Houston Rodeo suspends Northeastern Trailriders Association after two horses die on ride in
Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show staff bans riding group from the grounds Northeast Trailriders Association Officials said they gave up participating in Saturday’s parade after two of their horses died during their journey there.
Anthony Bruno, the patron of the mostly black fraternity, confirmed that two of his riders’ horses had died, but said those at the rodeo overreacted by banning the group from the parade. About 115 people traveled with the group on a roughly 100-mile trip from Cheek, Texas, near Beaumont, he said.
“It’s very disappointing, especially considering the money you invested during the week and the time you prepared to do this,” Bruno said. “My people are crying because they can’t go downtown.”
The association’s website states that the association was “established in 1982 to preserve the heritage of the African American west and to promote educational awareness of our roles in agribusiness, trail riding, rodeo and horsemanship.” The group has hosted the march to the Houston Rodeo since 1996, Bruno said.
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Rodeo officials said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle that the decision was “guided by our established participation requirements and animal welfare policy” and that “the health, safety and welfare of both animals and riders remains our top priority.” According to the rodeo, the association has the right to participate in the trail ride and parade next year.
Hundreds of Trail rides with thousands of participants begin before the rodeo startsSome groups travel hundreds of miles toward Houston.
The rodeo’s animal welfare policy states that rodeo management may disqualify participants who do not meet animal safety standards, according to language in a handbook shared with the Houston Chronicle by rodeo staff and distributed to trail riding associations.
A horse died Friday after a young rider accidentally left the animal in a trailer with the windows closed, resulting in the horse’s body temperature reaching 109 degrees, Bruno said.
Bruno said a second horse died later that day after it began suffering from stomach cramps and colic at the association’s campground. He did not know the cause of death but said equine virus may have played a role.
After Bruno notified rodeo staff about the deaths, an official told him in a phone call Friday night that his association would not be able to attend the parade, he said. Criticizing the decision as harsh, he said the deaths of the horses were related to temperatures reaching the mid-80s on Friday. He said both horses were about 20 years old.
“That’s just the way it is, and it’s a natural thing for horses to overheat and die,” Bruno said.
Rodeo staff said they were unaware of any other trail riding groups whose horses had died this year and were urging other group leaders to check. Bruno said in a post on social media, without any evidence, that “several” other groups had also lost their horses.
Instead of a parade, members of the Northeast Trailriders Association moved to Bruno’s Triangle 7 Arena in Northeast Houston for their own ride, said Bruno, the arena’s owner.
“Today we will still ride horses and celebrate our history and culture,” he said.
This article was first published at: Houston Rodeo suspends Northeast Trailriders Association after two horses die while riding.
