Animal rights group targets popular rodeo

Hindi, however, likens certain rodeo events to dogfighting and bullfighting. He especially targets steer roping, in which steers are roped around the neck and flipped over. Frontier Days, which has had steer roping since 1898, is among a minority of rodeos in the U.S. that hold the event.

Hindi asserts that more animals are killed during many steer-roping competitions than at bullfights in Mexico, assuming injured steers are killed rather than treated to save money.

The former hunter and fisherman has posted video on the Internet showing calves wrenching backward after being roped around the neck and horses dragging roped steers in the mud.

Hindi has targeted rodeos around the country but has concentrated recently on Frontier Days because of its high profile.

"It's very important to us that CFD 'get it' as far as the animal abuse because what CFD does will have a major impact on the rest of the rodeo world," Hindi said.

Hindi, who is attending this year's Cheyenne rodeo, said he appreciates the rodeo's ties to Western history.

"We don't want to beat American history down," he said. "So what we're saying is, look, let's find a way, let's find a way to work together."

Critics decry efforts to 'ban' rodeo
But some in the sport believe his goal is to eliminate rodeos altogether.

"It's important for people to understand that organizations such as (Hindi's) want to ban rodeo and use of animals," said Cindy Schonholtz, animal welfare coordinator for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, an organization that promotes and sanctions some 650 rodeos in the United States and Canada, including the annual National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

The PRCA said it has rules for the treatment of rodeo animals and requires veterinarians at sanctioned events. In 2006, a PRCA survey of 159 rodeos showed 38 animals were injured out of the 61,992 times they were used in rodeo events.

Hindi dismissed the PRCA survey, saying the organization can choose to include only those rodeos with the least number of injuries. Schonholtz said the survey selects rodeos at random.

Hindi has been trying to persuade entertainers to stay away from rodeos and corporate sponsors to withdraw financial support. The booking company for Frontier Days has sued Hindi for interfering in its business, saying he caused Matchbox Twenty to cancel its performance this year and Carrie Underwood to withdraw in 2006.

While Matchbox Twenty cited the allegations of animal mistreatment in announcing its decision not to perform at Frontier Days, Underwood has not said why she canceled her performance.

The lawsuit, which did not name Matchbox Twenty or Underwood, is pending in federal court.

Those who love the rodeo say the events represent what occurs on ranches across the West every day, and that the animals are treated well.

Budd, the Frontier Days spokesman, said the video released by the animal rights activists show just a few minutes of 40 to 50 hours of rodeo action a year at Cheyenne.

"We're not denying that there aren't injuries," Budd said. "I mean, there are going to be injuries just like a high school football game or anything else."

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