Anyone with a heart knows it's wrong to clothesline a baby animal, body slam it to the ground, tie its legs so it can’t move, and drag it by the neck. If this were done to a puppy or kitten, the offender would understandably be charged with a crime, and likely be jailed. In rodeos, however, it's called calf roping, and supporters claim it’s a sport. But the abuse of baby cows is just one of rodeo’s cruelties.
The huge size and fierce appearance of a bull makes him the perfect target for animal abusers. Rodeos know they can fool many people into believing that the bull is impervious to pain. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In the early 1990s, a rodeo bull named Bodacious, through the torment and indignities heaped upon him by rodeo people, came to show the true nature of this abusive industry.
Rodeo animals are tame, domesticated animals who act rank or mean only when incited. When rodeo people victimize them; taunt, torment, beat and torture them, these animals are, for the most part, frantically trying to get out of the arena at the earliest opportunity. The same is even true for so-called "fighting" bulls in bullfighting. Animals in rodeos and bullfights don't want trouble, they simply wish to be left alone. In the case of these animal victims, their reaction is much the same as yours or mine would be to an unprovoked attack – we try to defend ourselves and escape undeserved punishment.
Bodacious the rodeo bull also wanted no trouble with anyone, but when someone did torment him, he figured out that the best defense was a good offense. Bodacious got a handle on the rodeos, and the people involved in them. They could force him into the filthy livestock trucks and haul him and his fellow victims for days only to be forced into a little holding pen outside the rodeo arena for hours, often in the hot sun or cold rain. The abusers could force him into the bucking chute with electric prods. But once the chute gate opened up, Bodacious figured out how to take control.
This bull's expression says it all. At the moment of this photo he was being shocked with 5,000 volts of electricity seconds before the chute opened.
The young bull developed some moves that turned the tables on rodeo contestants. He would sling his head back and forth, which rodeo riders hate because of the danger of being hit by the horns. Bodacious would pitch his rider forward, only to then throw his head up to slam the rider in the head – often the face. He started messing some people up, including one contestant named Tuff (don’t you just love some of these names?) Hedeman. He smashed Hedeman’s face but good, just like Humpty Dumpty, and all of Tuff’s doctors and all of Tuff’s plastic surgeons were just barely able to put Tuff’s face together again.
The rodeo folks called Bodacious "The World's Most Dangerous Bull," and for a change, it seemed that they weren’t just hyping.
Now if all the stories about the courage of rodeo contestants had any truth to it at all, you would think these guys would have been lining up around the block to take on Bodacious. It was time for our “brave boys” in their ridiculous John Wayne Halloween costumes to “cowboy up” and “git’er done” and “bite the bullet.” Now the rodeo people had a real chance to show what they were made of – and that’s just what they did – in the true tradition of rodeo anti-climax – by retiring Bodacious.
You see, all the talk of dangerous bulls and tough guys riding them is just hype. Cowboy wannabes don’t want “dangerous animals” who are actually dangerous – someone might get hurt! When the rodeo people realized that this bull knew how to play the game of rodeo, they said “FORGET THAT!” Bye-bye Bodacious, no more rodeo cowboys for you to play with and turn the tables on.
An example of one of the repugnant attempts to make every last dime from the life of Bodacious.
Bodacious’ life as a rodeo contestant ass-whipper was over, but the rodeo world wasn’t through with him yet. Unwilling to allow any animal to simply live out his life without being somehow dominated, used and profited from, Bodacious’ owner carted him around where the people of rodeo would gawk and “ooh and ahh” at him. They would imagine what it would be like to have his power, poise and dignity. When SHARK learned that Bodacious was being displayed at a casino in Las Vegas in the late 1990s during the National Finals Rodeo, SHARK President, Steve Hindi hopped a plane. Steve was there to protest rodeo animal abuse, and to debate anyone fool enough to try to defend it.
The site of this captive bull was sad and disgusting. Here he was again, stuck in a little pen, again surrounded by the pitiful “men” of rodeo.
Left alone, Bodacious and other rodeo bulls have no desire to cause trouble for anyone, and he showed that as he was taken from place to place to be ogled by phony cowboys. It is only because of the cruelty and injustices heaped upon them that rodeo victims fight in the arena. Rodeo animals fight for their freedom, just as you or I would.
In 2000, Bodacious died, of heart failure they said. Perhaps he was just tired of living with people who represent the armpit of humanity. Finally the rodeo people could dominate him no further, at least not in life.
Still, his legend lives on by the people who wanted to dominate him. They sell T-shirts, videos, pictures and anything else they can connect to him. Like consummate parasites, they cling to, feed on and live off his memory.
From a concealed position, this rodeo thug is seen pulling a shocking device. Typically it is bulls who receive the worst abuse from electric shocking in rodeos. Cattle are particularly sensitive to electricity, and rodeo animal abusers use that to their advantage to make calm, docile bulls appear to be wild killers.
Although small, the electric prod delivers 5,000 volts of extreme pain. Rodeo animal abusers often shock their victims repeatedly before releasing them, driving them wild with torment. SHARK offers money to rodeo people to take a shock from the same device they use on their victims. These supposedly macho "cowboys" always refuse!
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's (PRCA) "humane rules" prohibit the shocking of a bull in a chute, but those rules are for public relations purposes only. The routine shocking of bulls and horses in the chutes is inherent, widespread, and well-documented in PRCA rodeos, and indeed all rodeos.
In the fifteen years that SHARK has investigated and exposed the cruelty of the rodeo mafia, we can’t begin to count all the times we had to sit quietly in the stands and endure blustering and blathering rodeo announcers go on about how popular rodeos are. To listen to these professional liars, rodeos are “what’s happening” “the next breakout sport,” and blah, blah, blah. It’s all so juvenile, and shows their insecurity. Rodeo fanatics have been claiming that their cruel and idiotic spectacle is the “next breakout sport” for as long as rodeos have been around.
Lazy/sellout reporters devoid of journalistic integrity have done their best to perpetuate the myth by parroting the rodeo mafia’s propaganda. SHARK’s MediaVillains.comwebsite has a few examples of the kind of media phonies that partner with the rodeo mafia. The goofiest part of these nonsensical claims is that so often when the silliness is being spewed, the rodeo stands are mostly barren. Nevertheless, the reality of the situation seems to have little effect on the morons who attend rodeos, and who apparently want so desperately to believe that they are part of something relevant, as opposed to a small, fringe group of misfits who are the butt of jokes for the rest of society – the folks who have active brain cells.
Now, however, rodeo thugs have gotten a very bitter dose of reality thrown at them from none other than the highly respected Gallup polling company. The December 11-14, 2006 poll asked Americans to identify, without prompting, their “favorite sport to watch.” The results show in painful detail just how insignificant rodeos are.
The majority of respondents of the poll, released January 19, 2007, chose the obvious legitimate sports that you would expect: football (43%), basketball (12%) and baseball (11%). Then respondents chose auto racing (4%), golf (3%), ice/figure skating (3%), soccer (2%), ice hockey (2%), boxing (2%), tennis (1%) and gymnastics (1%). Three percent of respondents chose “other” as their favorite sport, and twelve percent said they had no favorite sport. See the Gallup poll here.
So where did rodeo rank among these most popular sports? It didn’t! Imagine that – the rodeo people have been lying about their status as a supposed sport! Who woulda guessed? But wait, cause this expose’ still gets better. Gallup also broke their responses down by age, gender and geographic regions of the US, so in effect, rodeo has multiple opportunities to show strength in at least a small portion of the sports market. For instance, if we were to believe even a tiny bit of rodeo propaganda, we would find rodeos to be a significant activity in the west, right? But, no! It didn’t show up. Perhaps since rodeos are a predominantly a man’s sport, it’ll show up in the gender breakdown, right? Wrong again! How about in the age breakdown, since rodeo is for the young, right? No! How about older sports fans? Forget about it! There was no mention of rodeo.
The poll also included some historical information about the popularity of sporting events from 1994 to 2006. In four of those years rodeo managed to scrape up a one percent rating, but for 2006 rodeo noticeably declined, not even able to make it up to 0.5%. The closest activity rodeo could be compared to in popularity was volleyball – that’s right – volleyball! But at least volleyball is a real sport.
Finally, Gallup included information of the long-term trend of sports popularity, starting way back in 1937, up to 2006. Once again, rodeo was a no-show.
The real beauty of this poll is that it didn’t exclude rodeo, even though rodeo can’t be considered a legitimate sport. Rodeo had a shot to prove itself, and as usual, the rodeo mafia was proven to be lying.
Gallup's results show why rodeo is barely hanging on to its existence. Plagued by constant exposure from animal advocacy groups like SHARK, attendance is faltering and sponsors (Campbell Soup’s Pace Foods, Starbucks, and others) are pulling out, the rodeo industry's in trouble and they know it. The [now former] head of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) has admitted to being a liar, a cheat, and pled guilty to 4 felony charges, and attendance remains dismal at many rodeos and at the PRCA’s “Hall of Fame” at its Colorado Springs, Colorado headquarters.
Recently, hard-hitting journalists have shown the public the pervasive abuse and corruption at major rodeo events in Wyoming and Illinois. Finally, the International Pro Rodeo Association (IPRA), the world’s second largest rodeo association, barely escaped going out of existence recently, and was bought for a song by some former, apparently disgruntled PRCA folks. That simply means that the zombies are going to try to resuscitate the dead.
The following is an excerpt from the article posted on RodeoAttitude.com, a pro-rodeo web site. When even the rodeo fanatics make this kind of admission, you know things are really bad:
“Recently rumors had spread throughout the rodeo industry that the IPRA, which began in 1957 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, was in financial trouble and on the verge of dissolving.”
But there’s even more information pointing to the problems faced by rodeo thugs, and it is to be found within the files of none other than the rodeo mafia itself, on the web site of the Reno rodeo. It’s a list of PRCA statistics from 1953 to 2004, over a half-century of information. As we said earlier, when even the rodeo people acknowledge this, it is a serious matter.
According to the PRCA’s own information, in 1953 there were 578 PRCA-sanctioned rodeos, while the number in 2004 was 671, or an increase of sixteen percent. Comparatively, the American population rose from 160,184,000 in 1953, to 293,027,571 in 2004. That’s a jump of more than 83 percent. (US Census Bureau international Database, www.census.gov) Obviously rodeos are not keeping up with the population of the US – a clear indication that rodeo popularity is dropping. In 2013, the total number of PRCA rodeos has continued to drop to about 600.
So rodeo, a fringe activity at best in the beginning, is steadily losing any place in American society, and is basically considered to be even less legitimate than professional wrestling.
Here’s the truly appalling portion of the story. Although rodeo is a joke when it comes to public interest, rodeo prize money has skyrocketed from $2,492,856 to a whopping $35,532,631, or more than a fourteen-fold increase! If we have to give kudos to one part of the rodeo mafia, it’s the marketing department – for they are hands down the best snake oil salespeople in the world! They’re selling multinational corporations a bill of goods that, were it not for the cruelty of rodeo, would be hilarious! This phenomenon is especially wacky given that some of the companies like Dodge Trucks and Ford Motor Company have enormous financial problems. Nevertheless, these struggling companies are pouring millions of dollars into the rodeo mafia even as they are laying off their workers and posting record losses.
As you can see there is both good and bad news in all of this. The good news is that this is a battle that can and must be won. The fact is that most Americans see rodeo for just what it is – a stupid activity, whose entertainment value is akin to watching Jello harden.
We are still in the process of educating people as to the inherent cruelty of rodeos, and when we have achieved more success in that area, the demise of the rodeo mafia among thinking people will be assured.
That bad news is that there are still untold numbers of rodeos animals abused, maimed, and killed every year in rodeos, and this abuse is being funded by corporate sponsors like Coca-Cola and Dodge Trucks. This demonstrates the importance that caring people NOT give these abusive and corrupt companies so much as a penny of your money. Every call you make via AT&T/Cingular/SBC is money going to the rodeo mafia. Every Coke product you purchase is money that will be used to abuse animals. Please remember that.
Hopefully the exposed lies of the rodeo mafia and your consumer voice will help persuade the corporate morons who sponsor rodeos to stop propping up this excuse for entertainment.
"Tradition should never serve as an excuse for cruelty."
Some towns, cities, states, and countries have realized that rodeos belong to the Dark Ages, and have made moves to eliminate or restrict this cruel, needless excuse for entertainment. Rodeo propagandists like to claim that their industry is a "true American sport", but this listing shows that people all across America are rejecting rodeo's abuse.
Below is a partial listing, as more and more places realize every year that rodeo's victims deserve protection. Alert your local authorities if you find any of these laws being violated in your area!
Leestown, Virginia has also effectively banned rodeo by restricting the use of flank straps, electric prods and spurs.
San Francisco, California prohibits rodeos.
Nevada prohibits steer roping. Nevada's state veterinarian says steer roping causes animals to get "hurt too often".
Pasadena, California prohibits rodeos.
Alameda County, California a veterinarian must be present at the rodeo.
State of Ohio bans use of flank straps.
California prohibits the use of electric prods once an animal is in the chute.
In California a written reports of animal injuries must be submitted to the California State Veterinary Medical Board within 48 hours of the conclusion of the rodeo.
Rhode Island and California require a veterinarian present at every rodeo.
Southampton, New York effectively bans rodeos by prohibiting the use of electric prods or shocking devices, flank or bucking straps, wire tie-downs, sharpened spurs, bull hooks and bullwhips at rodeos.
Baltimore County, Maryland prohibits calf roping
Montgomery, New Jersey bans the use of electric prods at the annual rodeo.
Rhode Island prohibits all calf roping except breakaway roping, thus also resulting in steer roping being illegal.
Baltimore, Maryland prohibits use of spurs in rodeos.
Napa County, California prohibits rodeos.
Fort Wayne, Indiana prohibits rodeos.
St. Petersburg, Florida prohibits rodeos.
Greenburgh, New York prohibits rodeos on town property.
St. Charles, Illinois prohibits the use of electric prods once the animal is in the holding chute.
Outside the United States
The United Kingdom prohibits rodeos.
Australia's Capitol Territories prohibit rodeos.
Auckland, New Zealand, the country's largest city, prohibits rodeos on Council-owned land.
Germany prohibits calf roping.
Vancouver, Canada prohibits calf roping.
Cloverdale Rodeo in British Columbia, Canada banned calf roping, team roping, cowboy cow milking and steer wrestling.
State of South Australia and Victoria, Australia have eliminated the "sport" roping of small animals (calves, goats, etc.) by a requiring animals to weigh at least 200 kg.
Bauru, Arealva, and Avai, Brazil, ban electric prods, flank straps, and spurs.
Santo André, São Caetano, Franca, and Diadema in São Paulo, Brazil, prohibit rodeos.
The Netherlands has banned the USA rodeo.
Know of a caring community we missed? Drop us a note so we can add them to the list at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Click Hereto find out why an expert panel of German veterinarians recommends banning flank straps, spurs, bullriding, and the "wild" horse race from rodeo.
Dr. Peggy Larson has a more varied background in the veterinary profession than most can claim. She is the founder of the National Spay and Neuter Coalition and operates a low- cost spay and neuter clinic with her husband, who is also a veterinarian.
As a former veterinary medical officer with the United States Department of Agriculture, she participated in animal welfare inspections. She has also worked as a Vermont State Veterinarian and Chief of Livestock and Meat Inspection, has sat on an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, is a pathology and computer specialist, and has practiced institutional and large animal medicine.
While working in private practice, she once cared for animals used in rodeos and was also a rodeo participant. As a former rodeo bareback bronco rider and former large animal veterinarian, Dr. Larson has witnessed first-hand the damage done to these animals.
Subsequently, she is now working to ban calf roping and steer “busting” and is also an international media consultant on rodeo issues.
Dr. Larson was interviewed by the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR)
AVAR: What made you decide to challenge rodeo practices?
Larson: I was pro-rodeo until in my 30's. I was actively involved in rodeo in my youth when I competed in the bareback bronco riding event and took part in other rodeo games.
I grew up on a ranch in the West, and rodeo was our sport.However, after completing veterinary college and a Master's degree in animal pathology, the acquired knowledge about injuries and pain made me take a second look at rodeo events, especially calf roping and steer “busting.
”I started looking at the animal used in the rodeo event instead of the competitor. When my focus shifted to the animal, I saw a whole different side of rodeo. I saw terrified little calves being prodded and their tails twisted to make them burst out of the chute only to be stopped cold with a strangling rope around their necks. I saw cattle prods used on bulls to enhance performance. I saw a lot of disregard for the animals by the competitors, as manifested by kicking anoxic calves to make them stand, poking animals with sticks and prods to make them agitated, and jerking and hitting roping horses that did not perform well. It made me angry and disgusted.
I did not start working against rodeo until about 10 years ago. Prior to that time, I was too busy earning a living and maintaining our home. But the anger and disgust stayed with me and when I retired (well, sort of) I had time to work on the rodeo issue. Also, the animal rights and welfare organizations had begun to recognize the cruelty in rodeo and were starting to protest them. While their hearts were in the right place, they lacked knowledge about rodeo and often made embarrassing mistakes. I started consulting with them to help make them more effective and just kept on going.
Currently, I am internationally recognized by the media as someone knowledgeable about rodeo and have consulted with ABC, BBC and ARTE (French equivalent of public television) when they documented rodeo animal abuse. Many of the issues I have consulted on have won Genesis Awards. ABC and ARTE have won Genesis Awards for exposing rodeo animal abuse.
AVAR: What kinds of animal injuries have you witnessed at rodeo events?
Larson: I stopped going to rodeos after graduating from veterinary college. However, I saw a calf break its leg. On many occasions, I saw calves choked into anoxia from the rope around their necks.
I treated saddle horses with wounds to their mouths from abusive use of the bit. One horse had half his tongue severed. I saw lots of so-called “minor” injuries, like cuts and abrasions, lameness, and eye injuries.
I believe the callous attitude toward the calves added to their injuries; there was no concern for their welfare at all. With the advent of the video recorder, I have perused many feet of film documenting rodeo animal abuse. I’ve seen injuries that ended in death, some resulting in death from euthanasia or a trip to the slaughter plant, broken bones, lameness, and minor scrapes and cuts.
AVAR: Last year, you approached the American Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Welfare Committee (AVMA-AWC) to adopt a position statement on rodeo but were unsuccessful. Do you see the AVMA ever taking a stand against using animals in such a brutal and degrading way or even opposing the most abusive of rodeo practices?
Larson: I was part of an international group that met with Mitt Romney, President of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, to explain to him inherent animal abuse in rodeo, particularly the roping events. My role was to provide him with veterinary medical documentation of injuries sustained by cattle in rodeos.
Meat inspectors have described broken backs, broken necks, ruptured tracheas, broken bones, internal injuries, ruptured ligamenta nuchae, and gallons of blood under the skin.
During the meeting, Mr. Romney said he would seriously consider banning calf roping. We believe he was merely placating us because the rodeo is being held unchanged. He had the power to stop calf roping but did not.
After the meeting, our group held a press conference. Surprisingly, the media supported our view after it watched the animal abuse on videos. We did get some very good press following the meeting. Polls indicated that the public also did not want the rodeo. In some areas, 80 percent of the public wanted the rodeo dropped. We did accomplish one important thing: The rodeo winners will not receive gold, silver, or bronze medals.
AVAR: Many localities now ban rodeo or have restrictions on it. Do you think this is a sign of a positive shift in public attitude away from violent entertainment?
Larson: Much has been publicized about violence on TV and its effects on children. Unfortunately, the majority of the public, especially in the western part of this country, does not consider rodeo violent entertainment. In fact, rodeo coverage on TV is increasing. The public is being duped into thinking that rodeo is benign entertainment.
For instance, the PRCA controls the camera shots that ESPN can use while filming rodeo. In calf roping, ESPN is not allowed by the PRCA to show the calf actually being dropped. The audience will never see the rope strangling the calf; they will never see the calf jerked off its feet, dragged, and choked. As soon as the loop settles over the calf's head, the camera moves away from the calf and moves back only after the calf is tied.
I expect that changes in public opinion will occur slowly. Most people focus on the competitor in the event instead of the animal. The focus needs to shift to the animal. We have huge populations who never attend rodeos or even think about rodeos but, when asked, they think rodeo is harmless entertainment. Once they are educated about the abuses in rodeo, they become anti-rodeo. We need to reach that population.
AVAR: What can veterinarians do to help animals when rodeo events are scheduled in their area?
Larson: If veterinarians really want to help animals used in rodeo, they should start by writing to the AVMA- AWC asking for a change in the policy on animals in entertainment.
On the local level, veterinarians should educate themselves about rodeo so that they are accurate in their complaint. They can lend support at meetings set up by local animal rights or welfare groups to discuss the issue. A press conference will help disseminate the information gathered at the meeting. Veterinarians can write letters to the editor condemning rodeo. Veterinarians can also talk with the sponsors of the rodeo asking them to stop. Veterinarians can also initiate legislation to stop rodeo or stop certain rodeo events or make rodeo equipment like spurs or prods or bucking straps illegal. Legislation will stop rodeo more effectively than any other method. For example, when Pasadena, California, enacted their anti-rodeo law, rodeo ceased to exist there.
American Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Committee 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100 Schaumburg, IL 60173- 4360.
Ask that the AVMA amend their position statement on the Welfare of Animals in Spectator Events to, at the very least, oppose calf roping and steer busting events. Also, please ask that they withdraw their endorsement of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association animal welfare guidelines.
Reprinted with Permission from AVAR Directions: Winter 2002, the newsletter of the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights. AVAR is “committed to balancing the needs of nonhuman animals with those of human animals."
Another rodeo victim...this horse was gravely injured at the National Finals Rodeo in December 2001. She bucked so completely out of control from being tortured by the flank strap and spurs that she was paralyzed and subsequently killed.
Yes! Many animals are injured and even killed in rodeos. Animal cruelty investigators are only able to attend a very small percentage of rodeos each year. Therefore, only a very small percentage of injuries or deaths are documented. More importantly, as the record below shows, rodeos frequently try to cover up animal injuries and even deaths.
Injuries ranging from minor to life threatening may not be immediately visible, especially from the distance of the bleachers. These injuries may include sprains, broken bones, muscle pulls, saddle blisters, spur and flank strap wounds. Essentially, if the animal doesn't drop dead in front of the bleachers, the audience usually doesn't know anything is wrong.
Also, in the last few years, rodeos are banning video and in some cases even still cameras from their events in an effort to thwart documentation of rodeo cruelty, and the resulting injuries and deaths.
To see some of the footage that SHARK investigators have captured, visit our YouTube page here.
As you review these records, you will notice that rodeos that are regularly investigated have a record of consistent injuries. Contrary to claims by rodeo apologists, it is obvious that rodeos are cruel and in fact perilous to animals. For this reason, requests from SHARK to review various rodeo association animal injury records have all been denied.
Note: There are some 5000 rodeos held annually in the US, only about one-third of which are professionally sanctioned. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the nation's largest rodeo organization with about 8,000 members, sponsors about 600 rodeos each year, mostly west of the Mississippi River. The second largest rodeo organization, the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA), sponsors rodeos mostly east of the Rocky Mountains.
Emergency teams are onsite at rodeos, ready to aid rodeo contestants. Even though some rodeo associations require a veterinarian onsite SHARK's investigations show that this rule is regularly violated. This further demonstrates rodeo's view of animals as disposable objects.
Beginning in 2001, SHARK started attending more and more rodeos and the amount of injuries that we documented just skyrocketed. Far too many to enumerate here. Countless animals have been injured and killed at rodeos - and SHARK's cameras have documented some of it. Please visit our YouTube channel to view the videotape, we must warn you however that with hundreds of videos, the evidence is as voluminous as it is graphic. The amount of cruelty and death that rodeo inflicts upon animals is truly staggering.
It is impossible to create either a humane rodeo, or one that does not pose a risk of injury or death to animals. Here is a very partial list of injuries and deaths through December 2000:
September 1976 Western Championship Finals Rodeo in Folsom, California One horse suffers a heart attack and dies, and another suffers a broken neck after running into a fence.
Fall 1982 San Francisco Grand National Rodeo (PRCA) A calf suffers a broken leg, bleeding badly. He is taken to ranch and killed. Also, a horse suffers a broken leg and is killed.
1983 California Rodeo in Salinas, California (PRCA) Two horses dead. One suffered an aneurysm, collapsed and dies in the arena. Another had his leg broken, and was killed.
Fall 1984 San Francisco Grand National Rodeo (PRCA) One calf - severely injured - is hidden from Humane Officer
1985 California Rodeo in Salinas, California (PRCA) One horse dies after hitting head on a steel post. Two calves suffer fractured legs -- one is taken to a slaughterhouse and the other is given a cast. Two more calves suffer dislocated legs and are given casts.
November 1985 San Francisco Grand National Rodeo (PRCA) One bucking horse suffers a broken back and is killed. One roping calf suffers a broken back. One horse suffers a swollen knee, one horse suffers a gash on head, one horse suffers a face injury, one horse suffers a cut on hock.
June 1986 Police Officers Association Rodeo, Rowell Rodeo Ranch, Hayward, CA A horse suffers a broken leg and is shot. No veterinarian is present
July 1986 Half Moon Bay Jr. Rodeo in Half Moon Bay, California One horse suffers with a swollen cannon bone.
November 1986 San Francisco Grand National Rodeo (PRCA) One horse suffers a fractured rear hock. Electric shock device used to force animals to "perform."
June 1987 Police Officers Association Rodeo, Rowell Rodeo Ranch, Hayward, CA A calf is runs into a fence during roping, and suffers a broken nose and palate. He is still thrown down and tied, then left in the sun for four hours, bleeding from the nose and mouth. Despite promises that there would be a veterinarian on site, there was none.
August 1987 Rodeo and Stampede in Omak, Washington (All Indian Rodeo) One horse killed in "Suicide Race."
September 1987, Inglewood, California A horse found with gaping wound laid open to the bone on hind leg.
November 1987 San Francisco Grand National Rodeo (PRCA) One calf suffered a broken leg, one calf suffered right rear leg injury, one calf suffered laceration on face, one calf suffered a sprained leg.
Four horses suffered lacerations, one horse suffered a gash on the face, one horse suffered an injured hoof, one horse suffered a gash between the ears, one horse suffered a cut on right rear leg.
One bull suffered an injured leg.
Electric shock device used to force animals to "perform."
June 1988 Rodeo at Watsonville, California (Mexican Rodeo) A horse suffers a broken back, and is dragged approximately 75 feet from the arena, is left to suffer for 1-1/2 hours before arrival of a veterinarian, who euthanized the horse.
July 1988 Bill Pickett Invitational Black Rodeo - Los Angeles Equestrian CenterDuring the "Wild Horse Race," a horse runs into a wall, injures leg, bleeding from nose and mouth, and is still saddled and ridden.
1989 California Rodeo in Salinas, California (PRCA) A calf goes down during the calf roping event and is unable to stand. It is destroyed later.
1989 San Francisco Grand National Rodeo (PRCA) Electric shock device used to force animals to "perform."
1990 Hawaii rodeo A bucking bull is paralyzed, with video documenting the injured animal dragging his hindquarters across the arena, bellowing in pain as two ranch dogs attack him.
1990 Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Two horses are injured and killed, one steer suffers a broken leg and is killed.
1990 California Rodeo in Salinas, California (PRCA) A horse suffers a broken leg and is killed.
1990 San Francisco Grand National Rodeo (PRCA) One horse suffers a shattered disk during bucking, one horse suffers a cut eye. Electric shock device used to force animals to "perform."
November 1990 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania A bucking bull has his leg broken. There is no vet available, so the injured bull is hidden in a trailer. Later he is killed.
This incident led to passage of a law that, while not banning rodeos outright, did ban the use of rodeo's tools of torture, including electric shock devices, bucking straps and spurs. There hasn't been a rodeo held in Pittsburgh ever since passage of the law.
No torture -- no rodeo.
June 1991 Reno Rodeo in Reno, Nevada (PRCA) A bull suffers a broken back, and is killed.
July 1991 California Rodeo in Salinas, California (PRCA) One horse suffers a fractured rear leg and is killed.
1992 Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada One horse killed.
1992 Reno Rodeo in Reno, Nevada (PRCA) One horse left arena with bleeding nostrils which soon became severe bleeding from nose and mouth. The horse was killed. One horse with 6 inch gash on chest. Several horses, calves and steers limping with injured legs. One steer suffered a broken horn. An attempt was made to secure horn with duct tape.
1993 California Rodeo in Salinas, California (PRCA) A bull has his rear leg caught in a fence and suffers a break while trying to free himself. The bull is killed.
July 1993 Wauconda Rodeo in Wauconda, Illinois (IPRA) Multiple severely underweight steers with open, swollen wounds.
1993 Frontier Day Rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyoming (PRCA) Two horses and one steer are killed.
1993 Lake County Fair Rodeo (IPRA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
August 1993 Omak Stampede Rodeo in Omak, Washington (All Indian Rodeo) One calf suffers a broken leg.
1994 Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada One horse suffers a broken leg and is killed.
July 1994 Wauconda Rodeo in Wauconda Illinois (IPRA) One horse's leg becomes caught in rope during calf roping. No report is given on horse's condition. Multiple horses with open flank strap wounds.
1994 Lake County Fair in Illinois (IPRA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
September 1994 Fraternal Order of Police Rodeo in Lake County, Illinois (PRCA)Electric shock device used to force animals to "perform."
A steer is killed during the steer wrestling event. The dead animal was hastily rolled onto a piece of section of fencing and rushed from the area. A short time later, rodeo people paraded another steer in front of the crowd, claiming it was the animal that had actually been killed.
A young man working as a volunteer through the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) uncovered the fraud. In fact, he was one of the people who carried the dead steer out. He reported that everyone was told of the intended fraud, and everyone was warned to never talk about what had really happened.
This young man showed great bravery. He was the only person among the rodeo cowboys or the Lake County Sheriff's Police who told the truth. The PRCA stood behind the false claims of the stock contractor, the Barnes Rodeo Company.
1994 Rodeo at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California (National Collegiate Rodeo Association) A steer is injured during steer-busting. It was impossible to get documented information from the rodeo to determine the animal's eventual fate.
Interestingly, a steer was brought out the following day, and was supposedly the same animal that had been injured. The only problem was that the animal's markings were somewhat different.
The school claimed that the animal was "fine." However, this reaction from rodeo people and their sponsors is typical after an injury not resulting in immediate death.
1995 Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada One horse killed after head injury, two horses killed after breaking legs, one horse suffers a shoulder injury after being knocked down, one horse collapses.
July 1995 California Rodeo in Salinas, California (PRCA) Three horses killed (broken leg, broken neck, heart attack), a steer dies of a broken neck, a calf's back is broken. Although veterinarians were present, they did not euthanize the calf, as they didn't want to "ruin the meat." The young animal lay suffering for over an hour until he was finally taken to a slaughterhouse, where he was killed.
July 1995 Wauconda Rodeo in Wauconda, Illinois (IPRA) Several children shook up and/or crying after falling during sheep riding.
1995 Lake County Fair in Illinois (IPRA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
1995 Grundy County Fair Rodeo in Mazon, Illinois (IPRA) One steer's tail is purposely broken (video documented) in an effort to make him run. One steer used with an open wound.
August 1995 Santa Barbara Fiesta Rodeo in Santa Barbara, California (PRCA) A horse is gored after being improperly housed with a bull in a holding pen. An individual not associated with law enforcement fired three gun shots at the dying animal -- missing each time -- in front of a large crowd that included children.
The local sheriff, a rodeo proponent, ignored this violation, which is a felony, city authorities attempted to sweep the incident under the rug.
February 1996 Anaheim Pond Rodeo in Anaheim, California A bronco crashed headlong into a heavy metal gate and was killed. Spectators reported that wranglers were "prodding the horses and hyping them up." The rodeo foreman admitted his men used 4-foot long wooden prods to keep the handlers out of kicking range.
April 1996 In Laramie County, Wyoming, a community college rodeo coach was charged with cruelty to animals after four rodeo steers froze to death.
1996 Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Three horses killed.
September 1996 Los Angeles County Fair Bullriders Classic in Pomona, California A horse is killed after crashing into another horse and suffering a broken neck.
April 1997 Cal Poly University Rodeo in San Luis Obispo, California A horse suffered a fall and was killed while bucking. The announcer told the crowd the horse was "OK."
1997 Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Three horses suffer injury, and two die as a result. A bull being ridden in the bucking event kicked so high his leg became wedged in the chute gate. His leg was completely fractured above his fetlock, exposing the bone. The bull was killed.
July 1997 DuPage County Fair Rodeo in Wheaton, Illinois (Lazy C Rodeo Company) One horse slams head into sign precariously placed over chute. Goes down, but is still forced to buck. Neither the fair nor rodeo officials offered information on the horse's condition afterward. Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
1997 Yolo County Fair in California Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
1997 Effingham County Fair Rodeo in Altimont, Illinois (Lazy C Rodeo Company)Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
1997 Kendall County Fair Rodeo, Yorkville, Illinois (IPRA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
1997 San Dimas Rodeo, San Dimas, California (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
August 1997 Kern County Fair Rodeo in Bakersfield, California (PRCA) A bucking horse goes down, rolls, comes up with an apparently broken left front leg and shoulder. The horse is forced into a stall, where he goes down again. The rodeo never gave any more information on the horse's condition.
August 1997 Boone County Fair Rodeo near Rockford, Illinois (IPRA) A bucking horse suffers an injury to rear leg. No information was given on horse's condition afterward. One rodeo clown video is documented kicking a calf in the head and throwing sand in a bull's eyes. Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
August 1997 California State Fair (PRCA stock contractor) A performing dog is injured in a fall. No report is given on the dog's condition. Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
The cruelty was exposed via Sacramento-area media. The PRCA refused to take action.
1997 Illinois State Fair Rodeo (Lazy C Rodeo Company) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
August 1997, Big Bear, California Rodeo (PRCA) Many animals had their tails twisted and raked over bars. An electric shock device was used to force animals to "perform."
SHARK gathered undercover video footage for the television program "Hard Copy." When the stock contractor was interviewed and asked about the tail twisting and raking, and the use of electric shock, he denied it. Hard Copy used a split screen to simultaneously show the cruelty and the denial at the same time to a national audience.
When shown video footage of the shocking, the stock contractor initially denied it, then stated he did not know who the man was. The man was the stock contractor's son.
The PRCA refused to take action.
1997 Isleton, California Rodeo (IPRA) Two horses used with open flank strap wounds, one bull suffered open slices on sides, apparently from spurs. One bull checked for back injuries. A rodeo worker disclosed two of the bull's siblings had already died of broken backs while bucking. Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
September 1997 Flat Rock Rodeo in Flat Rock, Michigan (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform." The cruelty was exposed to Detroit, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio area media. The rodeo never returned.
October 1997 International Pro Rodeo Association (IPRA) Regional Finals, Gordyville, Illinois A steer whose head became stuck outside a fence was repeatedly kicked in the face and head to force him back inside. A 5,000-volt electric shock device was used to force animals to "perform." The rodeo was attended by IPRA President Jack Wiseman. When contacted, the IPRA stated it had no problem that practice.
January 1998 Philadelphia Rodeo (IPRA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
1998 World's Toughest Rodeo in Peoria, Illinois (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
1998 World's Toughest Rodeo in Rockford, Illinois (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
1998 World's Toughest Rodeo in St. Paul, Minnesota (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
March 1998 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Houston, Texas (PRCA) One steer died of a broken neck, and two calves suffered broken legs.
March 1998 World's Toughest Rodeo, Rosemont, Illinois (PRCA) Horse suffers injured leg. No information forthcoming regarding the horse's condition by rodeo officials. Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
May 1998 Montgomery Rodeo in Skillman, NJ (APRA) Electric prods used on steers and bulls confined in chutes to force them to "perform." A steer suffered a deep gash on his back. Another steer suffered a split horn and bloody cheek. Several sheep suffered leg injuries after children's sheep riding. One steer was trampled by a horse during team roping.
June 1998 Guilford Rodeo in Guilford, Connecticut During a "dash for cash" contest, a steer was tackled and thrown to the ground. His neck was broken. Organizers of the rodeo called in a clown to distract the stricken audience. The steer died. Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform." Afterward, the Connecticut Make-A-Wish Foundation, recipient of some rodeo proceeds, announced it would no longer be associated with rodeos.
June 1998 Henry County Fair in Cambridge, Illinois (IPRA) One horse used with open, raw, bloody flank strap wound.
July 1998 Folsom Rodeo in Folsom, California (PRCA) One bull and one calf suffer leg injuries. Rodeo promoters admitted to the injuries, but would only say the victims received "appropriate treatment."
July 1998 Wauconda Rodeo, Wauconda, Illinois (IPRA) Multiple children hurt during sheep riding, multiple horses with open, bloody flank strap wounds, one calf, one horse, one steer injured. No further information given on injured animals or children. On the contrary, the rodeo people claim that the animals are fine.
SHARK investigators waited to release video footage and still pictures of rodeo injuries until stock contractor Thyrl Latting and two IPRA judges claim that there were no animal injuries. In response to SHARK documentation, Latting claims that flank strap wounds are not wounds, but burns. We didn't bother to tell Mr. Latting that a burn is a wound. Investigators also document inches of animal waste on the floor of Latting's livestock trailer. Latting claimed he was unaware of the trailer's condition.
The rodeo was attended by IPRA President Jack Wiseman. As Wiseman's camper/pickup pulled out of the rodeo grounds, Wiseman's passenger displayed rodeo's concept of family values by giving an obscene hand gesture to people, including children, who were protesting cruelty to animals. Requests for an apology from Wiseman and the IPRA went unanswered. (A picture of the obscene gesture is displayed on this site)
July 1998 DuPage County Fair Rodeo, Wheaton, Illinois (Lazy C Rodeo Company)Multiple horses with open wounds on face. Having been exposed for the use of 5,000-volt electric shock devices to force animals to "perform" the previous year, the rodeo placed a man crouched behind the chutes, sticking animals with a pointed object similar to an ice pick. The rodeo was again busted with high-powered video cameras.
August 1998 Effingham County Fair (Illinois Bullriders Association) Numerous piglets injured during "pig scramble," in which children are encouraged to tackle or jump on tiny piglets. One piglet escapes into field. 5,000-volt electric shock device used to force animals to "perform."
August 1998 Kendall County Fair Rodeo, Yorkville, Illinois (IPRA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
August 1998 Minnesota State Fair Rodeo (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
September 1998 Gurnee FOP Rodeo, Lake County, Illinois (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
January 1999 National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO (PRCA) A bucking horse crashed into a wall headfirst and died from a broken neck. In a second incident during the same rodeo, a bucking horse had his back broken and was killed.
May 1999 Montgomery Rodeo in Skillman, NJ (APRA) Electric prods used to force the animals to "perform."
June 1999 Rodeo in Santa Maria, California Three horses fall at a full run. Two were sustained leg injuries; limping as they left the arena.
1999 Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada One horse killed
June 1999 Rodeo in Long Island City, New York Police fire 40 shots at an escaped rodeo bull. It took fifteen minutes for the animal to bleed to death.
July 1999 Wauconda Rodeo in Wauconda Illinois (IPRA) One child injured during sheep riding, multiple flank strap wounds on horses, multiple horses with injured legs. No further information given on outcome of either wounded animals or children.
July 1999 Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (PRCA) One horse killed.
July 1999 Rodeo in Columbus, Ohio A rodeo bull was shot and killed by police after breaking free.
July 1999 Kane County Fair Rodeo, St. Charles, Illinois (IPRA) One bull used with open cuts. Many animals shocked with 5,000 volt prods to force them to "perform."
July 1999 Ford City, Pennsylvania A rodeo bull suffers an "anxiety attack" and jumped an eight-foot fence to escape.
August 1999 Can-Am Rodeo in Ottawa, Canada A bucking horse suffers a broken neck when he slammed into a fence. Spectators watched the horse go into death shudders after breaking his neck.
August 1999 Santa Barbara, California Fiesta Rodeo A bucking horse died from a fractured skull after slamming into the arena wall.
September 1999 Castro Valley California Cowboy Gathering and Ranch RodeoBucking horse suffers a broken leg.
1999 Rapid City Rodeo in South Dakota (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
November 1999 Silver Springs Rodeo Grounds, Kissimmee, Florida Bull suffers a broken leg broken and is killed.
February 2000, San Antonio, Texas A bucking horse has his spine snapped. Paralyzed, the horse dragged himself by his front legs across the stadium before collapsing. The horse was killed. Rodeo officials said that this incident, and a couple of calves with fractured legs at the previous year's rodeo were "freak accidents."
March 2000 World's Toughest Rodeo in Des Moines, Iowa (PRCA) Many animals shocked with 5,000-volt prods to force them to "perform."
May 2000 Rodeo in Spokane, Washington A bull escaped from a bull-riding contest and ran down the interstate before being hit by a car. Although shot at by police, the bull disappeared into the woods before being recaptured three days later.
May 2000 Montgomery Rodeo in Skillman, NJ (APRA) Electric prods used to force the animals to "perform." One bull suffered bleeding ears and horns.
May 2000 Festival of Flags Rodeo in Killeen, Texas (PRCA) Two horses injured. One suffered facial lacerations, and one a leg injury. No veterinarian on site, which is a violation of PRCA humane rules. In fact, the rodeo veterinarian stated that only the horse with the facial lacerations was reported to him. In addition, the vet said he had been required to sign a PRCA form listing the animals injured at the rodeo, and that only one horse, the one with the facial lacerations, had been listed.
Also, PRCA rules require a conveyance to remove injured livestock. The rodeo vet stated that he never saw such a conveyance.
June 2000 Livermore Rodeo in Livermore, California (PRCA) A bucking horse broke her neck and died. Although two reporters from the Tri-Valley Herald witnessed the death, and although the paper's photographer took pictures, there was no mention of the accident. This illustrates how some media is willing to cover-up the truth about rodeo cruelty.
July 2000 National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) Finals Rodeo, Springfield, Illinois Dozens of animals shocked, and many animals subjected to extreme tail twisting and tail raking. Shocking animals to make them perform violates NHSRA humane rules.
Initial reports from the NHSRA indicate no animals injured. However, following a SHARK press conference wherein footage of cruelty violations and injury did occur, the NHSRA admitted six animals were injured.
Repeated attempts by SHARK to establish dialogue with NHSRA management, including registered letters, proved unsuccessful.
September 2000 Bell County Fair Rodeo in Belton, Texas (PBR) Bulls shocked while in chutes to make them buck from pain.
October 2000 Arkansas State Fair Rodeo in Little Rock, Arkansas (PRCA) Many animals shocked in chutes, which violates PRCA humane rules.
October 2000 rodeo in Liberty, Texas (PRCA) Many animals shocked in chutes, violating the PRCA's humane rules. There was also a "Calf Scramble," in which over a dozen children were set upon very small calves. For over 15 minutes, the children treated the calves so roughly that over half the young animals collapsed from stress and exhaustion. Treatment included headlocks tail pulling and twisting, dragging, jumping on them, etc.
Calves who wouldn't or couldn't get up on their own were manhandled to their feet by their ears and tails by a rodeo clown.
October 2000 PRCA Texas Regional Steer Roping Finals in Del Rio, Texas (PRCA) The worst tail raking ever witnessed by SHARK investigators. There was no veterinarian on site when a steer was injured, which violates PRCA humane rules.
The victim was rolled onto a sled, dragged to a gate, rolled off the sled and dragged out of sight without a prior checkup, possibly increasing the seriousness of the injury. Personal conversations with rodeo employees indicated the steer suffered a dislocated shoulder, while other employees said the steer was perfectly fine. This would lead to the question of why a "perfectly fine" animal was dragged out of the arena.
Rodeo employees admitted there was no veterinarian present. The fate of the injured steer is unknown.
November 2000 Grand National Rodeo at the San Francisco Cow Palace (PRCA) A bull suffers a broken neck and dies. The rodeo announcer says the bull is just knocked out, and claims "this has happened hundreds of times." The announcer went on to make jokes about how the bull was "gonna have a big headache when he wakes up."
December 2000 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada (PRCA) A calf was injured during calf roping. The degree of injury is unknown. Several witnesses declared the calf dead due to the trauma she suffered, and as she was motionless the entire time she was being removed. The PRCA claimed the calf recovered. However, the PRCA has not supplied SHARK with video footage that could be used to review the incident, in spite of the fact the PRCA has multiple cameras filming every contestant of every event. This fact, plus the PRCA's history of covering up animal injuries and deaths, indicates to us that the calf did indeed die.
Beginning in 2001, SHARK started attending more and more rodeos and the amount of injuries that we documented just skyrocketed. Far too many to enumerate here. Countless animals have been injured and killed at rodeos - and SHARK's cameras have documented some of it. Please visit our YouTube channel to view the videotape, we must warn you however that with hundreds of videos, the evidence is as voluminous as it is graphic. The amount of cruelty and death that rodeo inflicts upon animals is truly staggering.
