The bucking broncs at the World`s Toughest Rodeo held this weekend at the Rosemont Horizon weren`t kicking up their heels for joy, according to animal rights activists who picketed the last day of the three-day rodeo Sunday.
Horses, calves and steers run full speed into the rodeo ring because they are stung by an electric shock, according to a spokesman for the protesters. Cowboys and organizers of the rodeo say the animals are not harmed.
Other animal abuses, such as forcing horses and steers to wear a flank strap that squeezes their abdomens, also exist at rodeos, said Robert Mohle, a representative of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, a group based in Des Plaines.
”It`s all painful. People think they are seeing the Wild West here, but they are really seeing animals driven by electric shocks,” Mohle said.
Officials of the rodeo, which attracted more than 3,000 people each day, say it would be the downfall of the sport if the animals were harmed.
”These animals are kept in beautiful condition. They are the center of the show. If they couldn`t perform, there would be no rodeo,” said Steve Gander, president of Pro Rodeo Enterprises in Williamsburg, Ohio.
A rod that gives electric shocks is used, he said, because ”it is the best way to move large animals.” He said the rodeo organization belongs to the U.S. Humane Society and conforms to about 20 different regulations for the treatment of rodeo animals.
