The rodeo is made out to be an entertaining and family-friendly event, when in reality it is nothing but a cruel spectator sport based on the suffering and exploitation of animals. Still, every year, signs appear all around my town and nearby towns advertising the Montgomery Rodeo. The Montgomery Rodeo is a fundraising event that claims to want to bring the community “a true rodeo experience.” Although it may be for charity, this does not excuse the fact that the rodeo is still just a western themed circus that masks animal abuse and exploitation as an amusing sport. At the rodeo, people may be winning prizes, but the animals are the one paying the price. I am deeply saddened when I start to see advertisements appear for a rodeo very close to where I live. The Montgomery Rodeo features many cruel events, and the especially cruel calf roping, team roping, and goat tying. Calf roping, or tie down roping, is an extremely violent and pathetic “sport.” Someone (or two people if it’s team roping) riding a horse tries to catch a petrified running calf with a loop rope, dismounts the horse, then ties the calf by three legs in the shortest time possible. This results in calves being slammed to the ground, and getting severely injured. Goat tying is the same event, but with a goat instead of a calf. This unnecessarily cruel event in my town could be replaced with something much more family-friendly and enjoyable.

           Please join me in asking the mayor of Montgomery Township, NJ to stop the rodeo from taking place this summer- or ever again.