The crowd roars in excitement! Dirt, the scent of fresh popcorn, and the smell of livestock invade people’s noses. Bright lights around the arena come on before the show begins with loud footsteps of horses and cattle. The Rodeo is on. In the South, hundreds of patrons enjoy this rambunctious and action-packed event every year. When the rodeo began, its popularity grew because of its connection with farming beliefs, the mystery of the South and the numerous promoters who commercialized it. However, since then, patrons and employees question whether or not Rodeo is worth our time at all.
Unlike now, at the start of Rodeo, Americans enjoyed Rodeos in excitement and wonder. Long before the invention of Rodeo, cattle drivers would stop at the end of their trails to show off their roping and riding skills to each other for fun. Eventually, one man would start the next step to rodeo. William F. Cody went home to Nebraska on July 4th expecting a celebration show; his expectations were disappointed. By the end of his visit, Cody put together a competitive show with the help of local cowboys and business owners. Since people seemed to like it so much, he ran more so-called "Western Shows" with a cast of Native Americans, homesteaders, stagecoach drivers, trick riders, scouts, rough riders, skilled sharpshooters, and mounted cavalry. Ultimately, Western Shows lost their popularity. Instead, roaming rodeos became a big hit with "contestants, stock contractors, bullfighters, and other members" (An Overview of Contemporary American Rodeo).
Whether or not rodeo is a good event to take part in, it is definitely very dangerous for both the animals and the humans involved. As of 2011, a university study of rodeo injury showed that “nearly 20 of every 100,000 rodeo contestants can expect to suffer a catastrophic injury” (Rodeo one of the most dangerous sports in the world, study finds). The most dangerous and most violent of Rodeos events is, to no one’s surprise, bull riding. Globally, bull riding is being questioned and studied because of the hundreds of thousands of injuries that it causes. A study in Australia pointed out that bull riders are likely to endure life-threatening and minor injuries due to being kicked or stepped on by the large beast. Just like the human contestants of rodeo, the livestock is injured in the event itself along with the practice for the event. Animal Legal Defense Fund says this of the injuries rodeo animals sustain: “ The horses, bulls, steer, and calves suffer broken ribs, backs, and legs, torn tails, punctured lungs, internal organ damage, ripped tendons, torn ligaments, snapped necks, and agonizing deaths.” While some of those more serious injuries are not always common with every rodeo, the minor injuries still leave livestock with uncomfortable lives after a long and tedious recovery. However, unlike the animals, contestants sometimes have a chance of a big payday in return for participating in this violent occasion.
A big payday or not for rodeo stars tends to depend on which events and cowboy associations they participate in. For example, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 2017 had professional members that competed and won prizes up to $6 million. To earn anywhere near that amount, stars should be very good in most of the events they participate in. In reality, most cowboys and cowgirls who travel between rodeos usually earn barely enough to get themselves to the next rodeo location. Most people who enter rodeos choose to work part-time jobs during the week then go to rodeo shows on the weekend. Even with the likelihood of injury and being left penniless, many still see Rodeo as a way of life for themselves that they enjoy.
In our area, the biggest reason for involvement in Rodeo events stems from the strong family atmosphere audiences and contestants receive from the show itself. With the community ties developed within Rodeo shows, live music from local and not local artists flourish at each show. The Rodeo is also the perfect place for adrenaline junkies and young people. The events are full of excitement and the events and carnival aspects of the shows draw in hundreds of people. Even though Rodeo shows are steeped in cultural tradition, knowing exactly what is wrong with the rodeo may eventually change Southern Americans’ view of the event.
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