What's wrong with Rodeos?

Image provided by Emily Collins, taken at a rodeo in Texas, USA.

Image provided by Emily Collins, taken at a rodeo in Texas, USA.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hare currently visiting North America and Canada.  During their visit to Canada they will be visiting the worlds largest rodeo, Calgary Stampede.  Within the rodeo, Kate and William are likely to view the controversial but popular sport called 'chuckwagon racing' which can result in the death of both horses and their riders.  In the 2009 Calgary Stampede three horses died, also in 2007 three horses were killed during the event in 2007.

What else is wrong with rodeos?

Events such as calf roping, steer wrestling, bareback horse and bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, steer roping and barrel racing means that animals which are normally docile are physically provoked into behaving "wildly" to make the cowboys look brave.

The provocation usually comes in the form of electric prods, spurs and bucking straps.  Before they enter the ring, cows and horses are often prodded with an electrical "hotshot" so that the pain will rile them.

Animals used in rodeos have suffered broken ribs, backs and legs; punctured lungs, internal organ bruising and many more things that I prefer not to print.

Unfortunately, some animals from the rodeo are sold to slaughterhouses and used for meat.

Source (WARNING: Graphic descriptions of animal cruelty)

How to help

Please join me in contacting Clarence House as soon as possible and asking Kate and William to change their planned visit to the Calgary Stampede and boycott rodeos.  Click here to be taken to the League Against Cruel Sports readily prepared message which you can edit before sending.  Just take a few minutes to enter your details.  The message will be sent to Kate and William's Personal Private Secretary and also their Official Spokesman.

If you can post this blog post and/or the League's message at the aforementioned link on Facebook and/or Twitter it would be great, thank you.

P.S. ~ Happy US Independence Day!