# Rodeo brought to UK



## nettle (14 January 2016)

Has anyone seen the FB posts from a company intending to run rodeo type events in the UK?

https://www.facebook.com/ultimatecowboyevents/?ref=ts&fref=ts

Animal welfare issues? It's not the herding and penning I am thinking of, that's no different to sheepdog trials.
But roping? And they are going to be doing bull riding. The picture illustrating this shows a cow in milk, with a rider on, bucking. Surely this cannot be right.


----------



## ester (14 January 2016)

I thought the advertising video looked quite a long way away from rodeo...


----------



## chillipup (14 January 2016)

This is dreadful nettle and it's to be held at an equestrian centre. What on earth are they thinking? just a money making scheme by ignorant people I guess. It's obviously distressing to the cows/bulls, so why would anyone think it's fun? I just can't believe some people, why would want to inflict this totally unnecessary misery on an animal? and think that it was not just OK but a fun thing to do? I despair.


----------



## JanetGeorge (14 January 2016)

It's appalling!  I saw quite a lot of rodeo in Australia - but NEVER a cow in milk being used.  And the riders who participated were competent - not idiots having a play around.  Any equestrian centre planning to host this needs to be sent a big message now!  Rodeo this week - dressage next - I don't think so!


----------



## Dry Rot (14 January 2016)

There used to be an annual rodeo in Paignton near the railway station in the (then) Odeon car park. That was sixty years ago! Some dealer would bring a lorry load of unbroken ponies down from Dartmoor and anyone could try to ride them for a small fee. The car park had a hard gravel surface, of course! It was pretty quickly stopped by the RSPCA but ran for a few years. Not much elf and safety back then and we were all a lot tougher! I suspect anyone who got injured was considered a bit of a whimp. Hard hats? Wots them??


----------



## Equibrit (20 January 2016)

They will not be able to find the kind of stock they mistreat in the USA.


----------



## respectedpony driver (20 January 2016)

Animal abuse at it best,Does anyone know which equestrian centre it is being held at.


----------



## Enfys (20 January 2016)

Right, I am generally pro rodeo, I love rodeos, I go to several every year, I have many friends who are on the circuit, I had ropers and gamers at my barn.  Here in Canada it is strictly regulated and believe me, if I saw something to complain about, despite my affiliations, I would be shouting long and loud. Several of my homebred horses are ropers on the circuit. There is a great deal of skill and training involved - when it is done properly there is nothing wrong, the bucking stock are bred to do a job, it does not pay contractors to supply sick or poor animals, but, like any other sport there is always the bad apple in the barrel. 

On the other hand, this link seems to be an, excuse the pun, cowboy set-up, using lactating cows is a massive no-no, but that will be easy enough to stop. Just mention your concerns to the (much as I think they are useless, they would love to jump on this) RSPCA. I imagine that if this isn't some hole-in-the-corner affair then all sorts of welfare hoops will have to be jumped through.


----------



## Enfys (20 January 2016)

Equibrit said:



			They will not be able to find the kind of stock they mistreat in the USA.
		
Click to expand...

No, because they aren't specifically bred from proven rough stock to do the job, nor are the skills needed  widely taught, learned or popular.


----------



## Enfys (20 January 2016)

respectedpony said:



			Animal abuse at it best,Does anyone know which equestrian centre it is being held at.
		
Click to expand...

Grange Equestrian, Okehampton I believe, I had to scroll down to December posts to find that.


----------



## Equi (20 January 2016)

Rodeo never sat well with me. I would not go to one.


----------



## ycbm (20 January 2016)

I've always felt that the life of a riding school horse grinding away with learners on is awful, but that many horses would actually quite enjoy a lifestyle where they buck a rider off after ten seconds every now and again, are never bitted,  and are left to be natural horses the rest of the time. The American stuff  doesn't look particularly cruel to me even if I think the riders are barking mad!  Interesting to hear your first hand experience Enfys.


----------



## Enfys (21 January 2016)

Ycbm,  yep, I have to agree anyone that voluntarily climbs on something that wants to bury you is barking mad !

I wish that I could find a particular
photo I took at one rodeo,  the broncs were out in the main ring before the show started just chilling,  all healthy and calm and there was this little girl feeding them crisps, they were so gentle and polite with her,  yet when you saw them do their 8 seconds you would never belive that they were the same animals.


----------



## MagicMelon (21 January 2016)

I used to go to rodeo's pretty frequently in the US when I was much younger, I'm still a bit ashamed I did as I would never dream of going to one now. Yes the horses seem to chill out "backstage" but they did look pretty terrified when herded into their chute before being released. The riders normally wore huge rowled spurs too so I can't say it would have been very pleasant for the horse. Although, the calf wrestling was probably even worse   Barrel racing isn't much better as the horses seem to fall pretty frequently at speed. I definately dont see it taking off over here.


----------



## Equibrit (22 January 2016)

The stuff you probably don't know about rodeos; http://www.lcanimal.org/index.php/campaigns/animals-in-entertainment/rodeos


----------



## Yertis (28 January 2016)

This was held last year as well, I notified RSPCA, BHS, WHW, sending them all the details, it still went ahead :-(


----------



## ycbm (28 January 2016)

Equibrit said:



			The stuff you probably don't know about rodeos; http://www.lcanimal.org/index.php/campaigns/animals-in-entertainment/rodeos

Click to expand...

These organisations do themselves no favours with their exaggerations. Of bucking horses , 'eventually she will trip and fall'. I've seen tons of bucking rodeo in film and on tv. I've never seen a horse fall. The rider usually bales out at eight seconds and the horse trots off saying 'there, I told him!!!' This site seems to be saying that every horse bangs into walls and falls. Now I don't know how much of the rest I can believe.


----------



## Enfys (28 January 2016)

Equibrit said:



			The stuff you probably don't know about rodeos; http://www.lcanimal.org/index.php/campaigns/animals-in-entertainment/rodeos

Click to expand...

 ... and alternately a pro-rodeo campaign could make it look all sunshine and roses. 

Speaking generally, not specifically here , facts can be altered to suit any audience. Racing, dressage, eventing, show jumping, heck, just riding a horse, start quoting injuries and mortality and they too could look really bad, oh, hasn't PETA already done that?

They have just confirmed that it will be held at Grange Equestrian, Okehampton.


----------



## Equi (28 January 2016)

We all know horses can pull something just by kicking a leg out wrong. The shapes they pull doing rodeo is bound to harm them physically not to mention mentally. What happens to them then cause i'm sure once its broken...


----------



## Leo Walker (28 January 2016)

Enfys said:



			Grange Equestrian, Okehampton I believe, I had to scroll down to December posts to find that.
		
Click to expand...

Noooo! Really? Thats my friends yard! She only bought it last year. Its really not something I can imagine her doing?!


----------



## ester (29 January 2016)

Yes they have been advertising it for ages on Facebook Frankie.


----------



## ycbm (29 January 2016)

equi said:



			We all know horses can pull something just by kicking a leg out wrong. The shapes they pull doing rodeo is bound to harm them physically not to mention mentally. What happens to them then cause i'm sure once its broken...
		
Click to expand...


It's eight seconds of a natural action horses take to remove predators from their backs. Other sports using horses last a lot longer and are a lot less natural, like jumping huge objects that a horse in the wild would run round.

I'm conflicted. I don't really like it, but if you apply the same rules to all sports, how many more would we have to ban?  

Once it's broken, it's shot. I see a lot of sad old horses in this country who would be grateful for such a clean end.


----------



## madlady (29 January 2016)

ycbm said:



			It's eight seconds of a natural action horses take to remove predators from their backs. Other sports using horses last a lot longer and are a lot less natural, like jumping huge objects that a horse in the wild would run round.

I'm conflicted. I don't really like it, but if you apply the same rules to all sports, how many more would we have to ban?  

Once it's broken, it's shot. I see a lot of sad old horses in this country who would be grateful for such a clean end.
		
Click to expand...

I'm with you - I can't say that I 'like' it and some aspects of it make me a bit uncomfortable but then I'm not a big fan of horses being backed and raced as babies (in fact I think that is far worse)


----------

