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Warkworth Rodeo will push ahead with cattle events despite continuing concerns over the spread of the disease Mycoplasma bovis.
Following advice from the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), the Warkworth A&P Show has cancelled its cattle section and local schools have dropped calf-rearing classes from their annual Ag Days to avoid spreading M. bovis, which causes mastitis, abortion, pneumonia and arthritis in cattle.
But the president of the New Zealand Cowboys Rodeo Association, Lyal Cocks, says MPI has declined to exert pressure on rodeos to abandon cattle events.
Instead, the association is working alongside MPI and the New Zealand Veterinary Association to develop guidelines to ensure rodeos do not spread the disease.
Mr Cocks says most stock supplied to rodeos comes from specialist contractors whose animals are unaffected by the disease.
Occasionally, a limited supply of stock might come from local farms, but this would be strictly segregated from the contracted stock and from each other.
Stockyards will be disinfected before accommodating stock from a different source.
Mr Cocks says the situation of rodeos is quite different from a school Ag Day, where calves may come from 10 different farms and it would be impossible to stop them mingling.
Cattle events at this year’s Warkworth Rodeo will include:
• Junior Steer Ride – contestants under 15 years old will attempt to ride a steer for 6 seconds.
• Bull Ride – contestants attempt to ride a bull that is over two years old for 8 seconds.
• Steer Wrestling – contestants leap off a horse, grab a steer by the horns and wrestle it to the ground
• Team Roping – two contestants on horseback rope a steer’s horns and back legs.
A spokesperson for MPI confirmed the ministry had not exerted any pressure on rodeos to end cattle events.
“While the focus of the M. bovis response is phased eradication, rodeos are an important part of New Zealand society and, provided everyone taking part strictly adheres to biosecurity and hygiene guidelines, the risk of spreading M. bovis is low,” the spokesperson said.
“It is up to the individual cattle owners and event organisers to decide whether they are comfortable with the risks and mitigation steps.”
The Warkworth Rodeo takes place at the Warkworth Showgrounds on January 1.
