Protest puts ‘cruelty’ in spotlight
More than 30 protesters waved signs outside the Canterbury Rodeo in Mandeville on Saturday.
The protest was organised by animal rights group Christchurch Animal Rights Action (Cara) in conjunction with groups from other parts of the country.
Many black-clad protesters waved red ‘‘boycott rodeo’’ signs, as well as improvised messages including ‘‘buck the rodeo’’ and ‘‘cruelty isn’t entertainment’’.
Matt Walker, a biological scientist, isn’t affiliated with any activist groups and didn’t know anyone else at the protest. He said a couple of years ago he wasn’t opposed to rodeos.
‘‘To be honest with you, I thought these guys [the protesters] must be crazy.’’
But Walker found himself agreeing with them after doing his own research.
‘‘I tried to gather knowledge from both sides of the fence. I talked to SPCA officers that have attended events. I’ve talked to attending vets. I went and did some research to see if any animals have died at events in the last few years, and I found that that was indeed the case.’’
Huntly Rodeo was shut down in 2014 for breaches of the Animal Welfare Act, and last year a bull was euthanised at the Richmond Rodeo after breaking its leg.
‘‘To me that was unacceptable. It’s not sport,’’ said Walker.
Cara representative Dom Mallard said the protest was to raise awareness and deliver a message to children and families that any kind of cruelty to animals was not okay.
Canterbury Rodeo president Jono Reed said the competitors loved animals and the event followed an animal welfare code. ‘‘If the animals aren’t cared for, they actually don’t perform,’’ he said.
‘‘It hasn’t hurt us at all to be in the spotlight,’’ he said.