CASPER, Wyo. (June 8, 2023) – In Defense of Animals is calling for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) to put an end to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Wyoming, and is also calling on ESPN to stop airing the event, owing to extreme animal cruelty. This year’s event is scheduled for June 11-17. 

Video: Watch goat tying cruelty documented by Unparalelled Suffering

The CNFR has been putting on annual shows that involve animal abuse for more than 20 years in Casper, Wyoming. The CNFR is where the NIRA evaluates 400 young men and women from over 100 universities in saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and goat tying. Prizes are given to individuals and teams. 

While all rodeo events involve cruelty to animals, In Defense of Animals is drawing specific attention to goat tying, an abusive and little-known “sport” that children and college-age students participate in. Goat tying teaches animal abuse and desensitizes young people to causing suffering. It's a boys and girls event through junior high, then boys move into tie-down calf roping from high school. While goat tying isn't part of the professional adult rodeo world, some professional rodeos hold a goat-tying event for younger contestants before the adult rodeo events commence. There are also amateur rodeo associations that let adults partake in goat tying for "the thrill and the adrenaline rush."

Goat tying is a timed event that puts small goats in involuntary positions that cause pain and suffering, in which participants seek to achieve the greatest time possible. Goat tying is inherently cruel like all the other rodeo events where helpless animals are audaciously referred to as "athletes." A participant rides into the arena on a horse's back to where the goat is tethered via a 10-foot rope to a metal stake in the ground, which makes it impossible for them to escape the torment they receive. They run up to the goat, pick them up, slam them down to the ground, and tie at least three of their legs together. To qualify for a time, the goat's legs must stay tied for six seconds. Goats used for these events can be tormented by up to five contestants in a row until they are switched out for another victim. Goats can get injured not only from the rough human handlers, but also from occasionally getting trampled by the horse the contestant rides into the arena. The euphemism for throwing goats to the ground is referred to as "flanking." 

The goats used in goat tying are less than a year old and less than 60 pounds. They are bred into existence to be exploited and many goat-tying participants breed goats themselves so they have a constant supply of baby goats to keep practicing on. After the young goats are used in these rodeo events, they generally end up at livestock auctions and eventually go to slaughter. All goats are considered worthless to the goat-tying world when they are 60 pounds or over.

On May 19, In Defense of Animals launched an action alert calling on the CNFR to drop goat tying from its event and urging ESPN not to air the event. So far, over 14,500 In Defense of Animals supporters have written to NIRA and ESPN, including to Jim Dewey Brown, NIRA Commissioner; Kim Furnival, NIRA Chairman; and Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN Chairman.

“Every rodeo involves animal abuse but goat tying is particularly harmful because it damages children too,” said Brittany Michelson, Campaign Specialist for Captive Animals at In Defense of Animals. “This little-known ‘sport’ involves repeatedly slamming small, delicate animals into the ground who are tethered by their necks. It is incredibly unhealthy to teach kids to force helpless beings into submission. We want the leading multimedia sports entertainment company ESPN to cancel airing the CNFR event and stop promoting animal cruelty. It’s 2023 and the era of hurting animals for entertainment needs to become a thing of the past. Rodeo has no place in a civilized society.” 

Members of the public are encouraged to boycott rodeos and send a message to ESPN and NIRA by signing In Defense of Animals’ action alert.

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All documentation, photos and information available upon request.

Video (free to use with credit to Unparalleled Suffering): https://bit.ly/GoatTyingVid

Photos (free to use with credit to Unparalleled Suffering): https://bit.ly/GoatTyingPix

Contact: 

Brittany Michelson, Campaign Specialist for Captive Animals, 928-420-0727, brittany@idausa.org

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization based in Marin County, California, with over 250,000 supporters and a 40-year history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, California, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org/endcowboycruelty

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