The Angola Rodeo, a tradition held annually in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, is an event inmates die for. Danger not only subsists in the race itself, but also in the fact that the rodeo doesn’t seem problematic on the surface. The inmates are completely aware of the risks which they are willing to take on for their own fun; they even sign a legal release indicating their free will and waiving culpability of the State of Louisiana. Not only so, it’s a scarce opportunity for them to feel liberated, a way of fighting boredom, the only chance to meet the general public or even their families, and the only chance to make big money in a place where they make 4 cents an hour. While this may seem like a fair bargain, it’s important to point out that there is an intuitive moral unease about the Angola Rodeo.…
Once the cowboy has roped the calf, he dismounts his horse, runs to the calf, and tosses it on its side. The cowboy uses the pigging rope that he carries in this teeth to securely tie any three of the calf's legs. "Time stops when the cowboy throws his hands up." The cowboy then gets back onto his horse and waits six seconds to see if the calf gets free. If the calf gets free the cowboy is disqualified; however, if the calf stays tied, the cowboy receives his time.…
A leather halter dangles from one of her hands, a show stick held loosely in the other, and a harness on her back. She’s ready for the show to begin. She waits anxiously for her class to be called, while the others scramble around to get the calves ready,like a pit crew working on their car at a pit stop, changing tires and filling the car with fuel. In their button ups and boots, some trim the calf’s legs with clippers, and others hold cans of adhesive. Each fitter intensely focused on their task at hand, determined to do their best and beat the…
The Horse Fund’s article, Horse Slaughter, explains the process of slaughtering horses and what slaughterhouses use to do so. They support their explanations of the slaughter by listing and showing pictures of the steps. The Horse Fund states that “rendering horses unconscious so they can be slaughtered has never been about sparing horses any pain and suffering” but to “protect slaughterhouse workers from being harmed by flailing, terrified horses”. The Horse Fund explains that the first step is to make the horse unconscious for slaughter. In the US they use a penetrating captive bolt, “the bolt penetrates the skull, enters the cranium, and catastrophically damages the cerebrum and part of the cerebellum” (The Horse Fund).…
Finally, another reason animals are not abused is because of the strict guidelines set by each rodeo association. The rules of the Cheyenne Frontier Days ™ acknowledges that all animals receive proper care and treatment before, during, and after every rodeo performance. Horses and cattle are transported in specially designed trucks for their protection. Once on site, the animals are placed in large corrals, provided with fresh feed and water, and are inspected at least twice a day for any concerns.…
Rodeo vs. Injuries Rodeo can be very dangerous because there is another side of it it's called injuries they happen all the time but when it happens it's a matter when it happens and how bad it is! But there also is some good sides to rodeo it's fun.…
Annotations Birkett, Dea. " Cruel? No, Elephants Love the Circus— And I Should Know, Says Dea…
Barrel Racing in the Raw What would you do if you were told that the only activity that you truly love is cruel? In society today, barrel racers are being bashed for cruelty of their horses. I have been barrel racing for eight years now and I can confirm that the sport of barrel racing, if performed correctly, is not cruel to the animal in any way. However, it is quite the opposite. Riders take special care for their horses, it is difficult to cause a horse pain, and there are rarely any body functioning issues that caused by barrel racing that cannot be corrected.…
The National Western Stock Show has put on the Catch-a-Calf contests for many years, but this year's the contest was different from the rest. In the contest young steers are released into an arena and awake to be caught by a jr. exhibitor. These exhibitors must go through an application process to compete. Those who catch a steer will take it home to raise free of charge and return the following year with a grown steer.…
Sports play a big role in many peoples’ lives. In fact, according to a 2014 poll by TV show "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair magazine, 90 percent of Americans watch sports. Many of those people have participated in some sort of sport, sometime in their life. Chances are, those 90 percent of people are watching sports like football, baseball, soccer, and golf. What many people don’t know is that there are many different sports that include horses.…
In the competitive world that we live in it is no surprise that education policy is in the forefront in all major producing countries of the world. Dr. Young Zhao, an author of many books on globalization and technology, uses his knowledge and background experiences within his book “Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization” to prove that America leads the way in innovative thinking, but must learn how to compete within a globalized world. Dr. Zhao uses research, ideology, and evidence to support his thesis that in order to survive in a global and digital competent world America must take emphasis off of high stakes testing and centralized curriculum. In order for American children to have successful lives within the 21st century I too believe like Dr. Zhao. We must continue to allow children to use their creativity and innovative thinking to build businesses of the future.…
Stereotypes, the question is, are they created from truth, or is a person shaped from them. Throughout the last two weeks we have as a group been exploring this idea of what the true Wild West is. Now, there are many aspects to this so called Wild West and there are a couple things that will come to mind, which are cowboys, and Native Americans. Film since created has been shaping how we as humans live our life, now how does it depict these two common things we believe are so important to our countries representation in this world. We will be exploring the film The Searchers directed by John Ford, and trying to understand how these film makers want these two groups of people to be represented in America, when thinking about the Wild West.…
The act of holding wild animals in captivity, specifically for the purpose of entertainment has led many people to associate their abnormal behaviors to psychological suffering. Local zoos and aquariums seem to draw most of the attention from the general public about captive wild animal rights and welfare; however, many forget that traveling circuses are just as much at fault. Coming into one’s hometown once or twice a year, the traditional circus puts on a ‘spectacular show’ using wild animals as part of the main attractions. In essence, they serve as the living props for the actors and actresses that run the show. Among these animals, the most iconic of them all, are the Asian and African elephants.…
To no surprise there has been a great debate about rodeo and the way the livestock are treated. With being in the rodeo myself I have heard harsh opinions countless of times. People think the way animals are treated is considered animal abuse, and with involvement and personal experience in rodeo this is not the case. People think that while the audience of the rodeo is being entertained, animals are physically aggravated to an immoral extent.…
The modern day rodeo society is seen as cruelty and abuse from the outside world. The image of a lasso being thrown around a young cow’s horns or a man riding a bucking bull is seen as abuse, which could easily be seen that way to an uneducated person, but if one looks at the anatomy of the animals to the organizations and precautions taken the animals are very well protected. The truth is that these rodeo animals receive better treatment and medical care than the rodeo contestants themselves. The side of rodeo that the outside world only sees is the accidents were unfortunately either the animal or contestant is injured. The sport of rodeo in the U.S.A. is not a form of cruelty or abuse yet a sport with a risk just like any other.…