Aug. 27, 2013 

Watch the video of this story and the horse being abused here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmxTYtRnjpg

On June 28, 2013, Reno resident, Ellie Lopez-Bowlan, who was attending the 2013 Reno Rodeo, in Reno, Nevada, witnessed something that has shaken her life.  She saw one of the rodeo horses being tortured by men who were hitting him, pinching him, and using small electrical prods on his abdomen. The most revolting act was the use of a long wire that was shoved into his anus and this was followed by a very long yellow electric prod.  The horse was shocked with the yellow prod, yelled, and bucked violently.

Mrs. Lopez-Bowlan reached out to SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) and shared her story and video with us. SHARK is now attempting to help her find this horse so she can rescue him from a life full of abuse and torture.

"My husband and I were looking forward to spending an evening at the Reno Rodeo, but as we walked to our seats, we saw a horse being tortured," states Mrs. Lopez-Bowlan. "I could not believe what was happening. I yelled at them to stop, but they didn't. They just kept hurting that poor horse. I am still haunted by what I saw."

Dr. Peggy Larson, retired large animal veterinarian and former bareback bronc rodeo competitor, released the following statement after viewing the video of the abuse:

"Speaking from my experience working with both rodeo and ranch horses while I was a large animal veterinarian, poking a wire into the anus is troubling. Not only could the wire perforate the anus but it could enter the rectum and perforate the interior of the large bowel. Bowel perforation would most likely lead to the horse's death from infection."

Mrs. Lopez-Bowlan was so deeply affected by the plight of that unnamed horse, whom she has decided to call "Freedom," that she became determined to find the owner of the horse and buy him. Mrs. Lopez-Bowlan's husband, Steven, called the stock contractor of record for the Reno Rodeo, Cotton Rosser, and spoke to his daughter. This began the run-around that Mrs. Lopez-Bowlan would find herself in. Rosser, the sub-contractor they were told owned the horse, and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), which supposedly regulates rodeos, will not help her.

"The violence inflicted upon this horse was not an isolated event," states SHARK President Steve Hindi. "We have filmed horses and other animals being abused in rodeos from one end of the country to the other. The torture this one horse went through has shattered the myth about how animals are treated in rodeos." SHARK is calling on the PRCA, which acts as a public relations firm for the rodeo industry, to end their stonewalling and help Mrs. Lopez-Bowlan get Freedom.

"I can't get the images of what they did to that beautiful horse out of my mind," states Mrs. Lopez-Bowlan. "I just want to protect this one animal, to save him from a life of physical abuse, and to give him a loving and safe home."

 Contact: Steve Hindi – 630 640 1889/Stuart Chaifetz – 856 428 2635