National High School Finals Rodeo Victims are Injured, Shocked, and Brutalized
"All the cruelty and abuse they said wouldn't happen is happening," said Steve Hindi, SHARK President, on the first day of the NHSFR 2006.
All the photos and video on this page were taken at the National High School Finals Rodeos in Springfield, IL.
SHOCKING
"You won't find a prod on a show or rodeo floor." -Dr. John O'Keefe, NHSFR Veterinary Committee Co-Chair.
Watch SHARK's video exposing this lie as animals are shocked at the 2006 NHSFR in violation of the Humane Care for Animals Act. Find Dr. O'Keefe's statement and other NHSRA propaganda rebutted by SHARK here.
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STABBING
Not only do animals in rodeos get shocked with thousands of volts, have their tails twisted and raked over steel bars, have painful buck straps yanked, now rodeo thugs are stabbing the animals with coat hanger wires!
See these criminal acts caught on tape! (6 minutes)
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INJURIES
"No animals were injured."
So says Kent Sturman, Executive Director of the National High School Rodeo Association, regarding the NHSRA 2006 Finals.
This is nothing but lies and more lies from the NHSRA. CLICK HERE to see SHARK's footage of numerous injuries at the 2006 Finals Rodeo.
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GOAT TYING
Rodeos never tire of find more ways to terrorize baby animals. The abuse of 3-4 month old calves is routine at rodeos, and now you can see the moronic and brutal torment of baby goats at NHSFR by clicking HERE.
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ILLINOIS-SPONSORED ABUSE
Click here to see SHARK's shocking video footage taken at the National High School Finals Rodeo in 2000 and 2001.
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FOUL ROPING TRAUMA
SHARK has repeatedly addressed the serious concern of foul roping with the Illinois Ag Department officials in charge of enforcing the Humane Care Act. But when the corrupt and incompetent Ag Department failed to heed humane guidelines for foul-roped animals, SHARK documented the traumas of foul-roping seen HERE.
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Mac users: If you have trouble viewing these videos you can download a free QuickTime plug-in here.
Below are SHARK's accounts along with photos from our daily documentation at the NHSFR in 2006. Although Illinois Ag Department officials were notified throughout the week-long rodeo about abuses and violations, no one charged with enforcing the humane rules did anything to stop the cruelty.
July 24, 2006
Brutality was the order of the day for the opening of the National High School Finals Rodeo in Springfield, Illinois. At the minimum, one calf and two steers were injured.
One rodeo vet assured that there would be no use of the electric prod--there was. Calves were foul roped and took some very bad spills. Check back to IllinoisCorruption.com as this site exposes the cruelty and corruption of the "Land of Lincoln" and its Governor Rod Blagojevich, who pushed for the return of this spectacle that is cruel and dangerous to animals.
This horse tries frantically to escape the torment of the chute.
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Shame on Governor Blagojevich for sponsoring abuse! 
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No baby animal deserves to be traumatized for entertainment. 
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How many young steers must be injured before Illinois stops paying these abusers? 
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Day 2: July 25, 2006
At the end of each day of the 2006 Finals, SHARK sent a report to Dr. O'Keefe, the person in charge of head of Animal Protection at the Ag. Department, detailing the offenses by rodeo contestants and organizers. The Department's response has been to do absolutely nothing and deny any abuse by the rodeo people. (Read Dr. O'Keefe's responses to SHARK reports here.)
SHARK has previously been assured that there would be 24/7 monitoring of the rodeo by the Ag Department and any violations of the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act would be dealt with immediately.
Illinois Ag. Dept. Director Chuck Hartke's record on enforcing animal abuse laws is exemplified here. 
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We won't stoop to disparaging monkeys for a comparison, but this is clearly an instance of "see no evil, hear no evil." Cosy corruption doesn't get much more blatant than listening to Chuck Hartke, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, bantering with the rodeo folks in the announcers booth at the NHSRF. Over the loudspeakers Director Hartke oozed on about his love and admiration for rodeo. "Conflict of Interest" for the protection of animals doesn't begin to cover it.
Clearly the state officials under Governor Blagojevich have no intent of doing their job either for the animals or the people they are supposed to protect. During the second evening�s performance, Steve Hindi was approached and harrassed by a man with the rodeo. The Rodeo Thug was insistent that Steve must have a �press pass� to continue videoing the performance.
Since SHARK had explicitly cleared our right to document the NHSRF with authorities long before the event started, Steve was rightly firm about continuing to film. The harrassment escalated to the point of Steve being shoved in the shoulder.
Steve was directly told by Captain Wolf of the Illinois State Police to call a certain phone number should we experience any harrassment, and that is exactly what he did. The report was made and Steve was assured the police would arrive promptly. The Rodeo Thug departed and was not seen again. Two hours went by and the police never showed up. Read the letter Steve sent to the Director of the State Police regarding these appalling matters here.
So far the state of Illinois has paid more than $209,0000, mobilized extra police forces, and even a pricey helicopter, to bring the NHSRF to Springfield. 
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With attendance this dismal, why is the Governor giving so much money for the "privilege" of the rodeo? Why pay for cruelty no one else wants to see? 
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Day 3: July 26, 2006
"Tail-twisting, pulling and raking over fences when an animals is in a chute or just as the chute is being opened will not be permitted."
-David R. Bromwell, Bureau Chief, Bureau of Animal Welfare, 2002
Protection laws mean nothing unless they are enforced.
Demand action to uphold the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act!
If "Bulls are Born to Buck" then why must they be tormented to perform? 
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Photos: Horse Misery-- Shocking, InjuriesPhotos: Wire Stabbing of AnimalsPhotos: Goat TyingPhotos: Foul RopingPhoto: More Injured AnimalsGolf Cart CowboysIllinois Corruption
