Editor:

In response to Jeremy Webb's attack on Starr Sackstein and rodeo (March 1), I would like to point out that rodeo is a living history. Based on a philosophy combining friendship with competition, it embodies the traditions and values of the past. In a world increasingly inundated with a multitude of cheap imitators, the appeal of rodeo is that it is genuine, and those who are authentic endure.

For someone who purports to know the facts, Webb is ignorant of them. 1) Rodeo does not occur once a year here. In fact, you can go to events seven nights a week in the Tucson area. 2) In a 1993-94 survey conducted by on-site veterinarians, the results show that of the 33,991 animals used in competition, only sixteen were injured. This survey consisted of 28 pro rodeos. This is equivalent to an injury rate of less than five-hundredths of one percent. I'm sure any youth soccer or little league association would be proud of like injury statistics. 3) The PRCA Rodeo livestock are the professional athletes of their species, and like their human counterparts, they are pampered, not mistreated. They "work" an average of 32 seconds a month. Half of a contractor's pen is turned out to pasture every year for 3-6 months. That is not captivity, it is pure freedom.

If you want the facts, I invite Webb and other interested parties to North Tucson Arena. Don't forget your $2 for admission.

Elizabeth Moran

agriculture freshman

Elizabeth Moran
Agriculture freshman