Speciesism

Rodeo Documentary Reveals Animal Cruelty Masquerading as Sport

Calf Roping© Photabulous!

Award-winning Bucking Tradition, is a US documentary exploring the rodeo, one of the cruelest sporting competitions in North America.

The 8 minute documentary short, directed by Sharon M. Boeckle, won both 2019 Best Film and Best Animal Advocacy Film at this year's Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival (OIVFF). View the trailer.

Eric Mills, of Action for Animals, reached out to Sharon and suggesting the idea of a documentary exposing the cruelties of the rodeo. While working on a prior documentary about horse slaughter, entitled, From the Kill Pen, Sharon had interviewed and worked with multiple individuals fighting against the rodeo industry.

"Concise in its argument and featuring expert testimony, "Bucking Tradition" exposes the fact that most rodeo events feature some kind of inherent inhumane treatment of animals, writes WBOC.

Veterinarian Jim Reynolds says, "All animals in rodeos are sentient, meaning they have feelings, they have emotions. That is, in fact, why they are used for rodeo. The calf in the rodeo event would not run if it wasn't afraid. It runs because it's afraid for its life."



"With its multiple incarnations, each with unique but equal levels of animal cruelty, this deceptive "sport" is consistently associated with America's romanticism of western culture" IMDb stated in their review.



Behind the scenes, the rodeo, a speciesist 'icon' of western culture, reveals systematic, legal and brutal animal cruelty masquerading as sport. Some traditions deserve to die.