![]() ![]() |
Animal Defenders of Westchester |
|
![]()
Home Page We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts. Animal Defenders of Westchester |
Articles Hot-Shot Use at CFD Challenged Published in the Wyoming
Tribune-Eagle, August 6, 2006: WTE investigation into questionable use of 5,000-volt prod shows gaps in
enforcement of PRCA regulations By Cara Eastwood CHEYENNE - During the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on July 28, the mood
in the chutes during the bareback riding was the normal, fast-paced tension.
Cowboys bounced up and down, warming up their legs. Some squatted, hats in
hand, saying short prayers before mounting their horses. All seemed ordinary as the first few horses were released into the arena
until stock contractor Chad Burch appeared, and CFD public relations staff
immediately grew tense. They asked the media in the chutes to back off from
standing where they had been, directly at the head of each of the horses.
Burch Rodeo of Rozet had 44 horses in that day's performance, and Chad
Burch himself acted as "header" for many of the cowboys who rode his
animals. He stood at each horse's head and made sure it was aimed out of the
chute before the gate swung open. But Burch relied on more than the horses' breeding to encourage them to
explode into the arena. Before each horse was released, Burch positioned a
handheld Hot-Shot cattle prod near its head and neck. The small device is
the size of an electric razor and delivers 5,000 to 6,000 volts of
electricity at low amperage. According to PRCA rules, "In the riding events, use of prods and similar
devices is prohibited. The only exception is a known chute-stalling animal,
only with the contestant's and contractor's approval, and shall be
administered only by a qualified member." The rules also state that "standard electric prods may be used only when
necessary and may only touch the animal on the hip or shoulder area." But in the tense moments before each cowboy and horse burst into the
arena, Burch brandished the device clearly in view of the judge in the
chute, CFD volunteers and members of the public sitting several feet away.
Instead of waiting to see if a horse would stall, Burch appeared to be
using the tool before the animals left the chute. To media standing directly
next to Burch, it seemed like he was using the tool or trying to use it on
every animal to encourage it to burst into the arena. The judge in the chute later estimated that Burch discharged the device
on about one-third of his horses that day, although Burch admitted to only
using it once. During an interview at the July 29 CFD Rodeo, Burch insisted his use of
the tool is legal. But when he heard there were photographs of him using the
Hot-Shot on animals in the chutes, he said, "You can't show anybody those
pictures. I could get into a lot of trouble." So if his use of the tool was legal, just what was Burch worried about?
And if there was misuse at the rodeo, what is CFD's responsibility to see
that PRCA rules are followed? Outgoing CFD General Chairman Ken McCann said the PRCA rules on animal
welfare are specific and added that he was surprised to hear of any problems
at a CFD Rodeo. "Our show is wide open - there are video cameras and photographers,"
McCann said. "It's not like we're operating in a vacuum." The nation's premier outdoor rodeo has a huge staff of volunteers and
PRCA officials and visitors spread around the arena. McCann said the last
thing CFD officials want is to have animal welfare violations on-site. "I'm appalled by it," he said. Stock contractor Harry Vold provides the stock for CFD rodeos, and McCann
said Burch Rodeo must have been operating as a subcontractor. "I've known Harry for 37 years, and he just doesn't do business like
that," McCann said. "These animal athletes are brought in specifically for
our show, and it's just not the way we do business." Contestants Committee chairman Jim Mueller oversees the volunteers who
work with rodeo contestants and livestock at every CFD Rodeo. Keeping track
of the activities of the subcontractors isn't easy, he said. "We try to watch that situation," he said, "but the problem we run into
is we have so many contractors here." During this year's rodeo, he heard concerns from several of his committee
members about Burch and his behavior. "If my people see it, they can tell the PRCA, and they can fine him," he
said. "They're the only people that have any hold over him." Mueller said he is saddened by the situation, but said he and the PRCA
are doing everything they can to resolve it. John Davis, director of rodeo administration for the PRCA, oversees rodeo
judges around the nation and said PRCA members who overuse the Hot-Shot are
a small percentage of the whole. "It's something that the whole program is aware of," he said. "We try to
be strict, because by no means do we want that out there that we're
mistreating animals." The PRCA rulebook is really thick for a small percentage of people, Davis
said. Many of the rules are common sense. Rodeo judges are trained to watch for violations and fouls as they rate
the roughstock rides, he said. Davis refused to name the judge who was in the chute that day, but he
said the judge saw the Hot-Shot in Burch's hand. He said the judge didn't
think Burch's use was in violation of the rules, although "he wasn't sure if
he was asking those contestants every time (he used the Hot-Shot." Sometimes contractors will get cowboys' approval to Hot-Shot a horse
before they head to the chutes once they know which animal they've drawn.
The chute judge thought Burch used the device on about one-third of his
horses, Davis said, even though Burch stated that his company doesn't have
any horses that stall. Horses that don't want to leave the chute will probably not remain for
long in rodeo, Davis added. "Who knows why they refuse to leave the chute?," Davis said. "Some of
them are the best animals. There is stock that goes to the National Finals
that are known chute-stalling animals." The rules allow the prod to be used on a stalling horse before the gate
is completely open because it's safer for the animal and the cowboy, Davis
said. But prods are no longer allowed to be used in bull riding, he added. "If you do, it's a fine and an automatic option of a re-ride," he said.
"You just don't get bulls that stall." Cindy Schonholtz, the PRCA's animal welfare representative, said PRCA
fines range from a $25 fine to suspension or expulsion from the association.
"It depends on the violation and how serious it is," she said. Violations range in severity from Class 1 to Class 3. The fine for
improper use of a cattle prod is $250 for the first offense, and the fine
doubles for the subsequent violation. Schonholtz said she doesn't think it's the "norm" for the prod to be used
on all horses before they have had a chance to stall in the chute, but she
added that a stalled horse presents a grave danger to the cowboy on its
back. Use of the Hot-Shot at least "gets everyone out of the chute safe," she
said. To encourage stalling horses to leave the chute, Burch said he has other
options available to him. "I could hit them with a stick or poke them - I could poke holes in 'em,
but that would hurt 'em. Or, I could just touch 'em with the Hot-Shot." PRCA rules stipulate that an electric prod can only be used on a stalled
animal "with the contestant's and contractor's approval, and shall be
administered only by a qualified member." Rodeo cowboys have differing opinions on the value of this rule,
sometimes referred to as the "Hot-Shot rule." Jamie Willert of Kadoka, S.D., said that stock contractors always ask for
his consent before using the Hot-Shot on horses. But cowboys sometimes have
their reasons for saying no, he said. "If you draw a piece of junk, you say no, and you can get a re-ride,"
Willert said. When horses stall in the chutes, contractors must get another
horse for the cowboy to use in the re-ride. Saddle bronc rider Rod Hay of Wildwood, Alberta, Canada, said when he
started rodeoing in the 1980s, contractors used the device much more freely
and often without asking permission. "They always used to just do it," he said. "It was just the way it was."
He said he likes when contractors use the device because it keeps the
horse from hesitating. "Sometimes they'll be hesitant to leap, but it's way better for them to
Hot-Shot 'em," he said. Although the only approved spots to use the device are on the
hindquarters or the shoulders, Hay said contractors have different ideas
about where it's most effective. "Sometimes in the butt, sometimes in the belly," he said. Burch said he often ignores the Hot-Shot rule. "I think you waive your right to the Hot-Shot rule when you get on one of
our critters," he said. Burch emphasized that every horse in his lineup leaves the chutes quickly
or else. "I'm ready (with the Hot-Shot) for each critter," he said. "Some people
might call me a little hard-headed." Burch Rodeo benefits from having horses that explode from the chutes: A
horse that stalls is valued at only about $1,000, while a prized bucking
horse that never stalls can fetch $25,000, Burch said. Burch said he never has been fined for his use of the Hot-Shot, but
recently a cowboy got angry when he used the Hot-Shot on a horse without
approval. "When they turn out backwards, it makes me mad - I have to remind 'em,"
Burch said. "Sometimes (horses) are like kids, and they don't want to do
what I'm asking 'em to do." Use of a Hot-Shot is a quick reminder, he said. Although he's supposed to ask the cowboy before using the tool, Burch
said he holds it out in the open so the cowboys can see that he intends to
use it. "If common sense plays a part, I won't ever be fined for it," he said. Steve Hindi of the Illinois-based group SHARK, SHowing Animals Respect
and Kindness, says Burch is probably right: He might not ever be fined for
his use of the Hot-Shot, even if it is in violation of PRCA rules. "We caught them using it at Cheyenne (Frontier Days) last year," Hindi
said. "It happens all the time." Hindi's group goes to rodeos and collects video and still photographic
proof of PRCA animal welfare violations and submits them to the organization
and to local governments in hopes of getting perpetrators prosecuted. "I would say (Hot-Shot violations) are the most easily proven, but
supposedly they don't allow jerk downs (of calves) or tail twisting either,
but it happens," Hindi said. And although the tool is approved for use by the PRCA, the product's
manufacturer doesn't recommend its use on horses. "We recommended the Hot-Shot for use on cattle and hogs for commercial
movement," said marketing director Jim Bartell. "We don't condone it for use
on horses, because cattle and hogs have thicker skin. We've never done any
testing on horses." Hindi said the PRCA doesn't reveal statistics on how many fines are
levied against rule violators every year, so it's hard to tell how effective
the association's enforcement is of its own animal welfare rules. "They say they only use (electric prods) on the chute-stallers," Hindi
said. "We say, 'Leave the chute-stallers at home.' We're being told that
they're born to buck, so if they're born to buck, they shouldn't be able to
wait to get out of the chute." Hindi characterizes the PRCA's animal welfare rules as nothing more than
public relations. "It's a mess," he said. "It's so completely opposite of what they present
- all this Americana and stuff about cowboys being truthful. It's all crap."
Local wild horse advocate Jeannine Stallings said she's not surprised by
the allegations that electric prods were being used illegally at CFD. "I hate rodeo and think it's an absolute orgy of animal abuse," she said
recently from her home in Cheyenne. "We need to find a meeting of the minds,
because I don't care how carefully they feed them or how they load them,
those animals aren't there by choice." Stallings said the behavior might be in violation of Title 6 of city code
that states, "No person shall permit, induce or encourage any animal to
perform through the use of chemical, mechanical, electrical or manual
devices in a manner likely to cause physical injury, suffering or trauma to
the animal." "What the public sees is their reality," Schonholtz said, adding that the
PRCA is well aware that attendance depends on overall public support of
rodeo. In her position at PRCA headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo.,
Schonholtz spends the majority of her time with questions that come from
animal rights groups. After years of protests, the organization developed a 20-page report on
animal welfare that stipulates rules on animal transportation, handling,
housing, weight limitations and approved equipment that can be used by
cowboys. "The animal welfare program itself has been around for 25 years," she
said. "There's been one person designated to handle that for about 14
years." Teaching the public that animal welfare is important to the PRCA also is
a huge part of Schonholtz's job. "It's such a big part of our business," she said. "Showing the public
healthy, well cared-for animals is important so they leave with the right
impression that we do care for our animals." When new stock contractors come into the association, they're on
probation for a year, she said. "All of our members sign a form when they pay their dues. It's up to the
member to read the rules," she added. Rodeo advocacy group Friends of Rodeo helps rodeo committees defend the
sport against animal rights groups. From its Web site, the group makes several suggestions: � Rodeo equipment is used to cue and control animals. It must be used in
a proper manner. Learn how to be a skillful animal handler before you get to
the rodeo. � Never strike or poke an animal with equipment. � Don't overuse the electric cattle prod. Never hold the prod on the
animal and buzz it continually. Holding a prod on an animal that is moving
in the desired direction is not productive and does not teach the animal how
to respond in the future. Fair Use Notice: This document may contain
copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the
copyright owners. We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on
the Web constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for
in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted
material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain
permission from the copyright owner. |
Your comments and
inquiries are welcome
This site is hosted and maintained by:
The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation
Thank you for visiting all-creatures.org.
Since