Jeanete Zanotto, Faces of the Rodeo (Documentary/Photojournalism (ATEP 2017))

Aussie tradition or cruel spectator sport? The rodeo has been a popular form of entertainment in rural Australia for generations. A showcase of the skills of the working stockman, events like bull riding, steer wrestling and bucking broncs augur a day of high energy, action, emotion, thrills and spills, and extreme strength and courage. But the rodeo’s place in the modern era is under challenge. Condemned by animal welfare groups as cruel, exploitative and a “barbaric practice that must be outlawed”, and banned in the ACT, Britain and parts of the US and Europe, the rodeo is at a crossroads. The use of flank straps, electric prods and spurs is controversial, as is the event of calf roping, where young calves are lassoed at speed and dropped to the ground, causing fear, injury and distress. Already banned in South Australia and Victoria, there are now calls for a ban on calf roping to extend Australia-wide following research late last year confirming an acute stress response in animals subjected to it. Is it time to evolve? The rodeo’s place in Australian culture and identity is undeniable. But there is a cost. The faces tell the story.

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