RODEO 101

Lessons About Rodeo Lessons

Lifeforce Rodeo Investigation February 2008

RODEO 101
Lessons About Rodeo Lessons

Lifeforce Rodeo Investigation February 2008

Introduction
Rodeos do not represent cowboy history of "Home on the Range" because they are timed competitions that are for glamour, prizes and money. The welfare of animals are disregarded. This report reveals the callous, insensitive attitudes of the fraternity of those who seek glory in the rodeo ring and profits from the rodeo industy at the expense of the animals and people.

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Rodeo 101 Lesson 1 RODEO SCHOOLS

Kindergarten to University
Little Britches Rodeos are "Promoting and Encouraging Youth in Rodeo". Kids are as young as 7 years old. These associations hold "clinics" to train the kids. Cloverdale Rodeo sponsors the Fraser Valley Little Britches Rodeo Association. Releases and waivers for "death, injury, loss or damage" must be signed by the parent. Canadian and Nation High School Rodeo Associations encourage teens to be rodeo "athletes". Prizes include $1000 Scholarships. They sell DVDs for use as teaching tools. Releases and waivers from injury and death must be signed by the students. Starting in the Spring of 2008 the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology will start Canada's first diploma-certified course in rodeo and livestock management. Training includes bullriding and calf roping. The business of rodeo will also be taught. There are also various private training schools. Some Rodeo Schools also include training the rodeo animals.

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Rodeo 101 Lesson 2

The In Crowd and Initiation

Kids versus Kids Kids versus Animals

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Rodeo 101 Lesson 3 Children at Risk and Rodeo Parents

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Rodeo 101 Lesson 4 The Glamour , Prizes and Money

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Rodeo 101 Lesson 5

THE FACTS: The Animal Sacrifices

Rodeos Are Cruel!

Physical Abuse and Psychological Suffering!
Tame and docile "stock" are transported around the rodeo circuit. Some will let you pet them, some will back away because they are afraid of humans. They are provoked and tormented to appear to be fierce and aggressive. They are worked over in the chutes: tail twisted, hair twisted, electric "hotshot", kicked and cut by spurs and a bucking strap is cinched tightly around the sensitive abdomen and groin. Painful injuries include cuts; internal organ bruising and damage; hemorrhaging; bone fractures; ripped tendons; torn ligaments and muscles and dislocated joints.

Frightened, battered and bruised - then off to slaughter.

Vancouver has banned rodeos. Cloverdale Rodeo has banned calf roping(tie down roping), team roping, steer wrestling and cow-milking race.

It's Time to Ban All Rodeos!

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Rodeos Are Cruel:

Bareback Riding

Why they buck: Bucking straps cinched tightly around sensitive abdomen and groin; shocked with electric prods; kicked and cut with spurs; hair and tail twisted.Once the bucking strap is removed and the torment is ended the bucking stops.

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Rodeos Are Cruel:

Saddle Bronc Riding

Why they buck: Bucking straps cinched tightly around sensitive abdomen and groin; shocked with electric prods; kicked and cut with spurs; hair and tail twisted. Once the bucking strap is removed the bucking stops.

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Rodeos Are Cruel:

Junior Steer Riding

Why they buck: Bucking straps cinched tightly around sensitive abdomen and groin; shocked with electric prods; kicked and cut with spurs; hair and tail twisted.Once the bucking strap is removed and the torment is ended the bucking stops.

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Rodeos Are Cruel: Bull Riding

Why they buck: Bucking straps cinched tightly around sensitive abdomen and groin; shocked with electric prods; kicked and cut with spurs (the rider gets more points for spurring); hair and tail twisted.Once the bucking strap is removed and the torment is ended the bucking stops.

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Rodeos Are Cruel: Tie-Down Roping

(AKA Calf Roping)

Calves are shocked with electric prods and worked on to get them to be fast out of the chute. When painfully lassoed while running fast, flipped high in the air and legs tied they can be painfully injured or killed.

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Rodeos Are Cruel: Steer Wrestling

Shocked with electric prods and worked on them to get them to be fast out of the chute. When grabbed by head they can be painfully injured or killed.

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Rodeos Are Cruel: Team Roping

Shocked with electric prods and worked on them to get them to be fast out of the chute. They are roped at a high speed and painfully stretched. They can be injured or killed.

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Rodeos Are Cruel:

Breakaway Roping

The animals are tormented to get them to be fast out of the chute. This includes painfully bending the tails and shocking them.

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Rodeo 101 Lesson 6

THE PROPAGANDA

Rodeo promoters try to assure the public that the animals are treated humanely. In 2007, the rodeo announcer, Rod Sterling, tells audiences in Chilliwack, BC that bucking straps "tickle" and contrary to the activists' claims rodeo cowboys actually care about the animals. They also claim that the animals are "Born to Buck".

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Hey Rod: It Doesn't "Tickle"

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Hey Rod: They aren't

This power mite delivers 5000 volts. Even the manufacturer does not recommend it for rodeo. C+ Rodeo Stock contractor, Roy Call, shown below shocking bulls.

"Born to Buck"!

Bulls and horses are are being trained to buck by strapping a heavy box to their backs.These bucking "dummies"are also used in "futurity" rodeo events. Steroids may also be used.

It's painfully shocking!

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Rodeo 101 Lesson 8

THE END OF LIVES

RODEO DEATHS
The nu m b er of injuries and de aths of p eople a nd anim als a re not rep orte d by the various rode os. Th e follo w in g rep re se nts a sm all pe rcen ta ge o f th e ca sua lties . In C an ada , V a nc ouve r ba nne d ro deos in 20 06 . In 20 07, the C lo verda le R o deo dec ided to ba n steer w res tling, tie dow n rop in g, tea m roping a nd co w -m ilk in g rac e. Th e m unicipality of B la in ville, Q u ebe c, has ba nne d rode os w ithin its b ound aries. As of 20 04 , 2 1 m un ic ip alities in the U nited S ta te s ha ve b ann ed rod eos in their re gions a nd 17 othe rs ha ve im pos ed res trictions conc erning the kind of e ve nts tha t ca n be pre sen te d. H u m an D e aths in C a nada and U S In 200 2, in M as sa chu setts , U nite d S tates, a 20 -yea r-old co w g irl died of h ead injuries . The hors e bolte d d uring a b arrel-rac in g e ve nt, she jum p ed off and sm a shed into an iron ba rrier. In 20 01, in E dm onton, C ana da , a 2 7-yea r-old c ow boy w e nt in to a c om a afte r ha ving bee n b uck ed off his b ull, tra m pled a nd pierc ed s everal tim e s by th e bulls horns . P revio usly, the s am e m a n lost s igh t in one eye due to be ing pierc ed by the bulls h orns, and h ad his fa ce s lash ed ope n. In 2 00 0, a t the M edicine H a t S tam pe de in Alberta, C an ada , a 2 9-yea r-old co w boy w a s crus hed to de ath b y the bull he ha d bee n riding . Anim al Injurie s an d D ea ths in C ana da M ay, 20 07 - C love rdale R odeo , B C - a ca lf broke le g and w as la te r k illed . Ju ly 1 4, 20 07 - C a lgary S ta m ped e - h orse s w e re injured during th e c huc k w ag on rac es and 3 w ere kille d. S in ce 20 00 , 11 ho rs es ha ve died in ch uck w agon ra ce s. Ju ly 20 05 - C a lg ary S ta m ped e - 9 ho rses plun ged to de ath w hile c ross in g a bridge . Ju ly 10 , 2 004 - C a lg ary S ta m ped e - a hors e hurt its leg during a ra ce and w as e uthanize d. M ay 2 3, 20 04 - C love rdale R ode o - in the w re stling event, an 18 -m onth-old ca lf w as ram m ed to the ground so roug hly tha t the n eck s napp ed. T his ac cide nt e nded in th e de ath o f th e ca lf. Ju ly 15 , 20 02 C alga ry S ta m pede - 7 anim als w e re d ea d b y the end o f the nine days : a c alf s uffe ring from a b roke n le g w a s euthan ize d; during th e ch uck w ago n rac e a hors es he art stopp ed due to an a neurysm ; five other hors es injured d urin g th e ch uck w a gon ra ce had to be eu tha nized, thre e su ffering from brok en le gs, o ne from a brok en s houlde r, and tw o from brok en ba ck s. Augus t 9, 199 9 - C an -Am R ode o, O ttaw a - a hors e die d of a brok en n eck afte r ra m m ing into a b arrier. T he spe ctators w atche d the ho rse go into a tra nce before dying. Ju ly 9, 199 9 - C alga ry S ta m pede - a horse died after b eing hu rt du ring th e ha lf-m ile o f he ll event, a ls o called the c huck w ago n ra ce . Ju ly 15 , 1 997 - C a lga ry S tam pe de - a bulls le g brok e in tw o, e xpo sing the bon es w hen c augh t in ex it door. T he bull w a s eu tha nized .
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MORE RODEO DEATHS

C AN AD A (co n tin u e d ) Ju ly 11, 19 96 C alg ary S tam p ed e - th ree h o rse s w ere killed d u rin g a ch u c kw ag o n rac e. T w o d ied in s tan tly an d th e th ird w as eu th an ized . Ju ly 19 95 - C alg ary S tam p ed e - a h o rs e d ie d after receivin g an in ju ry to th e h ea d , tw o o th ers killed after th ey b ro ke th e ir leg s, a h o rse h u rt its sh o u ld er w h en kn o ck ed d o w n a n d an o th er w a s tra m p led . Ju ly 1 994 - C alg ary S tam p e d e - a h o rs e su fferin g fro m a b ro ken le g w a s eu th a n ized . Ju ly 19 92 - C alg ary S tam p e d e - a h o rse d ied . Ju ly 199 0 - C alg ary S ta m p ed e - a calf w ith a b ro ken leg an d tw o in ju red h o rses w ere eu th an ized . An im al In ju ries an d D eath s in U S Au g u st 29 , 200 4 - P ayso n , AR - a yo u n g b u ll b ro ke a leg tryin g to free itself fro m th e b u ckin g s trap . Jan u ary 20, 2004 - D en ver, C O - a h o rse d ied a fter b reak in g its leg . Ju n e 24 , 2 003 - R en o , N V - tw o h o rses w ere serio u sly in ju red : o n e su s tain ed h e ad in ju ries a fter sm ash in g a g ain st a b a rrier, th e o th er su ffered d am ag e to its sp in a l co lu m n . D e cem b e r 12 , 200 2 - L as V eg as , N V - a b u ll b ro ke its sp in a l c o lu m n an d w as eu th a n ized b ec au se o f th e s everity o f th e in ju ry. D e cem b e r 9, 20 01 - L a s V eg as, N V - a h o rs e b ro ke its b ac k an d w as eu th a n ized . Ju ly 2, 2 001 - S alin as, C A - a h o rse w as eu th an ized as a re su lt o f a b ro ken leg d u rin g a ra ce. N o vem b er 4, 2000 - S an F ran cis co , C A - a b u ll b ro ke its n eck at th e G ra n d N a tio n al R o d eo . F eb ru ary 4, 2000 - a h o rse b ro ke its s p in al co lu m n d u rin g a race . T h e p aralysed h o rse d rag g ed itself b y its fro n t le g s ac ro ss th e stad iu m b efo re co llap sin g , an d w a s eu th a n ized . Au g u st 6 , 199 9 - S an ta B arb ara, C A - a h o rse w as k illed . Ju ly 22, 19 99 - F o rd C ity R o d e o - a b u ll h ad a p an ic attack a n d ju m p ed an 8-fo o t fe n ce in an attem p t to es cap e. Ju n e 21, 1 999 - L o n g Islan d , N Y - a b u ll th at h ad esc ap ed fro m a n illeg al ro d eo w as sh o t b y th e p o lice 40 tim e s. T h e b u ll la y o n th e g ro u n d fo r 15 m in u tes b efo re b leed in g to d eath .

And Cruelty at Cowboys Home too! Cowboy fined for death of 31 horses in his care In July 2000, Shane Nash, formerly a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, was sentenced to pay $5,000 for having let 31 horses in his care starve to death. Nash had been hired to pasture these horses during the winter of 1999. Despite the thick layer of snow on the ground, Nash never checked on the horses. Doug Rombough of the SPCA, who investigated the case together with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said that all he could find were their carcasses and bones.
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Rodeo 101 Lesson 9

HEALTH: Cancer Hazards

Cancers
In 2007 Canadian Rodeos helped raised breast cancer awareness through "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" campaign. Rodeos are held in conjunction with agriculture fairs that promote the meat industry. The World Cancer Research Fund advises limited red meat consumption and avoiding processed meat altogether. The 2007 Miss Rodeo Canada is also a spokesperson for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It is time to raise public (and the rodeo industry) awarenessof the proven links between eating animals and cancers.

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Rodeo 101 Lesson 10

THE AUCTION AND SLAUGHTER

Slaughter:
Injured, used and poor performers are sent to auctions or directly to slaughter houses.

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Rodeos Are Cruel!

Unkind to Animals.
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What You Can Do! Support a Rodeo Ban!

Write To:
1. Politicians (In Canada your MLA and your MP) 2. Mayor and Council in Chilliwack, BC to ban the Chilliwack Rodeo (where in 2007 cowboys were repeatedly kicking the steer in the head). tremblay@chilliwack.com

For further information: Lifeforce Foundation Box 3117 Vancouver, BC V6B 3X6 lifeforcesociety@hotmail.com www.lifeforcefoundation.org

All designated photographs are copyrighted by Lifeforce/Peter Hamilton. Any written information for noncommercial and commercial use must give credit and contact information to Lifeforce/Peter Hamilton. Permission must be obtained to use any photograph for noncommercial and commercial use.