Horses’ rear ends obscure crowd view of calf with broken back at 2015 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. (From SHARK video)
Three rodeos hit by ad campaigns all made more money
CHEYENNE, RENO, SALINAS––Exposing the sadism of rodeo appears to just attract more sadists to watch it, 2015 attendance claims indicate.
Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Reno Rodeo, and California Rodeo Salinas all reported surging paid admissions in summer 2015: an increase of almost 11,000, to a record 98,246 in Cheyenne, eight out of 10 rodeo performances sold out in Reno, and a 6.5% increase in Salinas, to 51,296.
1,000+ “hard-hitting graphic” TV spots
Cheyenne Frontier Days, the oldest and largest U.S. rodeo, the Reno Rodeo, and California Rodeo Salinas were all “targeted by hard-hitting, graphic commercials, paid for by Showing Animals Respect and Kindness and Last Chance for Animals,” SHARK publicist Cres Vellucci told ANIMALS 24-7.
“More than 1,000 paid spots ran in the San Francisco Bay area, Cheyenne, Denver, and Reno over the past few weeks,” Vellucci elaborated, “all aimed at telling potential rodeo-goers to not attend the rodeo.”
Mortally injured horse at 2015 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. (From SHARK video)
Last Chance for Animals, of Los Angeles, “paid $10,000 for spots on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, MTV and other networks in the San Francisco Bay area,” Vellucci said. “SHARK supplied the undercover video showing animal cruelty at previous rodeos in Salinas,” used in the commercials.
SHARK meanwhile “purchased $7,000 in spots criticizing the Cheyenne Rodeo, and paid $2,000 for spots slamming the Reno Rodeo in late June,” Vellucci said.
Fans paid to see animals die
Fumed SHARK founder Steve Hindi in advance of Cheyenne Frontier Days, a frequent target of SHARK video exposes since 2004, “Animals will die at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo for ‘entertainment.’ We know it, the sponsors know it, and Cheyenne Frontier Days knows it. Animals are literally dying at the hands of cowardly rodeo thugs to help greedy corporations sell more sugar water and to entertain drunk and/or dumb-witted fans. All while the rodeo, the local media, the PRCA, and the sponsors wrap themselves in God and country, then turn around and beat the living hell out of animals.
Steve Hindi (MC)
“Over the years SHARK has forced a number of changes in the rodeo,” Hindi continued, “such as banning electrical prods in the chutes (although they were used last year) and the education of potential artistic performers,” notably the singer Carrie Underwood and the band Matchbox 20, who cancelled scheduled appearances shows at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
“Inhumane, cruel & stupid”
“However, many inhumane practices still take place: cruel and deadly calf jerk-downs, and the Wild Horse Race, which is as cruel as it is stupid. And of course the most brutal event in all of rodeo is a big part of the Cheyenne rodeo: Single Steer Roping, known to rodeo people more accurately as Steer Busting,” Hindi reminded.
“Forget the myth of rodeos as all-American sport,” Hindi urged. “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, t he offender would be charged with a crime, and likely be jailed. In rodeos, however, it’s called calf roping, and supporters claim it’s a sport.”
Former Pennsylvania judge Adolph Joseph Antanavage shooting pigeons. (SHARK photo)
Hindi expected that high-profile exposure of violence against animals at past runnings of the Cheyenne Frontier Days, Reno Rodeo, and California Rodeo Salinas would disgust most viewers of the SHARK video clips.
But, as with video exposure of other sadistic spectacles SHARK has hit since 1992, including pigeon shoots and bullfighting, the initial result appears to have been to attract more voyeurs to watch the mayhem.
“One year won’t tell the tale”
“We know the rodeos targeted for TV campaigns have fought back, claiming attendance is up,” Vellucci acknowledged. “But except for what we can observe, we don’t know that to be true.
“In any case, one year won’t tell the tale. As with all advertising, frequency matters. Rodeo ads, one year, may not make a noticeable difference. But these ads ran not just on adult networks, but also on MTV, and some other networks that reach young people.
Fallen horse at 2015 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. (Fron SHARK video.)
“We’ve also tried to target national networks frequented by people who might care about animals. But that’s tougher to do,” Vellucci said, “because most of the ‘animal-friendly’ networks now have programming that is aimed at animal abusers, even and especially Animal Planet. Very frustrating. So we’ve gone with news nets, as mentioned, to reach ‘thinking’ people. At least they’re watching political coverage and what passes as news. Also, youth shows.
“We all know that advertising works”
“We know that at least in Reno, the ads were rejected by the main news broadcast station. Turned out the station was a big sponsor of the rodeo,” Vellucci said. “If the ads wouldn’t make a difference, why would the station reject them?
“Comcast considered rejecting them re: Salinas,” Vellucci added, “but I successfully argued they needed to run.
“We all know that advertising works, or political campaigns wouldn’t use that medium primarily to persuade voters to vote for candidates or issues,” Vellucci finished.
Injured calf at 2015 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. (From SHARK video)
Crowds saw the mayhem they wanted
The bigger rodeo crowds in 2015 saw the violence that apparently attracted them.
“SHARK has documented injuries to more than 40 animals at the Salinas rodeo over the past two years, including some that led to deaths, but the rodeo has only reported four of those in an attempt to hide the danger and cruelty to animals at the rodeo, and is being sued for under-reporting,” Hindi said.
Merritt & Beth Clifton
At Cheyenne Frontier Days, “One horse, three calves and five steers were the most obvious victims, although there were numerous animal wrecks, falls and trampling that could result in additional injuries” coming to light as result of detailed analysis to the SHARK videos, Hindi added.
Hindi also noted Cheyenne Frontier Days “use of cruel and life threatening jerk-downs––a violent roping technique supposedly banned at rodeos sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Nevertheless, numerous jerk-downs were observed and video-documented at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo,” Hindi alleged, “resulting in injured calves.”
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In a violent, morally bankrupt society, it’s hardly surprising that this would be the case, to me at least. There seem to be an ever-growing number of sociopaths out there, and so an ad campaign like this, while launched to warn decent, compassionate, well-meaning and intelligent people away from such horrific “entertainment”, actually has the opposite effect among the ignorant, violent members of the public. Sharing to social media, with disgust.
I just re-read Shirley Jackson notorious 1948 short story, “The Lottery.” There are remarkable parallels with rodeo: The entire town takes part in the victimization of the “winner,” including the city fathers, the local businesses and all the citizenry, all in the name of “tradition” and helping make the crops grow.
The story is available on-line. Give it a read and let me know what you think
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Eric Mills, coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Oakland – email – afa@mcn.org
P.S. – California has the very best (only?) rodeo animal welfare law in the country (Penal Code 596.7), though it needs strengthening. This is the law (sponsored by AFA back in 1999) being used as the foundation for the lawsuit recently filed against the California Rodeo/Salinas, per the request of SHARK.
Activists in ALL states would be wise to have something similar introduced in every state legislature in the country in the coming session. At the VERY LEAST there should be ON SITE veterinary care at all rodeos and charreadas (the Mexican-style rodeos common throughout the country, and spreading).. This basic requirement should simply be considered the cost of doing business. The rule should be, “NO VET, NO RODEO.” All race tracks, horse shows and endurance rides require on-site veterinary care, why not rodeos? The PRCA now requires on-site vets at all their sanctioned events, but only since 1995 when FIVE animals suffered and died at the California Rodeo in Salinas. Surely this is the minimum we owe these animals, many of whom are already en route to the slaughterhouse. (Ideally, of course, rodeos should be outlawed nationwide, as they are in the U.K., Germany and The Netherlands. There’s currently a movement afoot in New Zealand to do this.) Basically, we’re just cleaning up the slave quarters a bit, when the entire thing should be abolished.
I would like to thank you guys for all you are trying to do…I believe that when people are doing something that is not acceptable to many, they will go to any lengths to keep their point of view in the spotlight.. I see this with pro slaughter groups that they get people convinced of a train of thought and then they just keep doing it as though that makes it more acceptable. Why people like violence, car accidents, gory movies, who knows? But, I think that getting out to people, especially children of these violent types, is a great idea, and needs to be done more often…animals are not meant to be entertainment and they are definitely not disposable…please keep up the very important work you do.
Thanks for the story. I would argue a bit over the title. Those rodeos claim to have made more money, but that isn’t necessarily so. Our investigators did not see any noticeable increase, and we know rodeo people are serial liars. Also, these are not new rodeos with a growing base. On the contrary. I highly question any increase in attendance.
Thank you, Steve Hindi and Eric Mills, for all you do to spotlight the cruelty at these “sporting” events. Proponents refer to it as “culture” or “tradition” to try to justify what it is. It’s blatant animal cruelty. And for all those who participate or contribute to it by purchasing tickets, one has to wonder why anyone would enjoy watching frightened animals get used or injured just to provide amusement. For those who benefit monetarily by these events, it’s obvious why they’re in favor of rodeos.
I will never understand how anyone can take pleasure in causing pain, injuring or killing an innocent animal and call it “entertainment”. Baby calves suffer the most including those used over and over in the practice pens. Like the dentist who shot and killed Clyde, the pet lion so that he could hang Clyde’s head on the wall, human behavior is violent and uncaring. Reminiscent of the Roman times when gladiators fought to the death while the audience cheered. Humans are the most violent species on the planet.
I live near a city which hosts one of the largest horse fairs in North America, and has 61,000 attendees over a 3-day weekend. I have no beef with most of it, which consists of hundreds of vendors, and well-trained personally-owned horses demonstrating different riding styles (dressage, show jumping, Western), tricks, unusual breeds, etc. Their biggest event is a PRCA rodeo on Friday night that always sells out. I would never go to the rodeo, but look forward to the rest of the fair every year.
I write to the fair every year asking them to use robot calves instead of real ones at the rodeo. I saw this in a YouTube video on the Mustang Millions training challenge–the horse trainer had the horse “cut” and later lasso an RC (robotic) calf that looked and moved like the real thing. But they write back to say the PRA has its own rules, and they have nothing to do with what stock is used. 🙁 Maybe I should be boycotting the entire weekend, not just the rodeo evening, but I don’t think my absence will make any difference given all the other people that are going.
If I was independently wealthy, I’d put “organizing a city-wide rodeo boycott” on my to-do list.
For anybody interested, here is a video showing the 3rd place winner in Mustang Million working with a remote-control robot calf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX1wxPKb2hI. Love it! The horse can still do its traditional work and nobody gets slammed into the ground, traumatized or killed.
I recommend watching all the top placers in Mustang Million. It was an amazing competition. Anybody that adopted a wild mustang from the BLM that spring could sign up, saying they would show off the horse’s training after 120 days. The guys at the top were all pro trainers and performers, and they taught their mustangs some really amazing stuff in a short time: not being afraid of flapping tarps, whips or gunfire; pulling wagons, climbing into and on trailers and cars, doing calf-roping and cutting (herding the cow like a Border Collie with sheep), and many other skills.
Anyway, I think instead of abolishing rodeo, we might stand a better chance of substituting most/all of the “victim” animals with robotic ones.
Maybe those rodeos are the only places anyone can go to get a ‘real world’ education. It seems very unlikely that any slaughterhouses will be conducting public tours anytime soon. Yet, millions of chickens, cows, pigs, sheep and everyone else are being slaughtered EVERY DAY. Where do people think all of that meat on their plates comes from ?
I can’t help but wonder, if there is indeed an increase in attendance, if it was because the anti-cruelty ads made rodeo fans aware that there is a controversy surrounding their “pastime,” and they thought they had to get out and see it before perhaps restrictions might be placed on certain rodeo events.
Much in the way that if a gun is used in a high-profile crime, sales of that model of firearm will experience a brief spike in sales, as gun enthusiasts fear that type may be banned or become harder to obtain.