The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 22, 1999, Page Page 4, Image 4
EVENTS
"Love and Understanding,"
tightrope theatre company, 8:30
p.m. March 25-27, Immaculate
Consumption,.Main Street. Tickets
$5 at the door.
Page 4
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A bullrider struggles to stay on his bull at Friday's rodeo ir
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In the calf-roping competition, a calf is released out of a
cowboy slides off his horse and wrestles the calf to the gr<
often must pick the calf up off the ground and throw it dc
the calf's back is hurt when being slammed onto the groun
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H?T71 veryone here tonight has dreamed c
W a cowboy," the announcer said to ?
1 J cheering crowd at the Carolina Co
Everyone except a small group of protesters
ing at Greene and Assembly streets for two
The Professional Rodeo and Cowboy Ai
tion presented a rodeo of bucking-horse ride
roping and bullriding Friday and Saturday ni
a packed Coliseum of men, women and childn
ning big hats and cowboy boots.
Just as with The Ringling Brothers' Barm
Bailey Circus, which had its equal share of p
ers in Columbia in Feberuary, the controver
tinues as to whether animal entertainment is
|g!fye , fill to the animals involved.
\ "This is just another form of animal cruelt;
, A Theresa Slifer, a protester from Lugoff. "Th
riding and all, it's so harsh on the animals."
' The rodeo industry adamantly maintains its
i the Coliseum. that animals are not abused in rodeos. J
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gate with a cowboy chasing him on horseback. The
ound, binding its legs together with cord. The cowboy ^
twn on its back to get its legs up. Protesters believe plk
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if being themselves deny hurting the animals in any way,
i large, claiming that if anyone gets hurt during a rodeo,
liseum it's the cowboy.
"There are several rules that the PRC goes by to
; stand- ensure the safety of the animals," said Wes Stansell,
hours, a bareback rider with the PRC who competed in Frissocia
day night's rodeo.
rs, calf "They're not abused, and they're taken real
ghts to good care of," he said. "Most of the people who protest
m don- don't know exactly what they're talking about.
They just kind of have an idea, and they take off with
im and it. If the animals aren't taken care of, the association
irotest- will fine them. You get a hefty fine."
sy con- Stansell said people get concerned because they
; harm- see cowboys digging their spurs into the horse or bull's
skin, but the animals' skins are thick, and the
y," said spurs are dull. He said the horses buck because it's
e bull- a game to them in which they're trying to unseat their
riders, and the horses like what they do.
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Aiders don't buck because they're here," he said.
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I 22 - 24
1 - 4pm Pl^
SITE OF THE PAY
Watch dancing hamsters
all the livelong day.
http://www.hamsterdance.
com
Monday, March 22, 1999
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Rodeo fans didn't seem to feel the conflict between
protesters and cowboys, or between the animals and
the cowboys. They were there for the entertainment.
"I loved it," Columbia resident Lori Stevenson
said. "They're not getting hurt any more than they
would on a farm. I know because I own cattle myself."
"They're not hurting those animals," Columbia
resident Thomas Wright said. "They're just playing
with them. They're not eating them."
Although people will probably never really know
what animals think and feel, animal rights supporters
will continue to make a stand against what they
perceive to be animal abuse, and rodeos and circuses
will continue to use animals in entertainment.
Protester Traci Richard of Chapin believes animal
rights protests are effective, even if they don't
get a large backing in Columbia.
"If we make one person aware, it's worthwhile,"
she said.
"~~pif J^M Above: Protesters hold signs
Ma |; toward passers-by Friday night at
Greene and Assembly streets. The
protesters were trying to make people
aware of the harm they believe
rodeos inflict on animals.
Left: Cowboys with the Professional
Wh**. ^1 Rodeo and Cowboy Association
* J pray together before the rodeo
rjjjjt^ Friday night at the Carolina
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1400 Greene St. Russell House (803) 777-4160 |