Animal Protectionists Ask Judge for Investigation
Rodeo Commissioner Accused of Ignoring Humane Violations


Las Vegas, Nev.— National animal protection organization Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) joined by In Defense of Animals (IDA) will convene in Las Vegas during the National Finals Rodeo to expose egregious animal welfare violations and call on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) to take immediate action.

When: Monday, December 5, 1:00 p.m.
Where: Real Estate School of Nevada, 4300 Sunset Road, Suite B-1

Video footage of PRCA sanctioned events as recent as the National Steer Roping Finals held in Amarillo, Texas from November 18-20, 2005 documents numerous violations of the PRCA’s own animal welfare regulations in plain sight of many contestants, rodeo judges, and incredibly, PRCA Administrator Jim Nichols and Commissioner Troy Ellerman. SHARK and IDA are joining Rodeo Commissioner Ellerman in calling on Judge James Roeder (Ret.), Head of PRCA Grievance Oversight to “return some integrity to the system, and clean-up the good-old-boy network,” by ensuring violations not go ignored. 

Rodeos are violent events. In the notorious calf-roping event, cowboys rope and tie up three-to-four-month-old calves in the shortest amount of time. Handlers prod them, twist and yank their tails, and then release calves from pens. The frightened animals run from the gate at speeds approaching thirty miles per hour, are then lassoed by the neck, often snapping their heads back as they come to an abrupt stop. Sometimes they are jerked over backwards in what rodeo people call a “jerkdown.” They are then slammed to the ground and have their legs tied. While jerkdowns are supposedly banned in the PRCA, they occur regularly and are not called by rodeo judges. Steer roping, another PRCA event, is so cruel and injures so many animals that it is not allowed in the state of Nevada, and therefore is not part of the NFR in Las Vegas.

Big prize purses supplied by unethical corporate sponsors and small if any fines for weak, vaguely defined rules keep rodeos in business. PRCA rules state that, “If a member abuses an animal by any unnecessary, non-competitive or competitive action, he may be disqualified for the remainder of the rodeo and fined $250 for the first offense.” “The penalties are a slap on the wrist and pennies compared to the $5.2 million purse at stake,” said SHARK President Steve Hindi. “Besides that, the PRCA does not make humane infractions or penalties public, and we are unaware of any fines ever handed out for cruelty, even though we regularly document extreme abuse.” 

Video footage of violations of the PRCA’s humane rules will be available on site. For more information, please visit www.RodeoCruelty.com.