Rodeo animals are treated kindly and with respect

Rodeo represents a reasonable and acceptable form of animal use to the tens of thousands of participants and to the millions of people who attend rodeos each year. People are not attracted to rodeos, unless they like animals.Healthy and strong animals are essential to a quality performance. Many of the animals involved in rodeos are doing what they enjoy and they are treated well doing it. In many cases, rodeo animals are treated better than some house pets and live the lifestyle of a celebrity or star.Rodeos help to teach its participants to enjoy, respect and appreciate all creatures. Many articles have been published about rodeo people and how they enjoy and respect their animal athletes. Stock contractors brag how great their horses and bulls are and how important they are to them. This is evidenced by the number of rodeo animals inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame.Rodeo also gives our youth a positive and goal-setting lifestyle to look up to. Many sports in today's society definitely do not fit the bill in that regard. Rodeo people set examples of honesty, good sportsmanship and all that our Western heritage was built on.Individuals, like Katie Cather Journal, March 25, should get the facts and stop promoting opinions that are based on ignorance of the sport of rodeo.Linda Burdick, Executive Director, Friends of Rodeo, Inc. Merced