Rodeo in ‘crisis management’
Conditions will get better for rodeo animals following a national rule change, but animal welfare groups say the changes do not go far enough.
The New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association announced four key changes to improve animal safety, which were confirmed at their recent AGM.
President Lyal Cocks said the association constantly reviewed its events to ‘‘look at how we can improve safety for competitors and animals alike.’’
‘‘We are seeking to ensure that any animal injuries at rodeo events, as rare as they might be, are neither due to poor practice nor inadequate training.’’
The changes include improving the training and competence of contestants in the rope and tie and steer wrestle events, only one legal catch attempt allowed in the rope and tie event, only one permitted run to catch the animal in the rope and tie, and steer wrestling events, and the children’s calf ride event is now optional.
However, animal rights group SAFE’s chief executive Debra Ashton said the group welcomed any improvement for animals but thought the changes were ‘‘not really enough’’.
She said using animals for entertainment was an ‘‘archaic practice’’, and events like the rope and tie were ‘‘an incredibly terrible thing to do to an animal’’. ‘‘For us, if someone was to do that to a dog, that would be considered illegal, and yet it seems to be okay to do it to a young calf.’’
Ashton said the changes were ‘‘crisis management’’.
Cocks said anti-rodeo groups would continue to protest ‘‘irrespective of whatever we do to improve our safety and practices’’. ‘‘Rodeo is a target at the moment. I don’t believe that rodeo should be banned . . . it won’t stop with rodeo. These extreme groups want all sport with animals to be stopped.’’
He said the new rules were a continuation of changes being made to the sport and were good for the animals, competitors and spectators.
Cocks said all rodeos are currently attended by a vet, who inspects animals before and after each event, as well as an NZ Rodeo Cowboy Association animal welfare officer. Each rodeo club also provided officials for their events, and staff from the SPCA or Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) attended most events.
The association was working on forming a semi-independent welfare group, which would include members from the National Animal Welfare Advisory, MPI, the SPCA and the NZ Veterinary Association, Cocks said.
There were moves to increase the amount of reporting and data gathering at events, to monitor each animal to know how many times it had been used each season.
The association had met with the National Animal Welfare Advisory and former Animal Welfare Minister Meka Whaitiri (who was stripped of her ministerial duties after an incident with a staff member) to pledge their cooperation for any research relating to animal welfare at rodeos.
The industry has been under fire in recent years with animal welfare groups calling for the sport to be banned in New Zealand.
In February, a bull had to be euthanised after breaking its leg at the Parklee Bullride rodeo in Martinborough; an incident Cocks described as a regrettable ‘‘freak accident’’ at the time.
In January, SAFE released ‘‘distressing’’ video of collapsing calves in the calfriding event, though the NZ Rodeo Cowboys Association said, ‘‘there is not one shred of scientific proof that calves suffer’’.
In 2016, a petition signed by 63,000 people was presented to parliament calling for a ban on rodeos.
Several large companies, including Foodstuffs, Meridian Energy, House of Travel, and Harcourts have cancelled sponsorship of rodeos in New Zealand.
The 2018/19 rodeo season begins at Labour Weekend with the first events in Winchester and Methven.
‘‘These extreme groups want all sport with animals to be stopped.’’ New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association president Lyal Cocks