Professional rodeo in this country is governed by strict rules and a code of practice for animal welfare — look it up on the Australian Professional Rodeo Association’s website.

Rodeo stock are looked after by their owners better than racehorses or any other animals used for animal sport.

You only have to go and look at them at a rodeo and you will see.

Permits to conduct a rodeo are issued by the Department of Environment and Sustainability from the Animal Welfare Department.

There is also a requirement for committees to have a qualified vet and an RSPCA inspector in attendance.

All the rodeo stock can only be handled by an accredited stock contractor.

As for calf roping; we do not rope calves in Victoria, only grown steers.

As for the horses and bulls being happy on the farm, well they are, that’s where they go back to and are looked after better than most farm animals and definitely better than a lot of domestic animals in our community.

The APRA senior animal welfare officer, Steve Bradshaw, is a former NSW Police assistant commissioner — look him up, he will answer your misleading beliefs very well.

I have been running Chiltern Pro Rodeo for 15 years, and in that time no animals have been hurt.

Thirteen years ago a group asked me to help them organise a rodeo in Beechworth to be part of the Golden Horse Shoes Festival.

— KELVIN DUKE,

President, Chiltern Rodeo Club