New calls for rodeo ban after another horse dies
The death of a horse has sparked renewed calls for rodeos to be banned in New Zealand.
A spectator, who did not want to be named, said a horse and rider were competing in the Rodeo National Finals in Mandeville, North Canterbury, when the incident happened about 2.30pm on Saturday.
‘‘The horse did a couple of circles and then ran into a fence and dropped over onto the rider,’’ the spectator said. ‘‘It hit the fence pretty hard.’’
He said the rider walked away from the bareback ‘‘bronc’’ riding event uninjured. Organisers raised a tarpaulin around the horse to conceal it from the crowd and turned up the music, he said.
‘‘Then they took the horse out under a tarpaulin and put it on a pallet in front of a tractor,’’ he said.
New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association president Lyal Cocks said he felt terrible about the horse’s death.
‘‘I always do when there is an accident with an animal. It puts a dampener on the day,’’ he said.
‘‘We are all animal lovers here. It is a sad event.’’
Cocks said he was putting a report together for the Ministry for Primary Industries on the death. ‘‘I can’t say anything more at the moment.’’
He said the death should not put a dampener on the national finals, which had drawn ‘‘a really respectable crowd’’.
The death prompted animal rights group SAFE to renew calls to urgently ban rodeo cruelty.
The group had protested the rodeo event in the morning, before the horse died. SAFE media manager Will Appelbe
SAFE media manager Will Appelbe said the death was ‘‘awfully tragic’’.
‘‘This goes to show the inherent cruelty in the rodeo and why it needs to be stopped.’’
The horse was the fourth animal killed this rodeo season, Appelbe said.
A horse was killed at the Methven rodeo in November, and a horse and a bull were both killed at the Gisborne rodeo in December.
‘‘If the Labour party had fulfilled their pre-election promise to ban the worst parts of rodeo, they would have prevented these deaths, as well as preventing the routine bullying that takes place every time a rodeo takes place,’’ Appelbe said.
Despite the increased scrutiny of rodeo, animals continued to suffer and be killed, and the Government should intervene, Appelbe said.
‘‘Rodeo causes significant distress to animals, and today the cruelty that rodeo cowboys inflict upon animals has killed a horse in the bronc riding event.
‘‘To force horses and bulls to wildly buck, the animals have a ‘flank strap’ wrapped tight around their sensitive hindquarters. This is wrenched tight as they are forced into the ring. A flank strap makes the vulnerable animal feel like they’re being attacked by a predator jumping on their back. It’s brutal and distressing, and done purely for entertainment.’’
Green MP Gareth Hughes is introducing a member’s bill to Parliament that will ban calf rope and tie, steer wrestling and flanks straps.
‘‘We are urging the Government to bring this bill to the House as a Government-sponsored bill, and finally ban rodeo cruelty,’’ Appelbe said.
‘‘It’s brutal and distressing, and done purely for entertainment.’’