possible—also not on a regular schedule.

Many animals suffer from torn ligaments, broken bones, fractured horns, internal bleeding, and even severed spinal cords and tracheas. They are given no pain killers as a result of their injuries. Instead, they are killed and sent to slaughterhouses; their flesh sold for food in the United States and abroad. Rodeo riders who are injured are immediately attended to as there are ambulances and doctors present at most rodeo sites. Large rodeos have veterinarians present; smaller ones may not.

Types of Races                                                                         Back to Top

While most of us are aware of the types of rodeos that exist, few may realize there are a variety of horse races that are considered part of the rodeo circuit. Here are just a couple races where animals are often injured and die.

Omak Suicide Race                                                                   Back to Top

The Omak Suicide Race has been called the deadliest horse race in the world. It is held mid-summer in the small town of Omak, Washington. Over a period of four days and nights, riders run their horses off Suicide Hill. The horses plunge more than 210 feet down a steep slope. The next stop is a river crossing about 120 yards long (or the equivalent of a football field). The final leg is a 500-foot climb uphill to the finish line. Since 1983, at least 22 horse deaths have been documented with three occurring in 2004.

While there may be some inspiration from early endurance races, the suicide race appears to be a local marketing scheme invented in 1935. Most traditions, Native American and others, would see this as a reckless display of abuse.

Calgary Stampede’s Chuckwagon Race                                        Back to Top

In 2010, four horses died as a result of the chuckwagon races (two other horses died that year in other events, bringing Calgary Stampede’s total to six for 2010). Could the over $1 million dollars in prize money cause competitors to push their animals to extremes? In the GMC Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races, considered another deadly race, horses often drop dead of heart attacks. They are also injured during pile-ups, which occur when wagons and horses collide. These races pit four teams of horse-drawn wagons against each other in a series of elimination races, which take place over several days. Each team consists of four wagon horses and four horses carrying outriders. The horses are often given “cocktails” of sugar and baking soda which cause the horses’ heart rate to increase, allowing them to run faster and to drop dead of heart attacks.

Wild Horse Race                                                                         Back to Top

Wild horse races are regular events at many rodeos. In this event, untrained horses are released from chutes only to be attacked by teams of cowboys who are allowed to do just about anything to subdue these panicked animals in order to put a saddle on them. Once the saddle is on the horse, one member of each team mounts the horse in attempt to ride him or her. These terrified animals endure beatings, being slammed into fences and each other, headlocks, and other abusive techniques to get them to obey. After such a traumatizing introduction to riding, few of these horses will ever be able to become riding horses; therefore, they are likely destined for slaughter.   

Laws Governing Rodeos                                                           Back to Top

There is as wide a variety of laws governing the rights of animals in rodeos as there are animals performing in rodeos around the world. Every jurisdiction has a right to enact laws that are fitting for its locale. However, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have banned rodeos outright. In the United States, rodeo is the official state sport in Wyoming and Texas. Other countries where rodeo is still a big sport are Canada, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, and Spain.

Take Action to Help End Rodeos

What can you do to change what is happening to animals used in rodeos? First, avoid supporting animal cruelty; do not attend, bet on, or view these events. Other humane actions include:

• Educate your friends, family, and coworkers as to the cruel nature inherent in rodeos.
• If your state condones rodeos, write state officials expressing your opposition to this “sport.”
• Lobby to shut down rodeo events in your community.
• Lobby to ensure regulations are changed to protect the animals; make sure those regulations are enforced.

January 2011                                                                                    Back to Top