Call to rein in rodeo protesters

A rodeo promoter has hit out at animal rights campaigners lobbying Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker to ban rodeos.

The International Rodeo will be held in Christchurch today, but Save Animals From Exploitation (Safe) is urging Parker to follow the Auckland City Council's lead and ban rodeos on its land.

Rodeo promoter Craig Douglas yesterday rubbished Safe's claims that rodeos were cruel.

He said only the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (Nawac) or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had any authority in the matter.

"I have been battling this for a couple of years," Douglas said.

"Why we are not listening to (Nawac or the SPCA) I don't know."

The rodeo had to meet Nawac guidelines and was inspected by SPCA officers to ensure the welfare of the animals involved.

"We spend $400,000 a year putting this together.

"This is no pony ride, we are not here with a couple of sheep mucking around." Nearly all of the 8000 seats in the Westpac Arena had been sold ahead of tonight's event.

The Auckland City Council banned rodeos on its land this year after a submission from Safe, which says rodeo animals are tormented into behaviour such as bucking.

Although the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had voiced its disapproval of rodeos in the past, it said they were legal if they complied with animal welfare guidelines.

Safe launched a campaign yesterday in which a light plane flew a banner over Christchurch calling for a council ban on rodeos.

Safe campaign director Hans Kriek said he had asked for a meeting with Parker to try to persuade him to take action.

"The time has come to sit down with those in authority who make those decisions and lobby them to do the right thing," he said.

Tight flank straps and spurs goaded rodeo animals into bucking and caused them distress, he said.

Douglas has sent tickets to tonight's event to Parker, who said he was interested in attending.

"I am interested in seeing for myself," he said.

It was for bodies such as the SPCA to make judgments on animal welfare. "If those bodies say there's no problem with the way the animals are treated then it seems to me that it would be a ridiculous situation if the council turned around and said: `There's a group of people against this and we shouldn't do it'," Parker said.

 

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