By Susan Weidel, Best Friends Wyoming News Writer
Photo from AnimalWorld USA and BestFriends.org SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness), an Illinois non-profit organization founded in 1993, launched a major offensive against alleged cruelty at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo known as the
Daddy of ‘Em All. SHARK’s mission is to end abuse of all animals and expose the truth behind rodeos and bullfighting.
http://www.sharkonline.orgIn 2006, SHARK founder Steve Hindi (a former hunter and sportsman) contacted entertainers who had agreed to perform at Cheyenne Frontier Days. He provided packets of information and videos showing cruelty to rodeo animals including the illegal use of electric shock devices. SHARK contacted performers such as Carrie Underwood, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and most recently Matchbox Twenty. In 2006 Carrie Underwood withdrew from her scheduled performance at Frontier Days and in April 2008, Matchbox Twenty withdrew from an appearance scheduled for July, 2008.
On April 10th, Matchbox Twenty’s lead singer Rob Thomas issued a press release and stated: “…it would be impossible for us to put ourselves in the position of making money from what we believe to be the mistreatment of animals.” Thomas and his wife are the founders of
Sidewalk Angels Foundation, a non-profit organization which helps homeless people and animals.
On April 16, the situation escalated. Romeo Entertainment Group, Inc., a Nebraska company that books entertainers for Cheyenne Frontier Days filed a federal lawsuit against SHARK and Hindi. The lawsuit claims SHARK/Hindi “used false and misleading information and threats of negative publicity to intimidate and induce…” both Underwood and Matchbox Twenty to terminate their contracts with Frontier Days. Romeo Entertainment is seeking injunctive relief to stop SHARK/Hindi from contacting entertainers who have agreed to perform at Frontier Days. The lawsuit also seeks actual damages in excess of $100,000, punitive damages and attorneys fees and costs.
On that same day, after driving 900 miles from SHARK’s headquarters in Illinois, Steve Hindi called a press conference in Cheyenne. He showed his video clips from previous Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeos that were graphic enough to bring gasps from the assembled crowd. Hindi claimed that Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeos do not follow Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rules for the protection of animals. Hindi told the crowd that he did not want to end Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeos but to bring about more humane treatment of rodeo animals.
By the end of the week, Cheyenne Frontier Days announced it would impose stricter rules on the use of electric shock devices.
The lawsuit against SHARK/Hindi is still pending in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne.