Rodeo - to take pleasure in torturing animals

Where do rodeos take place?
Rodeos are carried out in the USA, Canada, Latin America (foremost Brazil), Australia and New Zealand, Asia (Philippines) and Europe (Portugal, Germany, Poland, Tcheck Republic, France and Italy). Rodeo in Germany takes places in German-American Festivities and so-called Western Towns and on private property.

Which species are used in rodeo?
Cattle and Horses are used in European rodeo. In the USA pigs and sheep are also used.

What happens in a rodeo?
There are several disciplines in rodeo:

• Bare back riding - horses are ridden without a saddle, the rider has to stay on for 8 seconds), Saddled bronc riding (horses are ridden with a saddle, the rider has to stay on for 8 seconds
• Horse tripping - a Mexican specialty, horses are thrown to the ground
• Bull riding - bulls are ridden for 8 seconds
• Wild horse race - a team of three men tries to break a horse, one has to be on the horse in the end
• Steer wrestling - a steer is wrestled to the ground
• Calf roping - a calf is roped from horseback and thrown to the ground,
• Break-away roping - a calf is roped from horseback, the rope falls from the saddle
• Team roping - a calf is roped by two riders and thrown to the ground
• Steer tripping - larger calves are thrown to the ground and dragged through the sand
• Ribbon roping - a young bull is caught with a rope, a prior attached ribbon has to be taken off his horns
• Barrel racing - horses race around barrels at high speed
• Pole bending - horses race around poles at high speed
• Mutton bustin - sheep are ridden by young children
• Wild Cow Milking - Teams of men chase a herd of non-dairy cows around the arena, forcibly hold and try to milk them
• Wild boar chasing - pigs or piglets are greased and chased through the ring by children. (The "Wild boar chase" and "Wild Cow Milking" have been banned regionally in Germany in the year 2004. A nationwide ban is expected soon.)

Why do the animals buck?
The flank strank makes them buck. This is a strap around the lower abdomen that is pulled tight when the horse or bull leaves the chute. In general this is a very sensitive area on a horse's body. In the case of the bulls it puts pressure on the uretha. As soon as the flank strap is taken off, the animals stop bucking. Spurs are used as an additional means to inflict suffering on the animals. The use of electro shocking devices is forbidden in Germany, but quite common around the world.

How frequently do the animals participate in rodeos?
The same animals are used again and again in rodeos, having to perfom several times in one event. Afterwards they are loaded up and transported to the next event.

Does rodeo pose a threat to the animals' health?
Most certainly. Broken bones, contusions, concussions, skin-abrasions and internal bleeding can occur. Some disciplines can result in broken necks and spines. Sometimes the injuries result in an animal's death.

Is there a risk of injury for people too?
Yes. But in contrast to the animals people participate voluntarily in rodeos.

Why is there rodeo in Europe? Why is it legal in Germany?
Rodeo is a legacy of the US-Army. At first it was only carried out in or around US-Army barracks in Germany. It is still legal in Germany, because the term "rodeo" is not clearly defined in the animal protection law. The individual veterinary officer has to make a decision whether to allow a rodeo in his area. However, in June 2006 the Federal States of Germany agreed to ban bull riding, wild horse race, the flank strap and the spurs in saddle bronc riding and bareback riding due to a veterinary report by the Veterinary Association for the Protection of Animals (Tierärztliche Vereinigung für Tierschutz e.V.) Read the report here.

According to the Federal German Ministry of Agriculture the German animal protection law also applies to US-Army barracks. This means a German veterinary officer must have access to check out the animals and supervise the rodeo events. The stock contractor must inform and register with the German veterinary office in the area beforehand.

What can you do?

International Campaign against the rodeo show in Hungary

In May we attended and filmed a rodeo show in Budapest, Hungary. The show had been previously banned by the Hungarian authorities, however, it took place anyway. The organizer simply paid a fine.

The same show will take place again in Budapest on the 15th/16th of September at the Kincsem Park Lóversenypálya race track.

After the rodeo we sent the Hungarian authorities our video footage and a veterinary report on rodeo ( www.tierschutz-tvt.de/rodeoengl.pdf ). Our footage showed a simple and not padded rope used as a flank strap on terrified bulls. There was sheep riding too. The sheep were not in good condition. The piglets chased by a crowd of children screamed in terror.

The Hungarian authorities also have been made aware by us of the in-depth veterinary report on rodeo by leading German horse experts and ethologists. This long-term expert opinion is available on the internet in German and English.

Please ask the Hungarian government and tourism authorities to ban the same event in September. Tourism is a very important economical factor in Hungary.

If you are in Hungary please pass this message on to animal rights groups, media and politicians, who might help. There is also a website in the
Hungarian language.

You could also write to the Hungarian Members of the European Parliament. The EU-Commission is very much opposed
to rodeo. You will find the Hungarian deputees here.

Please write your own letter or use the Hungarian sample letter:

We have compiled the addresses in a batch for people with limited time. However, it is our experience, that those e-mails are rejected more
frequently. We strongly recommend to paste the sample letter individually into the e-mail.

Addresses in a batch:

kozighivbud@konyv.kozig.b-m.hu , montvai.jozsef@kobanya.hu , szteriKabinet@fvm.hu , EU-nemzetkoziFO@fvm.hu , peter.olajos@europarl.europa.eu , hivatalvezeto@keh.hu , elnokititkarsag@keh.hu , ugyfelszolgalat@meh.hu , turizmus@meh.hu , kincsempark@pegazus.hu , blaskovits.zsuzsa@pegazus.hu ,papp.janos@pegazus.hu , talosi.ildiko@pegazus.hu , ungarninfo@ungarn-tourismus.at , htvienna@hungarytourism.hu ,htbrussels@skynet.be , info@madarsko.cz , htcopenhagen@mail.dk , htstockholm@swipnet.se , htstockholm@mtrt.se , sekretariat@ungarn-tourismus.de , ungarn.info.berlin@t-online.de , ungarn.info.frankfurt@t-online.de , ungarn.info.muc@t-online.de , info@hungarytabi.jp , info@visithungary.ie , info@turismoungherese.it , info@hongaarsverkeersbureau.nl , htcluj@cluj.astral.ro , hungria@hungriaturismo.com , info@ungarn-tourismus.ch , info@gotohungary.co.uk , info@gotohungary.com , kom@huembvie.at , hungcbr@ozemail.com.au , huembbxl@huembbxl.be , sysadmin@huembott.org , huembcph@teliamail.dk , office@unkari.fi , mission.par@kum.hu ,info@ungarische-botschaft.de , mission.dub@kum.hu , mission.rom@kum.hu , ambhongr@pt.lu , mission.hga@kum.hu ,huembosl@online.no , varsnk@2a.pl , huemblis@mail.telepac.pt , email@huembmow.macomnet.ru , pozsony@embhung.sk , info@embajada-hungria.org , secretariat@huembsto.se , huembbrn@bluemail.ch , office.lon@kum.hu , office@huembwas.org

Addresses in detail:

Authorities Budapest 10th district:
Közép-Magyarországi Regionális Közigazgatási Hivatal
Hivatalvezetö
1364 Budapest, Pf: 234
Fax: 0036 1 235-1703
E-Mail: kozighivbud@konyv.kozig.b-m.hu

BUDAPEST X. KERÜLET (KÕBÁNYA)
Montvai József, fõépítész
Budapest Kobányai Önkormányzat
1102. Budapest, Szent László tér 29
Fax: 0036 1 433-8390
E-mail: montvai.jozsef@kobanya.hu

President László Sólyom: hivatalvezeto@keh.hu , elnokititkarsag@keh.hu

Prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány: ugyfelszolgalat@meh.hu

Secretary for tourism: turizmus@meh.hu

The Hungarian Members of the European Parliament

Management of the race track: kincsempark@pegazus.hu , blaskovits.zsuzsa@pegazus.hu , papp.janos@pegazus.hu , talosi.ildiko@pegazus.hu

* If the Hungarian embassy in your country is not listed here, you will find it here.

It is a disgrace that on its website the Budapest tourism office promotes the Hungarian rodeo tour

Please tell them what you think about it by either writing your own letter (English should be fine) or using our sample:

Please send your letter to the tourism offices in Budapest: ferihegy1@budapestinfo.hu , ferihegy2A@budapestinfo.hu , ferihegy2B@budapestinfo.hu , suto@budapestinfo.hu , liszt@budapestinfo.hu , var@budapestinfo.hu , webmester@budapestinfo.hu

Due to protests the rodeos were called off! A victory for the rodeo animals.

Miss Anti-Rodeo

For the full interview watch this space