Animal Rights Group: Gay Rodeo Is Torture

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• Sehr gelun-gener Post. Da hat mich Yahoo wie schon so oft an einen super Blog geschickt.

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• You are all idiots who have no idea shat you are talking about. Rodeo is a SPORT, not a show or recreation of ranch life. Of course, the events of rodeo evolved from ranch work or contesting that happened on a ranch after a hard days work, but it is now a highly competetive and sophisticated sport, with each competitor specializing in a different event. By the way, rodeo is huge and it's not going anywhere, so you whiny little vegans might as well get over it. My barrel horse loves running barrels and he is pampered more than any stupid knock kneed parrot mouthed junk you call your pet horse. You absolutely cannot make a horse win at running barrels if they don't absolutely love it. My guy can't wait to get into the arena and prances around like the alpha male he is when he he done. By the way, a good barrel horse is worth 20-50K, sometimes more, so this IS what he does. He doesn't need to do anything else to prove himself in life (Larry McMurtry is an AUTHOR, not any kind of animal or rodeo expert). My horse gets regular shoing, deworming, the best feed money can buy, vitamin and electrolyte supplements, massage, magnetic therapy, chiropractic care, sports medicine veterinary care, he is impeccably groomed, and he gets excercised every day. Trust me, he is a happy horse. Rodeo animals are treated well because they are an investment that must be maintained and because when you work with them every day you develop a respect for them. What irritates me the most about SHARK and the few other rodeo protestors out there, is that the idiots are so fixated on some mistreatment of animals that isn't there, and they are wasting thier charitable time and money when it could be used in a positive direction. You fools could be using all of your energy helping PEOPLE or more specifically, CHILDREN! Instead, you protest an imaginary issue. What a waste of skin and air.

• I wonder how many of the anti-rodeo idiots have leather shoes and belts.... The best/worse line: "Forcing those animals to be gay is wrong." How stupid can one person be? Apparently, very.

• History Lesson For Eric The first ranches in the US were in Florida in the year 1700. I imagine some guy was down in Florida and saw them wrestling their cattle to the ground and went out west and told about it and Ol Bill probably said I can do that and so he got the credit for creating steer wrestling when it was being done all along in Florida. During the civil war Florida was the largest supplier of beef to both sides. As far as muttin busting, its not an organized event by the Junior Rodeo Associations or High School or College associations. It is done be the locals. If you want to ban it, then I guess you also want to ban the 4 Year old children and up doing horse show jumping, or how about 5 and up children doing cross country bike racing? Never heard of Monty Roberts, guess he didn�t compete at many rodeos and he sure hasn�t been around my ranch. And the other guy, seems like I heard of the movie, but then I do not watch much TV. Did he also work on a ranch or compete at rodeos? Ty is the only one I know of that you mentioned. When it comes to firing someone who ties a calf in 8 at a ranch. We preach the faster the better, cause momma cow is going to hook you off that calf if you goof around. The faster the better. But then we don�t have pet cows in our part of the country. The only ones that would get fired is the ones that goof around and might be a liablity problem.

• BULLS USED IN BULL RIDING WILL ATTACK YOU IF YOU WALK INTO A PASTURE WHERE THEY ARE. Rodeo bucking horses are in that event because they love to buck. The animal rights people are trying to lead America down a road to death. They claim that when they turn America into a vegan society that they will eat the grain the animals eat. Well good luck with that. Three hundred million acres are planted with genetically altered grain. That is the grain the animals eat. THAT GRAIN will kill humans. If the animal rights people cant get with the program then get off the train.

• I am so thrilled that ARFF has decided to protest the Sunshine Stampede Rodeo in South Florida. As most people know the rodeo isn't a place to relax and enjoy your time but rather a place that routinely neglects, abuses, and torments frightened animals. Im greatful for those activists and hope they keep up the fantastic work!

• NEWS FLASH FOR "BLAZE" - The PRCA's bogus "steer wrestling" event was invented by famed black cowboy Bill Pickett back in the '20's or '30's, as I recall. Bill's claim to fame was biting the hapless steer on the lip and nose, so that the pain kept the animal on the ground. Hence this stupid event's other name, "bull dogging." Broken necks in this event are not that uncommon on the circuit. And God only knows how many animals are injured or killed during the unmonitored practice sessions. And please don't try to rationalize the abuse with pious claims about all the "humanitarian" work provided by rodeos. You don't abuse one group by exploiting another, Blaze. Or you shouldn't. As for children involved in this barbaric activity, the parents who allow/encourage their kids to take part in "mutton bustin" and "calf riding" should be cited for child endangerment. I know of a five-year-old knocked into a three-day coma in this nonsense. And none of it, of course, has anything to do with life on a working ranch. Any cowboy who roped/threw/tied a calf in 8 seconds flat on a ranch would have been immediately fired and sent packing. Consider this statement from Monty Roberts (THE MAN WHO LISTENS TO HORSES): "Calf roping is not a pleasant event, and bears no comparison with what actually happens on a ranch." And this, from Larry McMurtry (LONESOME DOVE), "No one on a working ranch would ever have any reason (or desire) to ride a bull, Brahma or otherwise. No one would ever be required to race a horse around three triangularly placed barrels, an activity that quickly ruins the horse for more productive activity. Bull riding and barrel racin are rodeo kabuki--their relation to anything that might happen on a ranch is confined to costume" (RODEO, phtos & text by Louise Serpa, text by Larry McMurtry (Aperture Books, NYC, 1994). And remember a few years back PRCA superstar Ty Murray was cited in Denver for bulldogging an elk from a snowmobile? The animal likely died, since this was during the winter. Some "sport"! Bill Maher was right. "Americans are too stupid to be governed." Cheers, Eric Mills, coordinator ACTION FOR ANIMALS Oakland

• My favorite part of Ms. Burdick's claims is the following. "This is evidenced by the number of rodeo animals inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame." As if Hall of Fame status means something to these tortured prisoners of the rodeo industry. I can just imagine a steer, nearly dead following a rodeo event, thinking to himself, �Multiple broken ribs puncturing my lungs, extensive internal bleeding...hey no problem. At least I�ve got this Hall of Fame plaque!� The fact that Ms. Burdick has the nerve to use such a ridiculous excuse illustrates the biased viewpoint she is speaking from. Animals used by the rodeo are valued only for the potential profit that they represent, and it only makes sense that the rodeo�s �incentive� for these animals is yet another creation solely for the benefit of humans. Say all you want about loving animals used by the rodeo industry. The fact is that every major animal welfare organization in America, including the A.S.P.C.A. and the Humane Society of the United States, is opposed to rodeos. There is no denying that rodeos are based on the premise of dominating animals through excessive force, and excessive force leads to nothing but excessive injuries. If you truly loved animals, you would fight with ever fiber of your being to keep them out of this ruthless, unnecessary exploitation.

• Don't get suckered into the animal rights agenda. Many rodeos are produced annually in which the participates are children. From the junior rodeos to high school rodeos to college rodeos. Look into all the scholarships that the proceeds of rodeo benefit for students to go to college, or the childrens hospitals, or the childrens burn centers, etc. If you want to watch rodeo, instead of going on the internet, go to one yourself, or watch the many that are TV. Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo broke their all time record attendance this year. The PBR is breaking record number of attendees this year. If society was so against rodeos as these people preach, this would not be happening. As far as saying rodeos never wrestled steers on the ranch, does not have a clue about the history of ranching. Numerous books and articles chronicle the history of ranching in Florida where instead or ropes, cattle were wrestled to the ground and tied up. They were know as "Cowcatchers". Don't believe me, just look it up. To bad these so called Experts in the Animal Rights World do not even know the history of their own country. As far as calves being roped, they are roped on a daily bases on the ranches, and there is no time limit like rodeos and there is no size limit like at rodeos. Don't get caught up in the propoganda of the animal rights.

• Go ARFF! "Gay Rodeo"? Talk about an oxymoron. In light of our long history of oppression, it boggles this gay man's mind that a group of gay people would mistreat another group of sentient beings for amusement. Does not compute. We ran the Gay Rodeo out of San Francisco years ago, marching for years in the Gay Day Parade with banners claiming "Queers for Steers." These folks need to get with the program. Rodeo is an anachronism which belongs in the dustbin of history. And for FRIENDS OF RODEO's Linda Burdick to say, "People are not attracted to rodeo unless they like animals," is patently absurd. One could as easily say, "People are not attracted to lynchings unless they like black people." The horses and bulls, admittedly, are fairly well treated. Not so the calves and steers. And Burdick claims that rodeo teaches its participants to "respect" the animals. Yeah, right. Tell that to the roping calves and steers. I was at the 1995 California Rodeo in Salinas when FIVE animals were killed, making national headlines. A roping calf with a broken back was trucked off to slaughter, terrified and in agony. I asked the tending vet if the animal received any painkillers. "Nyaah, that would ruin the meat," he told me. So much for rodeo's touted concern about animal welfare. That was the first year that the PRCA began requiring on-site vets at all its events, unlike the IPRA. Of the estimated 5,000 rodeos held annually in the U.S., most do NOT have on-site veterinarians, to their shame. (Reportedly, the Gay Rodeo also has a vet on-site. Kudos for that, at least.) Most of rodeo is bogus from the get-go. Real cowboys never routinely rode bulls, or rode bareback, or wrestled steers, or roped/threw/tied a running calf at 25mph. (Imagine the public outcry if the cowboys mistreated pet dogs thusly. And these are BABIES, people!) It's all hype to put fannies in the seats, i.e., $$$ and cheap thrills for an insensitive audience at the expense of the fear, stress, injuries and sometimes death of innocent farm animals. For most, rodeo is merely a detour en route to the slaughterhouse. There should be a nationwide ban on this legalized animal abuse. Sincerely, Eric Mills, coordinator ACTION FOR ANIMALS Oakland, CA email - afa@mcn.org P.S. - Linda Burdick wouldn't recognize animal welfare if it bit her in the behind. I speak from years of experience with this woman.

• Contrary to claims made by Burdick (who just so happens to be the Executive Director of Friends of Rodeo and might be slightly more than a little biased in her lengthy, defensive commentary), rodeos are inherently violent, cruel and inhumane. All the evidence one needs to support this notion can be seen on the faces of the frightened victims as they are lassoed, chocked, tripped, harassed, tortured and prodded. I encourage anyone who cares about animals to take a moment and Google "rodeo animals" to get a clear picture of the nature of rodeo. Burdick should get off her high horse and stop pointing desperately grasping fingers at Amanda Burk or at ARFF, claiming they don�t know what is really going on. Animal abuse is what is really going on, whether Burdick can see through the manure and admit it or not. In addition, I would encourage any authorities reading this to investigate Burdick, since she claims rodeo animals are �treated better than some house pets��if she is treating her �house pets� the same way she is treating rodeo animals, she is in clear violation of the Federal Animal Welfare Act as well as Florida�s Anti-Cruelty law, and could see up to five years in prison and/or a 10K fine. Lastly, if there are any children reading this, I would encourage you not to look up to animal abusers. There is plenty of violence in the world already, and much more efficient and appropriate means to learn about sportsmanship and honesty than by torturing animals, which can only lead to more violence and abuse.

• Thank you ARFF for speaking out about rodeos! Rodeos are cruel. Acts such as Carrie Underwood and Match Box 20 have pulled out of events where rodeos were going to be present because of the cruelty involved. www.bucktherodeo.com

• Good work ARFF! Rodeos have no business in a civilized society. They are cruel. Most people realize this. Please visit www.sharkonline.org

• Trashy people go to rodeos! Do you have nothing better to do with your time??

• Of course someone who has a vested interest in making money off the backs of animals (literally with the calf roping ) is going to do everything she can to lie and defend animal abusers. SHAME ON YOU! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that rodeos are cruel and barbaric. It's a small percentage of the non educated public who still get their jollies off this sort of thing. 2009 people!!

• Forcing those animals to be gay is wrong. Animals aren't naturally homosexual. If they were they wouldn't have baby animals. I think this rodeo is disgusting. Kenneth R. Mann

• I agree with Murphy. Ms. Burdick's logic is fallcious. There's no way to excuse terrorizing animals. Given the choice, all rodeo, zoo, factory farm and lab animals would prefer to be playing with each other and lying in the warm sunshine. This is 21st century America. We don't need to eat meat when there are vegan versions of every traditional meal. We don't have to attend rodeos because we have skateboards and video games. I receive untold joy from the bond I have with my dog, whom I don't chase down, lassoo (sp?) and hog tie.

• Rodeos...EEEEK!

• This is the dummest line in the whole piece: To urge non-support of rodeo is the same as saying that they don't care if the rodeo suffers a financial loss, which could translate into the owner's inability to provide quality care for his animals. I mean, how about finding another line of work that doesn't involving torturing animals so you can afford to keep them alive(!). Christopher Murphy Orlando, Fla.

• I beg to differ with Amanda Burk - rodeo represents a reasonable and acceptable form of animal use to the tens of thousands of participants and to the millions of people who attend rodeos each year. People are not attracted to rodeo unless they like animals. Healthy and strong animals are essential to a quality performance. Many of the animals involved in rodeo are doing what they enjoy and they are treated well doing it. In many cases rodeo animals are treated better than some house pets and live the lifestyle of a celebrity or star. Rodeo helps to teach its participants to enjoy, respect, and appreciate all creatures. Many articles have been published about rodeo people and how they enjoy and respect their animal athletes. Stock contractors brag how great their horses and bulls are and how important they are to them. This is evidenced by the number of rodeo animals inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame. Rodeo also gives our youth a positive and goal-setting lifestyle to look up to. Many of our sports in today's society definitely do not fit the bill in that regard. Rodeo people set examples of honesty, good sportsmanship, and all that our Western heritage was built on. I state these facts based on my hands-on experience as the executive director of a national rodeo awareness organization, Friends of Rodeo. I was born and raised in a rodeo and ranching family � one that still herds, ropes, and doctors cattle horseback. Couple that with my 40-plus years of being involved in rodeo events, as well as my 16 plus years of working as an educator on the sport of rodeo, qualifies me to determine what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to rodeo. Opinion is not fact, and Ms. Burk�s unfounded rantings indicates her lack of regard in that area and her inexperience. Ms. Burk dutifully copied misinformation from a source that she apparently thinks is reliable, but she should investigate the source, allow herself firsthand knowledge of rodeo, and become a credible representative for animals. The claims Ms. Burk made are outrageous � since they are not true, her energies are wasted in meeting a need for animals. Ms. Burk needs to find a neglected animal and make a difference in its life. She won't find it in rodeo. People who make strong statements against rodeo should educate themselves by going to www.FriendsofRodeo.com. These individuals, like Amanda Burk, should get the facts and stop promoting opinions that are based on their ignorance of the sport of rodeo. Individuals who have taken the time to honestly investigate and educate themselves by actually talking with those of us who have expert and educated answers would have found Ms. Burk�s statements ridiculous and unfounded. The aim to stop rodeo does not seem well thought out for anyone wanting to help animals. To urge non-support of rodeo is the same as saying that they don't care if the rodeo suffers a financial loss, which could translate into the owner's inability to provide quality care for his animals. The claims by Ms. Burk are just personal opinion, not fact, and show a lack of experience with livestock � and indicate that her position goes a lot further than disapproval of rodeo. People who receive untold joy from the bond they have with an animal in their lives should take note.

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