About 100 protesters also turned out at Warkworth rodeo near Auckland calling for a council ban. Earlier this year SAFE claimed its first victory after the Northland Mid Northern Rodeo Club canceled its rodeo due to financial pressures. “Every year at the Wanaka rodeo, normally docile animals are bullied, abused or killed by so-called ‘cowboys,’” SAFE spokesman Will Appelbe said. In the last few years major businesses such as Foodstuffs, Meridian Energy and House of Travel have withdrawn their sponsorship from rodeo events over animal welfare concerns, causing many clubs to struggle financially. New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association president Lyall Cocks said vets are on duty at every event, monitoring animals welfare and removing any animals from competition that display signs of stress.
