Mount Isa Rodeo - Stop supporting animal cruelty

We know you share our view, and that of all Australian animal protection groups, that rodeos exploit and harm animals.

So please join us to contact sponsors of the upcoming Mount Isa Rodeo, asking them to Rethink Rodeos and reconsider their sponsorship support.

Bulls and horses don't buck excessively and on cue because they are 'athletes' bred to buck. They are in fact reacting to a tightened flank strap, spurs digging into their shoulders, and a rider on their back. Calves and steers don't sprint from the chute because they love running - they are frightened and are trying to get away from their pursuers on horseback who want to rope and tie them, or twist their necks severely to bring them to ground.

Rodeos are often promoted by industry and government as 'family friendly' but the opposite is true. It is ethically wrong to allow children to become desensitised to animal stress and pain through repeated exposure to rodeo events. Violence is normalised at rodeos but it is still violence that is being witnessed.

Australian State and Territory animal welfare legislation exempts many of the cruel and abusive rodeo practices. Even where and when animal cruelty breaches are observed and reported, those who inflict the cruelty rarely face charges or prosecution. Most rodeo events are held in regional/rural locations and unbelievably there is not even a legal requirement to have a veterinarian in attendance at Queensland rodeos, despite the risk of injury.

Rodeo events can and do result in serious injuries and deaths for the unwilling animal participants, including at Mount Isa Rodeo. In 2018, Animal Liberation Qld (ALQ) documented the deaths of two animals in the Mount Isa Rodeo arena in one day. A horse crashed violently into a fence and died. This distressing incident was quickly followed by a steer who broke his leg. In 2019, a steer badly injured his horn while being wrestled to the ground, with vet advice confirming that the pain would have been excruciating. Horse falls are very common. Other ALQ footage at Mount Isa includes a stock contractor holding a 'jigger' near the necks and shoulders of horses in the chutes.

Now we have an opportunity to reach out to the Mount Isa Rodeo sponsors to ask them to reconsider their sponsorship of this rodeo by reallocating their sponsorship towards a more suitable reflection of the Mount Isa 100-year anniversary celebration. We appreciate your support in telling sponsors about the many harmful consequences of rodeos to animals.

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Dear Mount Isa Rodeo Sponsor

I am writing to you regarding your sponsorship of the 2023 Mount Isa Rodeo. I share your excitement surrounding the upcoming celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Mount Isa community, and the community’s important historical contribution to Australia.

Unfortunately, rodeos themselves are nothing to celebrate. They are opposed by every animal protection organisation in Australia including RSPCA. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-are-the-animal-welfare-issues-with-rodeos/. I am therefore requesting you reconsider your sponsorship of the Mount Isa Rodeo and instead support another event or activity which is more in keeping with broad Australian expectations about the welfare and wellbeing of animals.

Australia is recognised as a nation of animal lovers and Australians are increasingly concerned and outspoken about how we regard and treat animals. These broad expectations include spectator sports such as rodeo where animals are exploited and used for human entertainment. The 2022 RSPCA Australia survey results showed 67 per cent of Australians were concerned or very concerned about the welfare of animals at rodeos. Rodeo practices do not reflect best practice stock management, where low-stress handling is valued, including by members of Australia’s rural communities involved in animal agriculture. Veterinary science and animal welfare experts across Australia and around the world agree that animals are sentient beings with the evidenced capacity to experience physical and psychological states of welfare and wellbeing including joy and pain. For these same reasons, rodeos have been banned in the Australian Capital Territory, the United Kingdom, some regions across the United States and parts of Europe.

Bulls and horses at rodeos don't buck excessively and on cue because they are 'athletes' bred to buck, as the rodeo industry would lead us to believe. They are in fact reacting to a tightened flank strap, spurs digging into their shoulders, and a rider on their back. Calves and steers don't sprint from the chute because they love running - they are frightened and are trying to get away from their pursuers on horseback who want to rope and tie them, or twist their necks severely to bring them to ground.

Animal behaviourists tell us that rodeo animals clearly demonstrate their distress and fear in the arena when they bellow, drool excessively, show 'white eye', or are open-mouthed. These behaviours are unfortunately seen very frequently. Too often however, audiences are focusing on the risk-taking of the competitors and fail to notice the distress of the animals forced to participate.

Additionally, in 2019, a steer badly injured his horn while being wrestled to the ground, with vet advice confirming that the pain would have been excruciating: https://vimeo.com/353504945. Horse falls are also very common. Other ALQ footage at Mount Isa includes a stock contractor holding a 'jigger' near the necks and shoulders of horses in the chutes.

Rodeos cannot be considered harmless, family friendly entertainment – these events include the wilful and deliberate provocation and tormenting of animals, and routinely cause
immense animal distress and pain.  Such cruel spectacles are no longer appropriate in 2023 and support by the broader Australian public is declining.

Sponsorship of such events sends a damaging message to the local and broader community. Leading Australian companies such as Telstra, Kmart, Bayer Australia, Ford Australia and Big W have already made considered decisions to disassociate themselves from rodeos.  They have all withdrawn their sponsorship in recognition of animal welfare problems and to ensure that their brands are only connected with events and initiatives that reflect their ethical values.

I urge you to reconsider your sponsorship of the Mount Isa Rodeo by reallocating your sponsorship towards a more suitable reflection of the Mount Isa 100-year anniversary celebration.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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