The Wall Street Journal takes time off from breathlessly covering the market fluctuations today by taking note of an interesting, and divisive, horse race in Washington. The Omak Suicide Race is a 70-year-old horseback downhill sprint that simultaneously celebrates the participants' heritages as "horse-warriors" and infuriates animal right activists for the high amount of danger for the animals involved: At a time when states are banning cockfights and testing cosmetics on animals is considered politically incorrect, the Suicide Race is a surprising holdout. It is one of a handful of tourist attractions around the world that draw crowds to watch animals fighting each other or facing extreme danger.
The Omak Suicide Race manages to hold on because of tradition and also the economic boost it delivers for the city. The fact that the Colville Tribes claim the horse race as a link to their Indian heritage adds an extra dimension to the debate.
Animal-rights groups have been pushing for an end to the race for about 25 years, during which at least 21 horses, including Chavez, have died. Three horses died in the 2004 race. Riders are sometimes injured in collisions, but no riders have died in decades.
The race does bring in lots of money ($6 million+) for the community, so tradition and spirituality aren't the only reasons fans of the race are bent on keeping the plummet alive. But money and tradition have been the impetuses for the continuation of many negative (understatement alert!) things before; slavery and Jim Crow come to mind, among others. So how do you feel, AOL commenters: should the Omak Suicide Race be put out to pasture? Or should PETA and PAWS and other similarly acronymed organizations stay out of the local folks' -- especially Native Americans' -- business?
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. This is a race that has no place in modern society. "The one thing I will not let a horse do is suffer," says the 31-year-old Colville Indian. What a stupid comment. He recklessly engages in a moronic race that breaks his horse's back, then shows how merciful he is by shooting the horse. This isn't culture, it's merely an attempt to make a dollar. If the town and tribe are so anxious to make money, why don't they join the civilized world and open a casino?
Posted at 5:59PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Martin
2. This is a cruel and inhumane practice - this race should be stopped. Its no different to dog fighting and animal abuse - the horses are forced to endure dangerous speeds down periless terrain - it should be stopped now before any more horses have to die in a senseless, inhumane way
Posted at 7:55PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Tracey
3. Here's an even worse abuse of horses:
"You're in the front row. A bony Arabian mare stands so close you can see the scars on her flanks, and the terror in her eyes. Three men on horseback swoop down on the mare, chasing her with swinging lariats, until she's galloping 25 miles an hour. Each time the mare races round the ring, a fourth man aims a rope at the mare's forelegs. The goal: to topple her to the ground, and win points.
This mare has already been lassoed several times - those scars you saw were rope burns that carved away inches of her flesh. But this time the mare won't get up again. She crashes head over heels, breaks her leg, and is euthanized.
The Painful Reality
During horse-tripping events, also known as piales en lienzo, contestants score points for literally tripping horses, bulls, or steers. (1) With the use of electric prods, Mexican cowboys or “charros” force the animals into full gallop and then lasso their hind legs or forelegs, causing the animals to come crashing down to the ground. (2) Witnesses have noted that charros continue to trip animals until they’re lame. (3)
Thousands of American horses are severely injured at Mexican-style rodeos each year. “Charros keep tripping horses until they're lame, or until the season's up and the go to the slaughter," says Cathleen Doyle, president of the California Equine Council, which promotes responsible horsemanship. “Horses break legs, necks and teeth. They fracture their shoulders, and batter their knees and hocks. You can see deep gashes on their faces, shoulders, hips, legs and heels. The ropes often burn their flesh down to the bone.” Mike Ross, animal service director for Contra Costa County states, “It's unpredictable. There's an inherent risk of seriously injuring the horse's legs. When that happens, you may end up destroying the animal.” (4)
Doyle, who has observed about ten charreada rodeos, kept tabs on 78 horses one charro group rented. “At the end of the five-to-six-month season, only two horses remained intact. All the rest had gone to slaughter.” She adds that some charros buy their own horses, and trip them until they're lame. Injured horses rarely receive veterinary care.
Most charreada is private, “backyard” sport: 300 or fewer people watching six or seven horses dodge the rope. About 1,500 people typically attend the larger charreadas. Charros prefer small, lightweight horses like Arabs because they are easier to bring down.
Fighting for a Ban
Charros claim that they are not trying to harm the horses and that they only bring a horse down one out of every ten tries. However, horse-tripping is so cruel that it has been banned in several U.S. states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, in film and TV production, by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and by the American Quarter Horse Association. (4) Citizens are fighting for a ban in other states. However, like bullfighting, horse tripping has been a part of the Mexican culture for centuries. A tiny percentage of Hispanics have tripped horses in the U.S. for decades and claim cultural imperialism when confronted with the cruelty. However, Doyle responds, “If other industries were tripping horses and we told the charros they couldn’t, we’d be discriminating. But movies and TV banned horse-tripping over 50 years ago. Even the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the American Quarter Horse Association don't allow it.”
However, in the states where horse-tripping is banned, it’s only considered a misdemeanor. The current laws have not eradicated tripping; they've only reduced it. While the $1,000 fine and the risk of six months in jail has curbed the practice of horse-tripping at large charreadas, at the many small events, the practice has only decreased. (5) “Much of the horse-tripping that was going on in the large commercial venues has stopped,” Doyle says. “Before, every week we were seeing mangled horses back from the charreadas. Now we see them only rarely.” Doyle feels that more people would obey the law if horse-tripping were a felony.
Before Illinois outlawed horse-tripping, State Representative Terry Parke said, “In a few months, we legislators will attend a charreada to watch horse tripping. Once we see the tripping ourselves, we'll decide whether to bring the bill (to ban tripping) out of committee for a vote.”
The charros would know when their lawmakers were watching - and Doyle predicted they'd be on their best behavior. However, Gabriel Lopez, lobbyist for the Illinois Federation of Charros, reassured, “We’ve invited lawmakers to come see that we don't hurt our horses. We’ll conduct our rodeo the same whether they're there or not.” Doyle counters, “In California, whenever the press or general public tried to witness tripping, the charros dropped the rope. They would not bring the horses down.”
http://www.idausa.org/facts/horsetripping.html
Posted at 9:58PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Martin
4. some traditions have an experitation date. THIS IS ONE OF THEM. This is gross! shame on the people who participate on this disgraceful event.
Posted at 11:30PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Ana
5. I like horse racing but not this kind.
Posted at 11:44PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Ashley
6. I do not like this at all! and i think people should stop doing this, but not all horse racing bad i'm the biggest horse racing fan out there, i just dont want all of you people out there to think all horse racing is bad because it's not, the normal horse racing is great the people are having fun and so are the horses, i know theres people out there that dont think the same way that i do but most of them dont know any thing about horse racing any way, just because they see the jockey whipping them they think it's abusive, well it's not!
Posted at 12:04AM on Aug 12th 2007 by Sarah
7. This hideous display of arrogance and indifference to the fate of the horses, is on a par with the Iditarod, the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona and other such sadistic events that really have only money and the income derived from the exploitation of innocent animals as their "raison d'etre". The "tradition" excuse is just that! And Omak, is nothing more than a self-serving and self-aggrandizing competition in which the animals, who have everything to lose, have no say at all. As for the "spectators", they are the same ones, who in the old days cheered at public hangings.
Many traditions have bitten the dust, because as society evolves such practices are seen for what they are, the vestiges of archaic superstitions and rituals that have no place in today's world because they are cruel and inhumane. But, "boys will be boys"... and unfortunately, a real passage into manhood is not even on their horizon. For them, empathy and compassion is a sign of weakness. So, these unevolved, emotional lilliputians will continue to do what they do until laws are passed banning such vile events. Let's pray it will be soon!
Posted at 4:45PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Zelda Penzel
8. This horse "race" is the equine equivalent of dog fighting. It exposes horses to a needless risk of serious injury purely for entertainment purposes. If the participants really want a thrill, why don't they require "bareback" riding. Then we'll see whether or not the horses are choosing to ride down the cliff and into the water.
Posted at 1:45PM on Aug 13th 2007 by steve rei
9. I am horrified to think that this race has been occurring in our country for so long! I own and have trained my horses for eventing, and the advanced forms of this competition has come under scrutiny, as has foxhunting as being cruel. This race is in the same category as bullfighting, which I don't condone either. Why send these horses to a death like this? Indians don't fight on horseback anymore -- to any great extent. So there's no need to prove who has the bravest horse. This is senseless, and any people who derive pride from doing this to their horses are rationalizing their cruelty. That's all it can possibly be -- cruelty to one of the noblest animals we have.
Posted at 4:29PM on Aug 13th 2007 by Marci Juett
10. First, the race was "invented" by a furniture salesman. Check the facts. Second - you do not have to be an "animal rights activist" or PETA person to know this is horrific. As someone who has been around horses for over 35 years, I can tell you there is nothing that is remotely sportsmanlike or Indian traditional about it. And no, I am not a starry eyed romatice about horses, either.
Why is it that if anyone steps up and says, "Gee, it's wrong to burn, beat, starve, mistreat, or in this case gallop horses off what is essentially a cliff" they are immediately, and negatively branded "animal rights activist". It's 2007 people. It's enough. Yes, they do have the right to be treated decently. And the Omak suicide race is not even close to decent. Note the word "Suicide. I have never known a horse who wanted to commit suicide - yet in this race only the horses get killed.
Those "men"? "Sissies" to use the nice word - if that's how they prove their manhood by terribly mistreating an animal who has no choice. Ever heard the term - that person shouldn't have a dog, or cat, etc? Well, there are many people who shouldn't have the privelege of owning a horse.
Posted at 7:48PM on Aug 13th 2007 by T Stewart
11. Holly, gentle person... I sometimes respond for the Jockey’s Association. That’s why Kyle referred you to me.
The members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are not ‘horse killers,’ but rather a prideful horse culture. The horse was responsible for bringing our people together then finally as we were gathered bringing us to this prison, the Colville Reservation. But, we never lost our pride and we never stopped being ‘at one with’ the horse. All our ancestors rode proud. The only picture I have of my great grand father Chief Skolaskin, the Dreamer he is seated upon his horse. My grandfather Alex Nicholson, said to be 95 years old when he died (some think he was a lot older), rode until nearly the day he died. He spoke very little English, but he knew horses and he knew cattle that he would range in non-offensive low stressful ways, Indian ways, by always being near the herd and thinking like the cattle would think. They followed him. He didn’t cut, pick, rope, brand, herd, electric prod, whip, hog tie, etc. like non-Indian cattlemen still do. No, Indian people have different ways and treat their animals as one of them. And, believe me it takes a lot of caring to raise horses.
Saturday night I was proud to see our Indian men ride into the Stampede rodeo arena, showing off their horses before the race, many of them painted with Medicine Wheels and ancient spirit symbols honoring both the riders and the horse’s lineage. Most of the men wore Eagle Feather’s in their hair and some tied on the horse main and they wore colorful ribbon shirts, depicting a time when our native people were so poor living on reservations that we couldn’t afford trade beads and they couldn’t hunt. Our reservation is surrounded on three sides by rivers. So to go hunt buffalo as we once did, we first had to swim the river with our horses, thus that part of the race is natural. The Okanogan River where the Suicide Race is held is the boarder of the reservation.
Chief Joseph, who is buried not far from here, perhaps 2.2 miles once stymied 5,000 U.S. Calvary Troops leading them on a 1,500 mile chase. Eventually captured Chief Joseph and his followers who didn’t die in the War the Nez Perce, including most the other Chiefs, were imprisoned in Okalahoma before Chief Moses invited them to come live with us. At the time, Chief Moses recalls the Colville’s at Nespelem possessing a 1,500 head herd of horses in Nespelem Valley. There are many tales of Chief Moses exploits as a horse champion.
The Suicide Race was not unlike Indian horse racing held at every Indian encampment for the last 300 hears, except it became a rodeo attraction 74 years ago and has been held every year since. The name Suicide Race simply means a natural extension of our riding skills, including the same pride and dignity given every other rodeo event, except in our case as the Indian Jockey’s Association, the organizer of the race, emphasize in their motto “Wimps Need Not Apply.” Because, in order to compete in the Omak Suicide Race a person must be very good and professional, the same as any other professional athlete. Are they tough, yes and are they crazy, no. And, they do put on one hell of a great show.
The Rodeo opens with a traditional blessing, an honor song plays as a child dressed in full regalia rides bare back full speed around the arena carrying an Eagle Feather staff. The cowboys first do their thing, you know bronko busting, bull riding and at the end is yet another blessing, this time from the top of the hill, another honor song is played while the Indian riders pray with their horses. They pray to Creator but not never for themselves or protection, they pray for you the unknowing and the next seven generations yet to come. They pray for the people and they see the race as an offering. As for them they are only doing what every other warrior who came before them had to do. Be brave, be strong, especially when near the edge of life where native people against all odds have always been at their finest, opposite the white ways of acculturation encroaching upon their existence and close to Creator. In this case all were safe and rode at break neck speed into great applause entering the arena to finish the race. They are our heros, fancy dancers on horseback.
The camaraderie these men have for one another and their knowledge of what drives them and drives their horses is love. Love is when everything in life feels in harmony. It just doesn’t get any better than that. They are to be respected for what they do. They are carrying on tradition, based in our own unique culture and spirituality. They pray standing on top a hill, not in a church, and ready to die if need be as the life that they have chosen exactly where they are, at their best. That’s not a machine or a cockpit they are jumping into and stepping on the gas, they are battling against their inner self and their partner is another spiritual entity who they often owe their livelihood, a spiritual person they spend many, many hours nurturing, cultivating. It’s their pride and joy. They’re life depends on their relationship and knowledge of their partner, the horse. They feel every hoof as it hits the ground, pounding and pounding, that’s the drum of life beating fast and hard, calling out to Creator, “I am here, I am here.”
Again, we’re talking about native traditionalists who believe in what they believe as a horse culture. In the race itself horses sometimes die, but just the other day my buddy lost one of this finest racing horses because after rolling in the dust on a hot day it twisted a gut. Horses do die, but it’s not like we are prodding them with electric prods and shooting them through the skull with a nail gun to make McD hamburgers. No, we raise horses like our children and teach them how to survive a very strenuous existence. The horse too are very proud of what they do, every horse that finishes the race are champions.
Nobody raised an eyebrow until the 1970s when Walt Disney made a stupid stereotypical Indian Cowboy movie called “Run Appaloosa Run” and included a few clips of the Suicide Race, now the Suicide Racer’s Jockey’s Association and it’s proud members are known world wide. We receive inquiries from other countries, some good and some bad, but we invite the challenge as we are willing defend our culture and fight for what we believe in. As it stands, these guys are more famous then those in the Buffalo hunt in Dances With Wolves. We’re very proud of our jockeys and how they handle themselves. They all seem to be very good people, with big hearts.
I normally answer people inquiries much differently and with a bit more spite. Except, saying you recognize yourself as a native American and wish to know the truth, I thought that it would be best to just say what I feel from the heart so that you will know that I’m being true and honest with you. If you’re concerned about the horses or the men simply take out a little bit of tobacco and offer it with a prayer for them, and while your at it pray for the boys in Iraq. Perhaps unfortunate whenever there’s conflict no matter how senseless our young warriors always enlist in droves to go fight, again attesting to our fighting spirit.
Ask the Great Spirit to watch over them and bring harmony between odd religions and all the two leggeds.
In harmony and a prayer for peace, your reply,,,
Lim limpt
Hank Raymond
Special Projects, Planning Department
Colville Confederated Tribes
509.634,2576
Posted at 5:43PM on Aug 20th 2007 by Pete Palmer