colts and bulls, some will not kick higher than a pop can,”
Beutler said. “It is all in the genetics, you breed them to be
an athlete that can buck. A lot of the really good horses
don’t even need a flank strap, it just puts an emphasis on
getting them to stretch out when they kick, making a
prettier ride for the contestant.”
Each animal attends between 12 and 15 rodeos per year.
Most only last a weekend, but some rodeos span over
several days. “Lots of places our stock only get bucked
once per weekend. If we are there four or five days, we
might buck one the first and last day,” Beutler said. “It just
depends on the animal. Some horses buck harder on their
second ride and others can only go once, it all comes
down to management of the herd. Most bulls are pretty
hardy, so they can buck twice if we need them to.”
Ultimately, Beutler does everything he can to give cowboys
a good chance to hit the pay window while keeping the
needs of his animals at the forefront of his decisions.
ROPING CONTROVERSY
Saddle bronc riding is the traditional event of rodeo, but
roping is easily the most wide-spread of the industry. Steer
roping is professional rodeo’s oldest event and one of the
more controversial. “Steer roping is held at select rodeos
because of its requirement for a larger arena, thus why it is
not at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December,”
Pugsley said. Steer roping requires a competitor to rope
the steer around the horns and subsequently flip the rope
to the other side of the animal and sweep their legs out
from under them. This was used out on the range for wild
cattle that needed to be doctored and takes an incredible
amount of skill to do safely. “Plaster and rebar, as well
as horn wraps, are placed around the horns of the steer
to protect the animal during competition,” Pugsley said.
Many forget about the equine athletes on the arena floor, the
cowboys and cowgirls who ride them certainly do not. More
money is spent to keep these animals happy and healthy than
on just about anything else in the rodeo industry.
Photo courtesy of Lindsay King.
“Further rules mandate the weight and breed of the steers
used, qualified catches, and a 30-second competition
time limit.”
Many arguments against rodeo cite the number of animal
injuries as a good reason to ban the sport. “Livestock
injury rates at PRCA-sanctioned rodeos are very low, less
than 0.05 percent of all competitions result in an injury,”
Pugsley said. “The Livestock Welfare Committee of the
PRCA regularly assess and submits recommendations to
improve all PRCA events, including steer and calf roping.”
With more than 60 rules in the PRCA pertaining to animal
welfare, all events are carried out with safety and respect
for the animals, contestants and personnel. “For rodeo to
continue to be successful and thrive, we must approach
livestock welfare with an open mind, facts and experts,”
Pugsley said. “We live and operate in a change or be
changed world. As long as changes are based on fact
while doing what is best for the livestock, we will continue
to see rodeo grow and progress.”
ANIMAL ATHLETES
Out of all the animals in the arena, horses are the most
abundant. “Competition and production horses may be
an after thought for those sitting in the stands, but that is
not the case for those in the arena,” Pugsley said. From
treadmills and ice boots to breathing chambers and water
workouts, a rodeo athletes’ greatest asset is their partner,
whether that is human or horse. “The four-legged athletes
of the sport are truly regarded as such,” Pugsley said. “No
expenses are spared in caring for horses of rodeo.
Livestock in the sport, whether equine or bovine, are
purpose bred specifically for the competition of rodeo.
They often display feats of speed, agility, strength,
athleticism and determination that can only be compared
to those of Olympians.”
Rodeo LIFE 23