Sydney's Royal Easter Show is an iconic event, a feature of the city for nearly two hundred years. According to Wikipedia, it is the largest ticketed event in Australia and one of the largest in the world. Nearly a million people visit the Show every year. It features many aspects of Australian life and culture, including one of the cruellest and most outdated: rodeos.
Every night, rodeo events are held in the Main Arena, with all the ugliness of these events on full display. Rodeos are about forcing peaceful herd animals to display fearful behaviour, by means of spurs, tight flank straps, noise, and pursuit, all in the name of entertainment. The laws applying to the rest of the population protecting animals from this treatment are suspended for rodeo participants. Go figure that one.
No doubt many children are in the audience each night when these cruel displays are happening. What is wrong with our society if we can watch such suffering and view it as enjoyable? Even worse, how can we encourage our children to close their eyes to the torment of animals?
Rodeos are banned in the ACT and several international jurisdictions. Victoria and South Australia banned calf roping decades ago. Including rodeos as part of the Royal Easter Show demeans the entire event, and detracts from the value of children being able to see close up a range of animals that many of them would not otherwise encounter.
The Show is first and foremost designed to highlight the work of farmers and the debt we owe them in producing the quality food we have on offer here in Australia. But farmers don't wrestle steers, ride bulls or rope calves. To imply that rodeo activities are a key part of primary production is totally wrong; in fact, low-stress stock handling is viewed as the best way to maximise yields, according to Meat and Livestock Australia. You can read about it here: https://www.mla.com.au/news-and-events/industry-news/low-stress-recipe-for-success/
I invite you to contact the Royal Agricultural Society enquiries@rasnsw.com.au and let them know that featuring rodeos at the Easter Show is damaging the image of hardworking farmers.
Every voice speaking up for animals is important. Thank you for your support, and thanks to the volunteers at Animal Liberation Queensland for the above photo.