Regarding your “sponsorship” of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo.
Rodeos are the cruelest, ugliest form of animal torture man ever dreamed up. In an attempt to legitimize this horrendous cruelty, stock contractors, sponsors, and ruthless contestants are desperate to align themselves with Western tradition, and cowboys are painted as heroic figures. In reality, rodeos are nothing more than a hellish detour to the slaughterhouse where torture is sanctioned and brutality is rewarded by winning scores and loud cheers from the stands.
In rodeo events—such as calf roping, steer wrestling, bareback horse and bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, steer roping, and barrel racing—normally docile animals are physically provoked into displaying “wild” behavior in order to make the cowboys look brave.
Electric prods, spurs, and bucking straps have been used to irritate and enrage animals used in rodeos. Before entering the ring, cows and horses are often prodded with an electrical “hotshot” so that the “pain” will rile them.
The flank (or “bucking”) strap is tightly cinched around the animals’ abdomens, causing them to buck vigorously in an attempt to escape the pain. The flank strap can cause open wounds and burns when the hair is rubbed off and the skin is chafed raw. Former animal control officers have found burrs and other irritants placed under the flank strap.
Rodeo cowboys voluntarily risk injury by participating in events, but the animals they use have no such choice. Countless animals in rodeos have suffered broken ribs, backs, and legs; punctured lungs; deep internal organ bruising; hemorrhaging; ripped tendons; torn ligaments and muscles; snapped necks; and agonizing deaths.
See the graphic “RODEO: (America’s SHAME)”: http://youtu.be/XZxL7umkbRo
“Rodeo Cruelty: Forget The Myth!”: http://www.sharkonline.org/?P=0000000349
Horse Killed at Cheyenne Rodeo (GRAPHIC): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-sj6bAx4c4&feature=share
“What does a Former Bronc Rider and Rodeo Veterinarian Have To Say?”: http://www.sharkonline.org/?P=0000000480
“Former Rodeo Vet Says: Animal Abuse Inherent in Rodeo”: http://www.sharkonline.org/?P=0000000992
There are some things in this world not worth “trying to make money on.” The extremely shameful, disgraceful, despicable, and disgusting “pseudo” cowboy rodeo is one of them.
It’s time for you to dump the sponsorship of rodeos. m
Michel Michaeljohn lives in Arroyo Grande. Send comments to the executive editor at rmiller@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 23-30, 2013.
