Ensuring safety regulations are met at rodeos is a complex task that requires a great deal of attention and care. Unlike other high-risk sports such as soccer or hockey, rodeo athletes are independent contractors and are responsible for their own safety precautions. In Bossier City, Louisiana, a nightclub has recently closed its doors after nearly two decades, and families of minors participating in rodeos at high schools have even gone so far as to sue the rodeos for not requiring passengers to wear helmets or other protective gear. For instance, a bull escaped and jumped over the barricade at a rodeo in Edmonton, landing in the middle of the public.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) has strict guidelines for overseeing the welfare of rodeo animals and maintaining their safety. In recent years, campaigns to protect rodeo riders and clowns (also known as bullfighters) through the use of basic safety equipment and practices have gained great momentum. To ensure that these safety measures are taken seriously, rodeos should invest in security personnel and coordinate with local police and hospitals to respond to crises in an expedited manner. Additionally, to protect rodeo organizers from claims filed by competitors and bullfighters, participants' liability coverage is available from McGowan Allied Specialty Insurance. This coverage is tailored to the specific needs of rodeos when it comes to the liability of participants, the public and animals. In order to ensure that all safety regulations are met at rodeos, it is important for organizers to take all necessary precautions.
This includes investing in security personnel, coordinating with local police and hospitals, and providing liability coverage for participants. Animal rights groups have also taken action against rodeos that do not take proper safety measures, such as when a video surfaced showing a rodeo employee using a picana to shock horses before a Broncos horse riding competition. It is essential that all safety regulations are followed in order to protect both the participants and the animals involved in these events.