Rodeo issue still being tossed round

Outram rodeo on Waitangi Day. Photo by ODT.
Outram rodeo on Waitangi Day. Photo by ODT.
Dunedin city councillors may yet seek advice about whether they should continue to allow rodeos to be performed on council reserves.

The issue was initially raised by Carl Scott from animal rights group Safe, who appealed to councillors at a public forum in February to follow the Auckland council's lead and ban rodeos from all council-owned land and facilities.

His request followed a rodeo at Forsyth Barr Stadium, which Safe had urged people to boycott because, it said, rodeos were ''barbaric spectacles'' that were cruel to animals.

Yesterday, Waikouaiti Rodeo treasurer Henrietta Purvis and New Zealand Rodeo Cowboy Association board member Dave Marshall appeared at the latest public forum to appeal to the council not to ban rodeos on council reserves.

In Waikouaiti the annual rodeo, which was now held on council reserve land, was in its 50th year and was popular and a significant fundraiser for charity, Mrs Purvis said.

Having to relocate would cost so much it would threaten the club's existence, she said.

Mr Marshall went through some of what he called the ''misconceptions'' about rodeos.

He said animals did not buck because they were punished, but were bred to buck; flank-straps went nowhere near animals' testicles, but were under the ribs and were fastened only as tight as a belt on jeans; animal prods were not used at rodeos; spurs rolled over skin rather than penetrated, and competitors were disqualified if they did; and running calves were roped while cowboys rode horses also travelling at speed, so the impact was not a sudden halt.

Mrs Purvis said there was never any sign animals were scared or frightened in any way at the Waikouaiti Rodeo.

''We know and have respect and have pride in our cattle and our horses. The last thing we want is to have anything happen to them.''

Cr Bill Acklin, chairman of the community development committee, which considers matters relating to reserves, initially said the council had no jurisdiction over animal welfare at rodeos, so could not take that matter further, and no-one had actually directly requested through the right channels that the council banned rodeos from its reserves.

Cr Jinty MacTavish said she was not pushing the rodeo topic in particular, but felt when a group of people raised an issue with councillors they were obliged to look into it further.

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull pointed out the council had banned circuses featuring exotic animals from using council reserves, ''presumably on an animal welfare basis'', and so there was a precedent.

Cr Richard Thompson said it seemed further information was required and a report from staff could provide that, but councillors had to be clear what information they actually wanted.

Cr Acklin then said it appeared there were grounds for a report and a request for one would be discussed at the next meeting of the chairmen of the committee.

debbie.porteous@odt.co.nz

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