Mitt Romney

The 2002 Olympics Winter Games, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Former Cultural Olympiad Director Ray Grant

Lies, corruption, and rodeo animal abuse just seem to go hand in hand, and this was evident when the 2002 Winter Olympics included a rodeo as part of its “Cultural Olympiad.” In media interviews, Cultural Olympiad Director Ray Grant attempted to defend the Olympic rodeo by claiming that it was supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The following is a direct quote from Grant when he was interviewed on Salt Lake television news Channel 5:

Ray Grant: “It (the Olympic rodeo) has the full support of the Veterinary Medical Association and there are very, very strict guidelines regarding the humane treatment of animals and we’re going to adhere to those very strict guidelines.”

Salt Lake Organizing Committee head Mitt Romney (now the governor of Massachusetts) made similar statements, all of which were absolutely false.

SHARK informed the AVMA about Grant's and Romney’s statements. In response, AVMA spokesperson Dr. Gail Golab publicly declared that there was absolutely no connection between the AMVA and the Olympic rodeo, and that the AVMA, in fact, has no standards regarding the treatment of rodeo animals.

Neither Grant nor Romney ever retracted or apologized for their false statements.

Grant later went on to tell the same television station (Channel 5 in Salt Lake City) that:

“Tail pulling under the rules that we’ve established, immediate disqualifies a candidate from the rodeo.”

It was another lie. A SHARK investigator smuggled a video camera into the Olympic rodeo the very first night. Before she was discovered and ejected, the investigator filmed multiple incidents of tail pulling. There were no disqualifications. In fact, one of the tail pulling incidents involved Rope Myers (yes, that really is his name), the contestant who won the steer riding event!

Watch Mitt Romney run from SHARK's cameras below: 

Here you can the lies and corruption of the Mitt Romney and the Salt Lake Olympic Committee:

PRCA "Humane Coordinator" Cindy Schonholtz

Cindy Schonholtz holds a position called "Animal Welfare Coordinator" with the PRCA. We aren’t aware of any animal welfare work by Ms. Schonholtz, but she does spend a good deal of time attacking animal protectors and trying to cover for rodeo animal abuse.

Ms. Schonholtz is also the Vice President of the NAIA. Amazingly, the NAIA supports the killing of horses for food “when [the horse] no longer meet the owner's needs”.

In an interview with Las Vegas television station Channel 8 during the PRCA’s 1997 National Finals Rodeo, Ms. Schonholtz stated:

“Without our animals we would not have the sport of rodeo, and the people involved in rodeo do care about their animals. We have over sixty rules and regulations, and they are enforced.”

We have repeatedly asked the PRCA, and Cindy Schonholtz specifically, for the PRCA records for animals injured and killed, as well as for records of humane violators at PRCA rodeos. Our requests were at first denied, and are now simply ignored. Other rodeo associations also keep such information shrouded in secrecy.

SHARK has been given no proof that any member of the PRCA, or any other rodeo association, has ever been disciplined for animal cruelty. There is no question, however, that rodeo animals have been injured and even killed, and that people in the PRCA and other rodeo organizations have tried to cover up the injuries and deaths when they can get away with it, even to the point of masquerading other animals in their place.

Real sports associations are not only willing, but insistent on making such information available to the public. For that matter, a real "Animal Welfare Coordinator" wouldn't be afraid to debate the issue of animal welfare. But the PRCA "Animal Welfare Coordinator Cindy Schonholtz is very, very afraid of debating those who can speak to rodeo animal abuse!

Rodeo "Champion" Trevor Brazile

Las Vegas television news Channel 13’s report on the 2000 National Finals Rodeo included the following comments from PRCA calf and steer roper Trevor Brazile, with follow-up from SHARK president Steve Hindi:

Trevor Brazile: “These animals out here, they have breakfast, lunch and dinner before anybody. These guys that come out here, that's their job, is to take perfect care of these animals. People, you know, when they see it, they have no idea of the time and the sweat and the tears that go into this event, and, just the respect that we have for every animal.”

 

Steve Hindi: “I’ll tell you what, if that’s the way they love their animals, I’m glad I’m not one of their kids. This is abuse.”

Watch the video below to see the kind of “perfect care” and “respect” Trevor Brazile gives to rodeo animals. This clip comes from the PRCA’s 2008 steer roping finals in Hobbs, NM

PRCA veterinarian and spokesperson Doug Corey

On December 4, 1997, SHARK president Steve Hindi debated PRCA veterinarian Doug Corey on live television (Station KVBC, Channel 3) during the PRCA’s National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Corey was a last-minute replacement for the PRCA's scheduled debater, Steve Fleming, the PRCA's head of public relations. Apparently some cowpokes at the PRCA thought a veterinarian would have a better chance against Hindi, a veteran rodeo investigator. They were wrong.

After showing videotape of PRCA stock contractor John Barnes shocking bulls in violation of PRCA humane rules, Steve Hindi brought up another PRCA stock contractor, J-Bar-J Rodeo. J-Bar-J was also filmed shocking bulls in violation of PRCA rules. This prompted the following lively and illuminating exchanges between SHARK's president and the PRCA veterinarian:

Hindi: “How much did the PRCA fine J-Bar-J Rodeo?”

 

Corey: “That is confidential.”

 

Hindi: “Confidential?”

 

Corey: “It has been handled by Mr. T.J. Walter, our director of rodeo administration. That is confidential information.”

 

Hindi: “When Mike Tyson bit Evander Holifield’s ear off, they didn’t say, that’s confidential, what we’re going to do to him. When it happens in basketball, when it happens in baseball or football, whether it’s cocaine abuse, or whether it’s an infraction on the field, they don’t keep it private.”

 

Corey: “Well, that, you know, Mr. Hindi that’s, all I can tell you right now is, that is, that is your opinion.”

 

Hindi: “Legitimate sports don’t keep it private.”

After Corey voiced support for the use of electric prods in rodeos, a practice that is publicly condemned by prod manufacturer Hot Shot Corporation:

Hindi: “Do you know anything about stray voltage, Doctor, with bovines?”

 

(No response from Corey)

 

Hindi: “Bovines -- cows -- are far more susceptible to the effects of electricity than are humane beings. The stray voltage that a human being won’t even feel, in a barn, can kill a cow. Is that not true doctor? And you're shocking these animals with six to eight thousand volts coming out of these guns? That’s what your literature says.”

 

Corey: “I’m a veterinarian, I am not an electrician.”

 

Hindi: “Well then maybe you ought to learn more about it before you go supporting it.”

 

Hindi, while holding up a shock device: “Do you want to take the shock in front of the camera, doctor?”

 

(No response from Corey)

 

Hindi: “I didn’t think you would.”