Longview’s Thunder Mountain Pro Rodeo sold out all three nights for the second year in a row.
But while the popularity of rodeo grows, animal activists worry about the treatment of horses, bulls and calves in events.
Cowlitz County Events Center Director Kim Bowcutt said no animals were injured at the Thunder Mountain Pro Rodeo this year.
While cities like L.A. and Pittsburgh have banned rodeos, rodeo supporters say the animals are treated with care.
Animal activists, on the other hand, say competing animals can’t consent to join the often painful events like bronc and bull riding.
Bucking
Kalama resident Karen Gwaltney, who used to own horses, said animals shouldn’t compete in events because they can’t willingly join.
“As people, if we’re not given a choice or bullied into something we don’t want to do, we know how that feels,” she said.
Some events can also hurt animals, she added.
Bronc and bull riding involve fitting a strap on the animal to encourage them to buck, where they jump in the air and kick, in an attempt to remove the strap.
Bowcutt said the flank straps are used humanely by not causing pain, but encourage natural bucking, rooted in their instincts.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, or PRCA, also reports the flanks used by the organization are soft and adjustable and don’t hurt horses.
Bowcutt add that many animals used in rodeo are bred for traits such as strength, athleticism and high energy, which can cause them to buck unprovoked, making them especially suitable for rodeos.
“From the rodeo viewpoint, bucking is not something forced upon animals — it’s a behavior that already exists in nature,” she said.
However, a 2021 study in the British Equine Veterinary Association Publications reports horses buck due to excitement, but also negative reasons like defensive behavior associated with fear or a reaction to pain.
Gwaltney doesn’t believe the movements are instinctive.
“Getting a horse to buck is coercion,” she said.
Injuries
The PRCA also noted the possibility of injury. A representative said 99.9% of the time nothing happens to the horse, but the other 0.1% could range from anything to a scratch, to a limp, to death.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund says animals in rodeos can suffer broken ribs, backs and legs as well as torn tails, punctured lungs, internal organ damage, ripped tendons, torn ligaments, snapped necks and death.
“Our position is that animals should not be injured for our entertainment,” said Campaigns Manager Matt Rossell for the defense fund.
Still, some studies show injuries are rare. A 2001 survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association found only 15 animals were injured out of 26,584 performances.
Other possibly dangerous events include tie-down roping and team roping.
In tie-down roping, a rope is thrown over a calf’s neck as it is slammed to the ground and three of its legs are tied together so it can’t move.
Team roping is when two participants attempt to rope a steer over its horns and its hind legs. Steer are often stretched out from the ropes on both ends of its body.
“No animal wants to get lassoed around the neck,” Rossell said. “If it was being done to dogs and cats, people would be outraged.”
Following the rules
The PRCA has over 60 rules that specifically adhere to animal wellbeing, which the Thunder Pro Mountain Rodeo adheres to and is overseen locally by its animal welfare subcommittee.
Bowcutt said those rules are enforced at every sanctioned rodeo, with on-site veterinarians and judges trained to watch for any signs of mistreatment or injury.
Last week, the Thunder Mountain Pro Rodeo had three certified judges, two in the arena and one in the back area with the animals and contestants to ensure the rules are always being followed.
Still, the Animal Legal Defense Fund says traveling between events can be punishing for animal being moved long distances in hot and overcrowded conditions without food or water for up to 24 hours.
However, the stock contractor for the Thunder Mountain Pro Rodeo was just three and a half hours away in Roosevelt and upon arrival, the animals were immediately unloaded and provided with fresh water and hay, Bowcutt said.
Excitement
There is one event where a contestant was positive her horse was excited to join.
Barrel racer Tru Most, a Longview resident and rising senior at Mark Morris, can see the joy that her horse Eddie displays while running around the barrels despite being frightened by everything.
“He’s kind of got cross eyes, so he’s scared of everything, he spooks at rocks and shadows, but when you watch go down the alley, he looks like a totally different horse,” she said. “He just loves it so much.”
Most also said that she couldn’t fathom Eddie being a bucking horse in a bronc riding event.
“If Eddie was a bucking horse, he would just run away, he would be so scared,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine him doing that. He wouldn’t know what to do, I think he would just lock up.”
