July 19, 2013
Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOGnas0My4Q
SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) today released dramatic and horrifying video of a young calf whose neck was apparently snapped during a calf-roping event on the second day of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo (CFD).
On the first day of CFD, SHARK warned that many contestants were executing "jerk downs," which are supposed to be banned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) that sanctions the rodeo. A jerk down occurs when a calf is roped around the neck and intentionally flipped over backwards, landing on her head, neck or back. This was a tragedy waiting to happen, and it is bound to happen again because PRCA and CFD "humane rules" exist for public relations purposes only.
The calf was roped around the neck and jerked straight backwards landing on her head and neck. When her head hit the dirt, a horrifying snap rang out. She lay shaking as she began to die.
"People forget that calves are literally babies just a few months old," states SHARK President Steve Hindi. "This was a young, innocent animal who was killed by the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in the name of western American culture and family entertainment. That is a sad commentary on the American way. If anyone doubts that rodeos are brutal events where animals are considered disposable, all they need do is look into the eye of this one dying animal."
The death of the calf was no accident. CFD is allowing contestants to employ a deadly means of calf roping. It is not a question of if calves will be killed, it is simply a question of when, and how many? Until the sponsors of the rodeo, including Coca-Cola, local media and other Wyoming institutions demand an end to these vile acts, the bodies will continue to pile up and be carted away as if they were bags of trash left on the side of the road.
For the second day in a row, rodeo contestants and their supporters harassed videographers who were at the CFD. Using verbal abuse and threats, they tried to stop the videographers from documenting abuse. They failed, but they are getting ever more brazen. Although the harassment was reported both days, CFD has taken no action.
"CFD has rules against harassment and threats, but CFD's rules of conduct are obviously as worthless as their supposed humane rules," says SHARK president Steve Hindi.
