Rodeos: Shall we giddy
up?
by Yaseen Hemeda, TG Co-op Student
Rodeos are traditionally found in farming communities
such as Texas, or Calgary. The rodeo visited Toronto in
1997, at the Canadian National Exhibition, but according to
the organizers, it was not popular. I'm glad to see that we
Torontonians are not enchanted by this sport like other
communities are. However, I am still appalled to see that
these sporting events take place in modern society. Take calf roping, for example. In this event a calf is
chased into an arena by a horse and rider. The calf flees
from the pursuing rider and from the stimulus given to it
prior to the event, and is then roped around the neck and
jerked to a stop. The rider then ties the calf's feet
tightly together, using a rope. And as this takes place, the
audience sits there cheering and shouting for more. It is
inevitable that the calf is injured during this event,
causing laboured breathing from the rope tightened around
its neck. If you don't think that this is animal cruelty,
then I don't know what is. A fact sheet on rodeos, by The
Humane Society Of The United States, claims that people
who participate in these sports feel that there is no
cruelty to animals. I beg to differ. I am not convinced that
dragging, tripping, roping, and wrestling an animal is
humane. You may ask why should these events be stopped? I'll
tell you why. It's because animals such as bulls, horses,
and calves are forced to participate in these events. During
events, the Humane Society notes that they face great
distress because of the ropes and straps that are tied
around their sensitive regions. Cattle are literally shocked
to make them give exhilarating performances. And for what?
Entertainment.
The treatment of rodeo animals is atrocious. According
to the Humane Society, even though the animals are forced to
participate for only a few minutes in the arena, they are still
abused throughout their daily lives. Rodeo animals are usually kept
in small cages, not given the opportunity to move around, and do not
receive proper medical or veterinary treatment. During events, the
Humane Society notes that they face great distress because of the
ropes and straps that are tied around their sensitive regions. Cattle
are literally shocked to make them give exhilarating performances.
And for what? Entertainment.
It is abominable to see that we place animals at such a low status in our society. They are vulnerable creatures that are taken advantage of. Human beings have the attitude that we are the master's of the universe. Animals are not toys to be used any way you like. They have feelings similar to ours. Society should not condone such actions which are done for sheer entertainment and money. I think it's about time to put a stop to this unnecessary abuse of animals in the rodeo. The best way to do this is by educating the public about this sport because they are the ones who watch it, and without public support, the rodeo won't last.
tgmag@tgmag.ca