Thread: NE--Bill on Mexican rodeos advances

Published Friday | March 14, 2008
Bill on Mexican rodeos advances
BY MARTHA STODDARD
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

• Your Legislature 2008
LINCOLN - Nebraska lawmakers moved Thursday toward bringing down two controversial traditions of charreadas, or Mexican rodeos.

Legislative Bill 764 would ban the practices known as horse-tripping and steer-tailing when either is done for entertainment, sport, practice or in a contest.

The Nebraska Humane Society has criticized both as cruel to the animals involved.

Humane Society officials said the actions can result in traumatic injuries - horses breaking legs, steers having their tails pulled off.

"These events are inherently dangerous to the animals," said Kristie Biodrowski, head cruelty investigator for the Omaha-based group.

In horse-tripping events, a Mexican cowboy known as a charro chases a galloping horse and attempts to rope it by the legs to bring it down.

In steer-tailing, a charro rides up behind a steer and attempts to bring it down by grabbing its tail and wrapping it around his stirrup.

The Nebraska Humane Society has been working to prohibit the practices after learning about charreadas occurring in Omaha last year.

Investigators following up on a tip found five horses with rope burns on their legs and ankles.

Society officials persuaded the Omaha City Council in December to add those practices to the city's definition of animal cruelty.

Thursday, state senators advanced LB 764 to second-round consideration with no opposition and little debate.

State Sen. Abbie Cornett of Bellevue, the bill's author, said it would not affect other rodeo events or restrict practices used by Nebraska farmers and ranchers.

Commonly accepted animal training practices and animal husbandry practices would be specifically exempted from the ban, she said.

Pete McClymont with the Nebraska Cattlemen and Jay Rempe of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation said they were comfortable that the bill would not create a slippery slope under which other animal-handling practices could be attacked.

Supporters of Mexican rodeos have said they are important cultural events and are no more dangerous to animals than American rodeo.

But animal welfare officials in Nebraska drew a distinction between the two.

Biodrowski said the Nebraska Humane Society isn't trying to shut down a Mexican tradition or opposing the practices out of a cultural bias.

Mark Langan, the society's vice president, said traditional American rodeos are heavily regulated and have veterinarians in attendance to care for the animals. He said the rate of animal injury is low in those rodeos.

But not all animal protection groups agree.

The Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals oppose events such as team roping, also known as heading and heeling, calf roping and steer wrestling, along with the charreada events.

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http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10282779

Videos of this brutal, disgusting practice (as hundreds of Mexican fans laugh and cheer):

http://www.sharkonline.org/horsetripping1.mpg

http://www.sharkonline.org/horsetripping2.mpg

http://www.sharkonline.org/horsetripping3.mpg