PRCA Livestock Program Update
2015 PRCA Veterinarian Of The Year Nominations
Due September 1, 2015
Nominations for the 2015 PRCA Veterinarian of the year are Due September 1, 2015. Nomination forms and required information can be found by clicking here. Nominations may be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed.
Rodeo Livestock News
Stock Contractors Strive to Give Cowboys the Ride of Their Lives
East Oregonian
A cowboy at the top of his game is always a pleasure to watch at the rodeo, but the real magic doesn’t happen unless the animal he is riding is up to the challenge. It’s a challenge the Farm-City Pro Rodeo takes seriously. Cowboys voted last year’s Farm-City bucking horses the best in the country and this year’s stable looks just as strong. Full Story
What does it take to put on a Top Five Large Outdoor PRCA Rodeo and keep it in the top rankings year after year?
Idaho Press Tribune
For the past eight decades, Caldwell Night Rodeo has presented rodeo fans in the Treasure Valley with some of the best western cowboy entertainment in the country. And there’s a whole lot of work that goes into making it such a continuous success. A good share of that work goes on behind the scenes. Full Story
Restructuring the AQHA Steward Program
American Quarter Horse Association
Based on a recommendation from the AQHA Animal Welfare Commission, the AQHA steward program is being redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up. The AQHA Steward Task Force was appointed by the AQHA Executive Committee to assess the current program and develop ideas for enhancements. Full Story
Animal Health News
Livestock Disease Spreading North into Dakotas
Capitol Journal
BISMARCK – A highly contagious livestock disease that has spread from southern states as far north as South Dakota has officials concerned in North Dakota, where the illness hasn’t been diagnosed for nearly eight decades. Full Story
Seven Things You Need to Know About Equine Influenza
The Horse
Influenza epidemics in horses date as far back as 433 A.D. It only took 90 days for this epidemic to spread from Toronto, Canada, throughout the United States and as far south as Cuba. In an era when everything depended on transport via horse power, this had a staggering effect on daily life. Full Story
Vaccines Are Important Tools In Animal Ag
Feedstuffs Foodlink
Antibiotic use in food animal production is a contentious topic that is making mass media headlines more regularly. It is a topic that thrives because of fear and inaccuracies.
Understandably, this has led to a certain segment of the population overreacting to the extreme. Full Story
Four Confirmed Equine WNV Cases
California Department of Ag.
For 2015, a total of four (4) horses were confirmed positive for WNV. CDFA continually monitors and investigates equine neurologic cases for the presence of WNV in California. CDFA urges horse owners to consult their veterinarian concerning a WNV vaccination program to ensure maximum protection of their horses. Full Story
Animal Rights Articles
Opening Barn Doors Best Approach to Building Trust
Drovers
The use of undercover video investigations has been an effective strategy used by animal welfare groups to bring more public attention to their cause and influence food company policies as they relate to housing systems for pigs, chickens and cows. That may cause angst for some in the agriculture community. It is understandably frustrating for livestock producers when undercover video investigations portray animal abuse as common practice on America’s farms. It’s not. Full Story
HSUS’s Intimidation Tactics in Rhode Island
Humane Watch
When is a “Humane Society” not humane? When it launches a harassment campaign singling out a state senator. For over a month, Rhode Island State Senator Susan Sosnowksi has endured the bullying of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The radical animal-rights group has taken out full-page ads attacking the Senator, passed around inflammatory fliers in her hometown farmers market, and accused Sosnowski of “doing the bidding of animal abusers.” Full Story
Legislative News
How HSUS is Attempting to Ban Bacon & Eggs in Massachusetts
Beef Daily
Last week, I wrote about how a Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) veterinarian was appointed to serve on USDA’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health. This week, HSUS is up to trouble — this time picking on poultry and hog farmers. If HSUS has its way, pork and eggs will be banned from grocery stores in Massachusetts by 2020. Full Story
HSUS vet to serve on USDA’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health
Beef Magazine
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the names of the members who will serve on his Advisory Committee on Animal Health. Members of the panel will serve through June of 2017. The list of members includes a wide range of veterinarians, academics and livestock producers. Unfortunately, Vilsack took a misstep when he added Michael Blackwell, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) veterinarian. Full Story
Resources for Members and Committees
Please remember all of the resources the PRCA has to assist the membership in handling livestock issues and educating others about the care and handling of livestock in PRCA sanctioned events.
Please utilize the educational resources to educate others about rodeo livestock in schools, at your event, when you are promoting your event and with the media and elected officials. Additionally, there are resources for rodeo committees and veterinarians to help prepare for the care and handling of the livestock at PRCA events, addressing injuries, responding to inquires regarding the livestock and abiding by laws relating to rodeo.
Please email animalwelfare@prorodeo.com to get copies of these resources mailed to you.
Educational Resources:
Prorodeo.com Livestock Section Resources
Let’s Learn About Rodeo: downloadable booklet for kids
ProRodeo Livestock Booklet: educational booklet about rodeo livestock
Rodeolivestock.org: educational website about rodeo livestock
Committee Resource:
PRCA Rodeo Committee Guide to Livestock Welfare (Updated 11/14)
Provides checklists and resources to assist rodeo committees in preparing for their rodeo. Additionally, if you are on Facebook, ask to join the Pro Rodeo Livestock Group on Facebook for more timely updates on legislation and livestock welfare issues, click here to access that group and ask to be added.
Nominate your Veterinarian for PRCA Veterinarian of the Year
Veterinarian Resource:
Guide to Veterinary Service at PRCA Rodeos (Updated 11/14)
Provides checklists and other resources to help on-site rodeo veterinarians prepare for their duties.
Member Resource:
PRCA Guide to Livestock Welfare (Updated 11/14)
Provides information that will help PRCA members and rodeo royalty with information to assist in understanding livestock welfare issues and how the PRCA addresses them.
Animal Health Resources:
List of State Veterinarians
Those traveling with livestock should check with each state prior to entering to see their requirements for importation of livestock into that state.
EHV-1 Business Continuity Plan
A hands-on exercise designed to aid you in preventing a disease outbreak from hitting your bottom line.
About EHV-1
Learn more about EHV-1
Current Counties with Vesticular Stomatitis (VS) Quarantines
Track which States and Counties are Currently under Quarantine
NEW TIE DOWN ROPING RULE WENT INTO EFFECT ON JUNE 1, 2015
Background:
PRCA rules regarding the tie down roping event have been evolving through the years. The ultimate goal has been to have one rule at all PRCA rodeos addressing the jerk down of calves that protects the livestock while providing fair competition. An ad-hoc committee appointed by the PRCA Chairman of the Board met in February of 2015 and crafted a rule proposal that was then passed by the PRCA Board of Directors and will go into effect June 1, 2015.
The new rule regarding the jerk down will be in effect at ALL PRCA RODEOS that begin after June 1, 2015. These revised rules will replace the California Calf Roping Ground Rule, the No Jerk Down Policy and the optional no jerk down rule.
Overview: If a committee does nothing there will be a $150 fine to a contestant for a jerk down as defined in revised R11.6.5. If a committee prepares the cattle as outlined in revised R8.6 and has a scale available and a contestant that jerks a calf down as outlined in revised R11.6.5, the contestant will receive a no time for that run.
Scenario Number 1:
At a rodeo where all of these factors are in place:
a. the tie-down cattle are prepared by being roped and tied in a controlled environment from a horse three times at least 48 hours before scheduled competition, under the supervision of the Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his appointee. (Clarification – this happens once before the cattle are used in PRCA competition, not every time before a rodeo and can’t be done less than 48 hours before the competition in order to give the cattle at least two days to rest after preparation)
b: the Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his appointee attends the preparation and submits a report to the Director of Rodeo Administration with the tag numbers of the animals prepared per section one of this rule.
c: There is a scale available to weigh the cattle
and the contestant ” brings the animal over backwards (between 10 and 2 on a standard clock) with the animal landing on his back or head with all four feet in the air if the cattle”
The contestant will receive a no time for that run.
Scenario number two:
At a rodeo where:
a. The cattle are not prepared according to the factors above and/or there is not a scale available
and a contestant “brings the animal over backwards (between 10 and 2 on a standard clock) with the animal landing on his back or head with all four feet in the air if the cattle”
The contestant will receive a $150 fine for that run.
FULL TEXT OF RULES AS APPROVED BY PRCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Change R8.12.1 Tie-Down Roping Cattle.
1. Weight for tie-down roping animals shall be a minimum of 220 pounds and a maximum of 280 pounds with fresh tie-down roping animals not to exceed 260 pounds and must be healthy.
2. Any deviations must be approved by the Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his duly appointed designee and the Director of Rodeo Administration. 3. There can be no more than a 50-pound variation in weight from the smallest to the largest tie-down roping animal in a given herd. 4. The Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his appointee and a PRCA Judge must approve the cattle prior to the establishment of the herd. 5. If any individual tie-down roping animal does not meet the requirements, the Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his duly appointed designee has the right to remove immediately (but prior to the establishment of the “herd”) that tie-down roping animal from the herd for the duration of the rodeo, potentially subjecting the stock contractor to a fine per head for being short of the required number of cattle. 6. Failure of the PRCA member owner and/or committee to comply with the criteria listed above will result in the PRCA member owner and/or committee to be fined an amount equal to the shortage of livestock fines outlined in the Rulebook. 7. Judges have the authority to weigh the tie-down roping cattle. If the PRCA member owner refuses to allow weighing of the cattle the member will be fined for underweight cattle for the tie-down roping animals in question. 8. Adequate facilities that may include shelter, shade and bedding must be provided by the rodeo committee.
Change R11.6.5 No Jerk Down.
1. In the tie-down roping event a contestant will receive no-time for that run if he brings the animal over backwards (between 10 and 2 on a standard clock) with the animal landing on his back or head with all four feet in the air if the cattle are prepared as per Rule R8.6
2. If cattle are not prepared per Rule R8.6 the no time provision will be waived. The contestant will receive a $150 fine for the infraction.
3. The Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his appointee must approve the length of the score.
4. At a two judge rodeo if the field flagger is in doubt he may confer with the line judge and if the line judge is not definitive there is not a jerk down violation.
5. At a rodeo that has three judges, the third judge is responsible for calling the jerk down. If the judge is in doubt he may confer with the field flagger and if the field flagger is not definitive there is not a jerk down violation.
6. A no time provision also requires the committee to have scales available to weigh the tie down animals.
Change R8.6 Preparation of Tie-Down Roping Cattle.
1. Tie-down roping cattle must be prepared by being roped and tied in a controlled environment from a horse three times at least 48 hours before scheduled competition, under the supervision of the Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his appointee.
2. The Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his appointee will attend the preparation and submit a report to the Director of Rodeo Administration with the tag numbers of the animals prepared per section one of this rule.
ADD R8.6.1 Fresh Cattle
Stock contractor and/or rodeo committee must notify PROCOM prior to position callbacks if fresh tie-down roping cattle will be used at the rodeo. Failure to notify PROCOM that the tie-down roping cattle will be fresh, and the time set for tying the tie-down roping animals, will subject the stock contractor and/or rodeo committee to a fine of $25 per tie-down roping animal not tied.
Tie-down roping cattle prepared at a location other than the location of the rodeo without approval and full knowledge of the Tie-down Roping Event Representative and the Director of Rodeo Administration will result in a $25 fine per animal to the stock contractor and $25 per animal to the rodeo committee.
Add R8.6.2 Tie Down of Tie-Down Roping Animals
The Tie-down Roping Event Representative or his duly appointed designee has the authority to tie-down roping animals that have already been roped in competition tying them no more than three times unless otherwise approved by the stock contractor and/or judge. This must occurno less than two hours prior to competition with a judge present. The time for preparation must be designated and reported to PROCOM. If no PRCA members show up to tie down the cattle, the preparation will be cancelled and not rescheduled.
Courtesy of PRCA