Hooray, bravo and yippee ki yah to Sally Robinson for calling the rodeo what it is: animal brutality, parading as Americana.
Yes, I’ve attended a rodeo. It was many years ago and it was the first and last rodeo I ever attended.
The calf-roping was the first horror show. Calves came running out on the arena floor with cowboys on horseback chasing them, then roping them, dragging them to the ground and tying them up. I was horrified. The poor calves lay there, bound, their huge eyes bulging with fear as the crowd roared.
The only pleasant moment in that “event” occurred when one of the calves managed to elude the cowboy. I stood up and cheered for the calf.
Then came the flag-waving gals riding horses and jerking their reins hard on the animals’ mouths, forcing them to make a series of sharp twists and turns through a row of barrels. What fun for the horses.
I later discovered that in another big “event,” the bucking bulls aren’t bucking because they’re frisky. They’re bucking because they have ropes tied tight around their groins. I don’t know if this practice is still in use, but in years past the bulls were also agitated by electric prodding applied just before they were forced out the chute.
Thank you, Sally, for speaking up for the rodeo’s unwilling performers. Maybe someday the City Council will outlaw rodeos in Chattanooga, as humane leaders in other cities have done.
Carolyn Mitchell
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Rodeos are a celebration of how this country was in years past. I do have an idea; if you don’t like it, don’t go. It is as simple as that.
Danny Hague
Ooltewah
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I understand that many see the rodeo as a place for animal brutality, but the facts should probably be looked at more carefully. No, these animals do not have a choice in the matter, just as they have no choice of being raised for slaughter to feed someone. On one hand though, credible rodeo circuits go out of their way to make sure these animals are in top form and healthy as can be.
Look into the life of top ranked bulls. They tour the circuits for a few years, prove their worth, and then are pastured for the purpose of breeding. The same can be said for bronco's and barrel horses.
Let's remember; rodeos were started by cowboys wanting to show how good they were at doing their jobs. Most of the people that compete at these levels live the farm/ranch life. I don't know many stockbroker bronc busters. The events mimic daily chores on a working ranch. You have to rope a calf to vaccinate, evaluate and brand it.
The downside to rodeos is that, just as in everyday life in other forms of entertainment, accidents do happen. I don't see much public outcry for the brutality in football. In all my years as a fan, I have yet to encounter a rodeo athlete that doesn't have the best interest of his livestock in mind.
If the city or any branch of government were to ban rodeos it would be a shame. Our local rodeos are top notch. The Davis rodeo and the Yates rodeo are events my family and countless others look forward to annually. They also take in money for many good causes. I am no farmer, rancher or animal husbandry expert, but I do enjoy the rodeo. I say it is a good family valued form of entertainment that when it is done professionally and ethically is good for our community.
Jeff Moore
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I agree with Danny. If you don't like it, don't go. I have been to many rodeos; I grew up in the West and come from a cattle farming background. There is a difference between those that work with national rodeo circuits and those who "stage rodeos." Staging something, to me, implies that you really are a bit of a moron, usually hold your event in your back yard, and most likely deserve to be shut down and fined heavily because you are going to hurt an animal or a person, and further, that you also take some sort of enjoyment in doing so.
That being said, I firmly believe there are bigger issues our City Council needs to be focusing on: raw sewage, people being able to eat and pay their electric bill, quality of our schools, teenagers being mouthy to police officers and then whining when they get smacked upside the head (what did they think would happen?), making fourth street safer. I could go on.
I do respect your opinion, but in the grand scheme of things the rodeo industry is probably going to move forward regardless. And for the record, I was one of those "flag waving gals." There really isn't any force or torture going on there.
Anna Creer
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Carolyn Mitchell is correct in her condemnation of rodeos as exhibitions of animal cruelty. How needless and unnecessary to terrify these helpless creatures for the delight and entertainment of the ignorant, cheering crowds.
Mr. Hague, your "If you don't like it, don't go" comment is absurd for the obvious reason that the abuse and mistreatment of animals will still be taking place regardless of whether Ms. Mitchell is in attendance or not. Her point was that she was praising Sally Robinson for calling rodeos exactly what they are: "animal cruelty, parading as Americana". It is as simple as that.
Mr. Moore, individuals who play football generally choose to play football voluntarily. Concerning rodeos, these animals do not have a choice. You realize that, right?
It never ceases to astonish me the multitude of ways that humans come up with to make others suffer. Rodeos just happen to be a more acceptable method of inflicting intense pain and fear in animals.
Bradley Wilson
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My hat is off to Carolyn Mitchell for taking your stance. You are absolutely right; it is barbaric and brutal treatment. I have never attended a rodeo but have seen them on TV. Even as a child I viewed it as shear savagery.
Now to Mr. Danny Hague of Ooltewah I have this to say. Yes, rodeos are a representation of how this country use to be in years past, but so is slavery, public hangings, lynching, quick draws in the middle of the streets and kangaroo courts and hangings right afterwards. You have to take the bad with the good. So Mr. Hague of Ooltewah, should those things be re-lived also?
Mr. Jeff Moore, you praise the practice of the animal treatment by way of rodeos and say that it is humane. If someone were to strap an electric band around you to shock your genitalia so you could run circles and hop around for the amusement of a crowd, would you still say that was humane treatment? Would it be a shame if there were a law in place to prohibit someone from doing that to you?
"The righteous will care for the needs of their animals... " Gee guys do you think that might telling you something?
Roy Glenn
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To Carolyn: I'm right there with you, sister. I detest rodeos with every fiber of my being. They are cruel, inhumane and unnecessary animal sports that will never have legitimate justification. These activities may have been the "norm" in days of yore, but that isn't the way it's done on ranches anymore. There are many other ways, humane ways, of branding, evaluating, etc. I'll get on that bandwagon with you any day.
To Danny: Don't you think this country has enough problems without dredging more up from our past and trying to re-enact them in some barbaric arena for the pleasure of the spectators? Oh, yes...all in good fun and making money, right? It's all about the money. It has nothing to do with common decency and respect for God's creatures who, by the way, were here before we were.
To Jeff Moore: So, you're saying as long as the stock is healthy and in "top form", it's OK to abuse them? I think not. Abuse is abuse -- and you can call it a rose if you like, but it still stinks. And you say it's "good family valued form of entertainment"? Allowing impressionable children to witness the brutality of these events is cruelty in itself. What happens when one of these kids try to play pretend rodeo with the family dog, jumping on its back, trying to get him to buck by tying a rope of some sort around its underside? What happens when that same family dog bites the kid because it's in pain and trying to protect itself from more pain? Are you going to have the dog euthanized because it bit your child? Think about the long-term ramifications, and you might see things a little clearer.
To Anna: Yes, there is force and torture. My horse doesn't buck when I saddle him up using my fleece covered girth because it's comfortable and doesn't hurt him. Now, if I were to loop a few rounds of sharp, jagged hemp rope around his belly and tighten it up....well, I can tell you that it would not end well. Rodeo riders also put burrs and such underneath the saddle, so when the rider gets on, the burr punches down into the skin on the horse's back.
To Bradley Wilson: Excellent comment and I agree with you 100%.
To Roy Glenn: Ditto above. I wish there were more people around this area that felt this way.
Kathy Burke
Ringgold
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For whatever it’s worth, it has been my experience that the animals are often treated better than the riders. Rodeo is part of Western U.S. culture that stems from the Spanish in Mexico. Riders spend years honing their skills to perfection, and rodeos are demonstrations of everyday life on ranches, farms, stockyards, etc.
To me, it’s like the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds. We are in awe of their maneuvers, but they are all techniques taught to every military pilot. Should we ban them from air shows because what they’re demonstrating are skills used in combat? Take many Olympic sports as well. Many of the competitions evolved from skills necessary to fight. Javelin, shot put, and hurdling; not to mention shooting and equestrian events are all popular events.
I respect the fact that the Council lady expresses her feelings about this as a matter of public discourse. I do not agree with her, but appreciate her because she is not an overly sensitive reactionary. What I don’t respect are the many others who jump on the bandwagon and argue against rodeo while equally supporting a Rent or Cirque de Soleil show at Memorial, or a Mapplethorpe exhibit at the Hunter. Mapplethorpe does cross the line, but that’s not the point. Those people preach tolerance for only those things they approve of, and assume they set the bar for community standards and political correctness.
Scott Thomas
Chattanooga
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I agree that rodeos are an antiquated and unnecessary torment for animals, not unlike bullfighting or bull baiting. I personally do not attend rodeos now, but I have in the past, and I can attest to the fact that many rodeo "simulations" mimic actual ranch and farm work. Of course, these practices, when used on ranches, are for a reason, not for entertainment.
In other exhibitions involving the exploitation of animals, like dog fighting, simply being a spectator at the event is a Class A misdemeanor (same as animal cruelty) in Tennessee.
I also want to mention that I have some serious reservations about the new chaining ordinance in Chattanooga. While many folks know that I personally deplore seeing an animal chained, I think a broad spectrum ban on tethering overnight is irresponsible. I keep hearing and reading about people saying, "If you have to chain up a dog, you shouldn't have a dog." But, that's putting the cart before the horse. These people already have the dogs. A real problem is that many dog owners (I would estimate 30% based on my anecdotal experience, more in some areas) already chain or tether their dogs and have no other options presently available. Many folks who tether their dog can't afford a fence, or can't bring their un-housebroken, previously tethered dog inside for 12 hours a day.
So, these folks are left with only a couple of unpalatable options: untie the dog and let him roam freely or take it to McKamey. Simply letting the dog roam the streets deliberately is unconscionable, and as many already know, McKamey makes it virtually impossible to surrender an animal there; moreover, they're already forced to euthanize a significant percentage of the ones they have now (around 50 % according to their Dec. '09 stats). With an influx of these chained dogs, they'll have little choice but to ramp up euthanasia.
What people don't realize is that this ordinance won't just effect lower class, inner city thugs with big pit bulls on 40 lb. chains. It will also effect good pet owners who have a climber or escape artist dog that must remain tethered outside while they are at work.
I feel strange being on the presumably "anti- animal welfar " side of this matter, but I see some real problems with this law. Again, as anyone who knows me can attest, I don't like chaining. But, sometimes, humane tethering is not a bad thing.
From my point of view, maybe eating meat should be illegal. I'm a long time vegetarian, and I think raising animals for slaughter is morally reprehensible. But, as a rational person, I don't believe laws should be enacted overnight to forbid meat consumption. However, if you really think about it, is it more ghastly to cultivate and raise sentient beings like cows for the sole purpose of killing them and eating their bodies, or to put your fence-jumping, separation anxiety-having, house destroying golden retriever on a runner while you're at work? I'm sure cows don't really want to be killed and eaten, but the dog would probably rather not get run over by a car or picked up and killed by the animal shelter, either, simply because his owner can no longer keep him on a runner cable.
I want to close by saying an "anti-chaining law" is certainly an academic, theoretical step in the right direction. Personally, I earnestly hope for the day when folks will have the epiphany that chaining dogs for the duration of their lives is inhumane and immoral. But, as a culture, as a society, I don't believe we're there yet. As the old adage goes, you can't legislate morality. I think a more reasonable approach would have been to have allowed a year, or even six months for dog owners who currently tether to find amenable, lawful alternatives.
Jonathan Cooper
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I have read with dismay the various letters concerning perceived animal cruelty and the sport of rodeo.
Let me say that I am a westerner and have been around livestock much of my adult life. I have attended many sanctioned rodeos and events over the years, as well as raising my own cows, horses and mules, for sale, slaughter, and personal use. I have known many of the people who are participants, stock contractors, managers, and vets in on the professional rodeo circuit. In all my years of these associations I have never encountered anyone who would allow for the inhumane treatment of an animal, large or small to occur, and if found, allow it to continue.
This is not just a case of personal or situational ethics, but rather ethics that runs throughout the "western" culture. This ethical commitment to animal welfare is reflected in the strong rules and regulations governing the care and treatment of the ‘rough stock’ used in any event that are codified in each rodeo organizations bylaws. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Professional Bull Riders (PBR), and other rodeo association’s have strict and very specific rules governing handling, care, health, conditioning, and use of all ‘rough stock’ used in competition. These rules govern care both inside and outside the arena, and before and after each event.
Event judges are tasked, and trained by the specific organization, to enforce the various association’s rules and procedures concerning the care and welfare of all ‘rough stock’ used in any given event. Any injured, sick, or incapable animal is then disqualified from further use, and care and proper disposition are outlined, assured, and documented.
All of the ‘Rough Stock’ are provided by stock contractors. Stock contractors are business people who have bred cattle and horses for the specific purpose of being competitive in specific rodeo events. They are monitored by the rodeo organizations representatives at nearly every stage of stock use to ensure the safe and humane treatment of these animals. Their very livelihoods depend on adhering to the strict rules of the rodeo associations, or they will lose their contracts to provide animals to any rodeo.
Yes, some rodeo events are dangerous and on occasion an animal is injured, a risk shared by the participants, but they are cared for by an event vet. Yes, a bucking cinch is used on bulls and bucking horses; it is pulled snug as the gate is opened at the timed start of the event. It is not attached to, or around, the male gentiles of any animal. It is not around the groin of the animal. It is uncomfortable, but not harmful.
Each animal is used at most only two to three times a day for under sixty seconds. Otherwise they are kept in pens with proper care and food and water. In other words these animals work for a living. If they are good at their event(s) they travel all over the country to compete. If they are not, then they met the same fate of most all cattle; they are sent to slaughter. If they are good then the contractor could retire them and use them as breeding stock. Then after their usefulness is finishe, they too are sent to slaughter.
It is a business, and every bit of value is derived from each animal. It is not cruel, rather it is merely utilitarian. Stock animals are not bred and used as pets.
The comments of some writers are based on not what they know, but on what they feel. Others are based on ideology and political bent. None are really based on direct firsthand knowledge, just on what they perceive to be the truth. I celebrate the fact that those who disagree with rodeo’s use of animals have an open forum which to give vent to their beliefs and feeling. However, a little research and fact checking would/could go a long way to preventing ignorant discourse. Animals do not make or have choices; humans have choices. If a ‘rough stock’ animal is not used for a purpose, then they generally are sent to the slaughter house and turned into food for humans or other animals.
All rodeo organizations have web sites that are a wealth of information, so do stock contractors. Read what their bylaws say, talk to the event managers and see how they ensure conformity to event/association rules, and that they are committed to each animal’s welfare. Go to a rodeo arena before an event and see how animals are treated. But understand that these animals are not pets; they are bred to have a utilitarian purpose, and they have monetary value that must be realized.
Understand that rodeo is part of who we are as it is part of our history, our culture, our life.
Harry Uffalussy
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Harry,
You are right; rodeo cruelty is as much of our American culture as dog fighting is to Mick Vick. One is just as cruel as the other; I am sure the Lord did not put animals down here on this planet to be treated in such a cruel fashion. But then again it is the America way so it must be okay.
I guess it is okay to chain dogs out in the back yard all their lives running around on a 10 foot chain without shelter from the cold or heat to live out their lives in misery, for it is the American way. I guess Americans do not have much regard for animals for they do not treat them with the respect they need. After all, the Lord put them down here on earth for the purpose of sharing this planet with us, and they are a vital part of the reason we inhibit this planet. Without the animals their would be no people.
Harold McCoy