Are rodeos sport or animal cruelty?
Let’s get real. I believe rodeos are basically cruel, but nothing comparable to Michael Vick’s dog battles, bullfighting, game hunting or any other so-called sport where the animal is tortured or killed. Rodeo events originated from the regular duties American cowboys did on ranches, including rounding up cattle and taming horses. If you’ve ever attended a rodeo, you know it isn’t intended to be a blood sport. The events are basically competition between the human contestants and the animals. Often, as in bull- and bronc-riding, the animal wins. Bulls are naturally aggressive, appear to thrive at the rodeos, and many become pampered stars and go on for years of competitions. Of course, as a PETA member will be quick to tell you, the cowboys work on the ranches with cattle that are destined for the dinner table. And so are all the fish, fowl and other animals that are killed for human consumption. Even the game hunters and sport fishermen of today are almost legitimate descendants of hu
