Rodeo association assisting RSPCA with Warwick investigation

UPDATE MIDDAY: The Australian Professional Rodeo Association has confirmed it is assisting the RSPCA with its investigation into the incident at the Warwick Rodeo involving an injured bull.

An association spokesman revealed members were devastated over the loss of the bull and gave assurances that those involved in the incident were "deeply concerned for the animal's welfare".

"These types of injuries and circumstances are extremely rare and the APRA continues to monitor and improve the safety standards and condition for both contestants and livestock alike," he said.

"The Warwick Show and Rodeo Society president said that under these unfortunate circumstances he believed that everything that could have been done to care for the animal was undertaken and that the veterinarian in attendance is in agreeance with the way the situation was handled."

The spokesman said he did not expect the incident to adversely impact on future rodeos at Warwick.

YESTERDAY: RSPCA Queensland CEO Mark Townend has expressed his horror at an incident involving a bull at the Warwick Rodeo.

The bull appeared to break its leg after falling when coming out of the chute. It then took nearly 30 minutes for the animal to be removed from the arena for eventual euthanasia.

Mr Townend is calling for sponsors such as Big W, Norco, Theiss and Bundaberg Rum to boycott future rodeos.

"We're calling on people to do to rodeo sponsors what they did to sponsors of Alan Jones' radio program. Let these companies know how you feel about animal cruelty," he said.

RSPCA Queensland's Inspectorate is currently investigating the incident.

MONDAY: STEVE Hilton from the Australian Professional Rodeo Association has struck back at a complaint made by Animals Australia over the treatment of a bull which broke its leg at the Warwick Rodeo on the weekend.

He said those people involved in the incident did everything they could within their powers to keep the situation under control.

Animals Australia executive director Glenys Oogjes said as soon as the bull was injured, it should have been immediately restrained and euthanized.

However Mr Hilton said this kind of action was not suitable at the time.

"You can't just run into the ring with 5000 people surrounding it and let off a firearm," Mr Hilton said.

"If the bull was to go down and stay down then the situation would have been handled differently.

"But it's clear from the video that the bull was distressed and when they are moving around like that you have to be wary of everyone's safety.

"What we did with the ute was to try and slowly move the bull out of the arena where we could get him to a safe place.

"We don't deny it doesn't look bad, and it was, it's always bad when an animal injures itself but these kinds of accidents are rare in rodeo."

Mr Hilton said the organisation would fight the complaint.

"For sure (we will fight the complaint). There was no negligence whatsoever," he said.

MONDAY: ORGANISERS of the Warwick Rodeo have come under fire from Animals Australia after they were criticised for disgraceful treatment of a bull when it broke its leg at the event on Saturday.

Animals Australia will lodge a formal complaint for breaches of Queensland animal protection laws after the incident.

Video footage shows the bull, called Destination Unknown, falling and ditching its rider as soon as it comes out of the chute.

When it gets up it is clear that its back leg or hip is broken. It falls repeatedly, dragging the leg and collapsing on it a number of times.

Animals Australia executive director Glenys Oogjes said attempts to restrain the bull over the next 30 minutes were dismal, not only prolonging the animal's pain and suffering but constituting multiple breaches of Queensland animal cruelty laws.

"As soon as the bull was injured, he should have been immediately restrained and euthanized," Mrs Oogjes said.

"Instead he was taunted in clumsy attempts to shepherd him out of the arena despite the terrible injury causing him to collapse repeatedly.

"At one stage a ute was driven into the arena to push him out but the clearly agitated bull charged at the ute a number of times, with such force its wheels were lifted off the ground. Eventually other bulls were brought into the arena to herd the injured bull out, only adding to his distress as one of them jumped on top of his injured leg.

Queensland's rodeo laws are the weakest in Australia, despite it having the most rodeo events.

"Despite clearly being unfit for transport, the injured animal was then forced up a ramp onto a truck, some 30 minutes after his ordeal began. Transporting unfit animals is an offence under Queensland law."

Animals Australia said the failure of rodeo organisers to render immediate, effective assistance to prevent further suffering of the injured bull breaches multiple clauses of the Queensland Animal Care and Protection Act 2001.

"This is the second such incident to have occurred at Queensland rodeos in as many months, with a steer breaking his leg at the Mt Carbine rodeo and being dragged from the arena rather than being euthanized immediately," Mrs Oogjes said.

"Queensland's rodeo laws are the weakest in Australia, despite it having the most rodeo events. Queensland still allows calf roping, an event that has been banned on cruelty grounds in two states, and there is no requirement for a vet to attend every rodeo event, nor is there mandatory reporting of injuries.

"Community attitudes about the treatment of animals are changing. Few would argue that the injury, fear, distress and extended aggravated suffering caused to 'Destination Unknown' is a justifiable form of entertainment.

"In their defence the rodeo industry is likely to argue that injury rates are low but given it is not mandatory to record injuries in Queensland, this will be a moot point.

"Regardless, the risk of injuries is only one aspect. No-one can suggest that animals involved in rodeo events are not inherently distressed which is cruel in itself. This is 2012, surely as a society we can now agree that it is unacceptable to subject animals to cruelty and distress for our own amusement."

Topics:  bull, injured, rodeo, warwick