Does the president of “Friends of Rodeo” know what she is talking about? Linda Burdick is the president of Friends of Rodeo, an organization that defends rodeos and attacks animal protectors. In an interview (October 21, 2003) with Fox 11 television news (Los Angeles, CA), Ms. Burdick made the following statement:

“There are over sixty rules in place with the PRCA, which is the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and anyone that inadvertently or purposely breaks a rule has a very serious fine levied against them.”

In response, on January 3, 2004 SHARK sent a letter to Ms. Burdick via fax and E-mail asking her to provide SHARK with the names of PRCA members who have violated PRCA humane rules in the last five years, and what fines have been assessed or disciplinary action taken. The PRCA has steadfastly refused to publicly divulge that information.

Real sports associations demonstrate the integrity of their rules by publicly exposing violators and the disciplinary action taken against them. Rodeo is NOT a sport -- it is an exhibition of animal abuse. Besides being cruel, rodeo is riddled with corruption. Predictably, rodeo associations do not follow the guidelines of legitimate sports associations.

We believe that the PRCA and other rodeo associations do not publicize members who violate "humane rules" because those rules are not enforced. SHARK has documented numerous PRCA stock contractors violating the same humane rules year after year. Rodeo humane rules exist for public relations purposes only.

We will pass on any information provided by Ms. Burdick, but advise that you don’t hold your breath while waiting for her response.

Letter from SHARK to Linda Burdick

Ms. Burdick seems to have no shame when it comes to defending rodeos. In the December 2001 issue of "Friends of Rodeo," Burdick likened animal protectors' whistle-blowing to the 911 attack on the World Trade Center in New York with the following:

The leaders, or “mouths” of anti-rodeo groups operate much like Bin Laden, in that they are individuals who have no proof or evidence to support their allegations against the sport of rodeo...

Although we are used to reading nonsense from rodeo people, this is an especially tasteless diatribe. Over the last decade, SHARK has made extensive use of video and still picture documentation, as is obvious on this website. We identify the stock contractors and often even the contestants involved. Any claim that we have "no proof or evidence" is absurd.

SHARK’s rodeo documentation continues today, in spite of extreme efforts by the Rodeo Mafia to stop us. These efforts include signs prohibiting video cameras, questioning people entering certain rodeos as to whether they have video cameras, illegal personal searches, intimidation by security guards, and even physical attacks, including an attack on an eleven-year-old girl! People with video cameras have been ejected from rodeos on the mere suspicion that they might be documenting animal abuse. Those suspicions by rodeo thugs have usually been wrong. The rodeo people involved in preventing video documentation of animal abuse have included Friends of Rodeo members!

It is telling that Ms. Burdick and her associates at Friends of Rodeo are afraid to debate SHARK. In fact, Friends of Rodeo's written policy strongly advises against debates with the opposition. Ms. Burdick and her associates have no choice but to hide from the truth because they are trying to defend animal abuse. Hiding sounds like a tactic of Mr. Bin Laden and other terrorists to us. Indeed, rodeos are based on terrorizing animals. SHARK finds those who abuse animals, lie about it, and then hide from animal protectors to be cowardly and distinctly un-American.