As reported by THE HUFFINGTON POST via MARTIN GRIFFITHS at the Associated Press:
RENO, Nev. (Jul. 10, 2011) — Sheryl Crow, hailed as a champion of wild horses that roam the range in the West, has been criticized by a national animal rights group that is calling her a hypocrite for performing at a Wyoming rodeo.
The “All I Wanna Do” singer planned to donate a portion of the proceeds from her July 22 concert at the Cheyenne Frontier Days to a wild-horse protection group that’s suing the government to try to halt a big mustang roundup in Nevada. Crow is the opening act for Kid Rock on a summer tour that includes the Wyoming gig.
But Showing Animals Respect and Kindness claimed that wild horses are abused at that event in a special race just for them.
“How can an organization dedicated to helping wild horses take blood money that was based, in part, on abusing wild horses? We believe what Ms. Crow is doing is nothing but PR spin,” said Stuart Chaifetz, a spokesman for the Illinois-based group.
The group, also known as SHARK, called on the Cloud Foundation to reject the donation.
Ginger Kathrens, executive director of the Colorado-based group, said she and other activists consider Crow a true champion of wild horses. Crow has adopted a wild horse and contributed time and money to the cause of keeping them on public lands, she said.
SHARK’s criticism is unjustified because rodeos are prohibited under the 1971 federal Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act from using mustangs removed from the range by the government, Kathrens added.
“I think it’s important for people to know the wild horse act prohibits the activity they’re concerned about,” Kathrens told The Associated Press. “They are not using wild horses off our ranges in that race.”
A spokesman for Crow agent John Marx at the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills, Calif., referred inquiries to Crow’s publicist, who did not respond to an email. In a statement issued on her website last week, Crow said she was aware of “the contrasting and very passionate opinions that people have about this event and rodeos in general.”
Tuesday's Horse 
Well, there is a lot to be said behind this. The first thing to remember is the wild horse and burron act plainly states that it’s a crimnal offense to use wild horses or burros for commercial gain or exploitation. So this being said, do we fuss at Ginger for only caring about her corner of the wild horse area and her “Cloud”. Do we fuss at Crow for adopting “one” wild horse and this making her a wild horse expert and advocate. Well I own several trucks and this doesn’t make me a truck dealer. All non-profits have to have money to finance there goals and sometimes the way the money is gotten is questionable. But is illegal or just against someone elses belief. If they paid us for the number of wild horses we helped or placed in homes then I’d be a millionaire because not one group has adopted more wild horses into homes than the Wild Horse Foundation.
Sorry Pickens used our name to get her start. She was finally told by many groups that she was using our name and she did it for personal gain. Only when she was told she was being served with papers to appear in court did she change her name of her animal group.
Crow doesn’t have a contract to give or not give to Ginger, she did out of her kindness. To many of these wannabee’s and bloggers claim they help wild horses when in actuality they hurt the wild horses and groups that have been doing years of work. This so called “helpers or protectors” never check to see what progress or ways to help. They just jump in and say my way works. Well lets see how many thousands of wild horses or burros you’ve placed or adopted into homes. Action is where the proof is.
We got groups in California that direct mail solicitation to donors, we got people who cry for donors, we got bloggers who claim they are the magically cure and then there all these domestic horse groups who’ve lost there money edge to sluaghter being shut down and now they want to come tell us wild horse advocates how we should protect wild horses. I can give you a few of these who have broken the law a few times to do there goal. One group will fight to take horses then trade them to the kill buyers for shipping. They don’t have room, but they run there mouth. They all seem that writing a book makes them creditable.
Its like that anthony case is florida, the prosecutors knew the costs to try the case and they lost and now they want to sue the girl for their sloppy work. Is this like going to Vegas and loosing then complaining to the casino to give you your money back because your the idiot who lost it in the first place.
Being a wild horse advocate, supporter or anything is a political game. The BLM plays all of the groups against each other. There will never be a solidarity amoun wild horse people. If Crow wants to give money from singing then so be it, she didn’t rope a steer or bronc a horse or abuse a calf in steering wrestling. She sings and its her money and if you ever want to get money from her them act like your a team player . No one is asking you to sweat or bust your ass so leave Crow alone. When you’ve walked a mile in Ginger or my shoes then you can earn the right to complain but until then put your $5.00 in the mail.
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There sure has been a lot of truth stretching and hate talking on Tuesday’s Horse the past few days. It makes me want to close comments down, it has been so ripe.
If all these wild horses and burros were really being placed in the homes that everyone brags about, there wouldn’t be a single one sitting in federal government prison camps or constantly sent across the border to be slaughtered.
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I don’t believe my views are one of a mob mentality. I speak against this rodeo every year along with MANY MANY others and we always have. This is nothing new. I believe my feelings are legit ones and I believe that anyone that claims to care about and love horses to be involved in this rodeo is nothing less than a hypocrit.
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I speak against this rodeo every year too. I do not condone it in any way. But I don’t tear down fellow advocates who happen to find themselves between a rock and a hard place. This is what Sheryl is – ONE OF US who happens to find herself in a bad position. Do we build a team by ripping apart others on the team?
As Vivian pointed out, no one among us, not even Mother Teresa, is (was) disconnected from the rest of the world. And no one is perfect, not Sheryl, Cloud Foundation, me or even you.
Unless you know EVERY single detail of how and why, isn’t it a bit like playing a vengeful God to condemn one of your own, someone who has shown time and again they stand strongly against the BLM’s wild horse extermination program and who has put considerable money where their mouth is on that front?
Take the golden rule test: Would you want to be judged harshly on surface appearances of a complex situation, no matter that otherwise you are a good person, a good advocate, when you found yourself in a seemingly impossible situation?
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Well said Kathleen. Ms. Crow has had her share of adversity. I feel confident her commitment to America’s wild horses and burros, and the work of The Cloud Foundation, will remain firm. It’s tough out there in the trenches. Let’s not make it harder for one another than it already is. This is about America’s wild horses and burros and nothing else. We all need to keep that at the forefront of our minds. And if you disagree that strongly with another advocacy group, there is certainly no need to work against them. Find someone you agree with and get involved, really involved. Use your energy for good.
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Exactly, Vivian! This is NOT a black and white issue. There is a LOT more than principles here to take into consideration and that takes it straight into a gray area. Gray areas ALWAYS mean compromises are required. Not that anyone has to like them but we do have to accept this is a reality.
Do I think Sheryl Crow would have taken herself out of this if that was truly possible without deep-sixing her income, career and hurting the lives (income, family, health) of her dozens of employees that rely solely upon her for their living? Sure she would have done it if it were possible. She is an animal lover, a horse lover, and I am sure if there was a way out of this with destroying other important things, she would have taken it. I don’ t like rodeos and I don’t like her playing CFD but I give her enough respect to believe she would not if that were possible now. I also give her enough respect to believe she is doing the very best she can in this situation.
We are not privy to her contractual obligations and what kind of penalties she would incur for herself AND FOR ALL HER EMPLOYEES which ride along on the coattails of her success in her career if she chose to breach her contract. Those penalties could be huge – we just do not know and we cannot judge without that information. When we do try to judge and mete out punishment, we just regress into something no better than the lynching crowd.
What we can judge is that Sheryl has continuously contributed to the welfare and good of the advocacy effort to help America’s Wild Horses. She has given money, time and her voice over and over again. But apparently to some, that counts for nothing. It’s sad.
The other thing we can judge is how rash it is to cut off your nose to spite your face. The advocates who are screaming for Sheryl’s head on a pike apparently just want to see blood, Sheryl’s blood, and they do not really care if the fight for wild horses ever succeeds. Why else do you try to run off, via attack, one of the best assets the advocacy has?
With this kind of mob mentality against the most prominent, and probably one of those most able to financially make a real difference, does the mob really think that other celebrities and prominent people will be encouraged to join the wild horse advocacy movement? Do they believe other celebs will now just be standing in line, eager to get some of this same treatment when the lynch mob segment of advocacy decides to go after them next? It’s really disheartening to think all the work done to engage more high profile people in advocacy is being undermined by those unwilling or unable to see shades of gray. Not disheartening for me, for the WILD HORSES who are the ultimate losers in that kind of mentality!
Anyone can tear something apart, it takes brains, heart and real commitment to continue to build something up even when there are glitches along the way. Compare it to a marriage or a friendship – do you immediately walk out when you don’t get 100% of what you want? Or do you care enough to compromise, understand enough to realize people are individuals free to act on their own best judgment and to admit that nothing in this world is fully apparent nor that it all resolves to black and white?
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Well said Kathleen!! Horse advocates need Cheryl Crow and any other celebreties who she could influence to contribute money, time, and talent to saving our wild horses. I don’t like Rodeo’s or Zoo’s but it is my choice not to go a see the animals in cages or being roped and dragged in the dirt. But that is MY CHOICE. I still support animal welfare wild and domestic and endangered. But that is MY CHOICE! God Bless Cheryl for helping. She has horses so you can bet she has the wild horses best interest at heart and want them saved from the cruel roundups and BLM stock pens.
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It is a tough call. I know many horse advocates who attend the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, not for the events, but to attend the concerts. Yet there are horses and other animals, like the little calves that are chased, terrified, roped and jerked off their feet, who are horribly abused before cheering crowds. I personally despise rodeos and would not attend, no matter who is performing, but that is my call. Ginger Kathrens has devoted herself to preserving America’s wild horses. I take your point. Having said that, things are rarely as black and white as they sometimes appear.
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V. I’ve been a member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for over 25 years. I’ve been a part of team that raised millions to help beneifit kids college fund. In ever professional car race there’s a wreck and they stop racing. The HLSR has it’s accidents like last year where a horse got spoked and broke his neck and they put it down right there on the floor. I’ve seen people do worse things to dogs and cats than cattle in shows. When they decide to outlaw rodeos then the USA will be gone. It’s a heritage like our wild horses. Just a evil that needs lots of eyes on it to make sure safety and welfare are there. Ginger has spent her efforts :”focusing” on one wild horse particularly and one herd area and thats still okay because she pick a spot on the map and claimed it. We need more people to pick a spot and protect it then equal rights will be fair. I’m in Texas and we Texans get blamed for illegals and Mexico slaughter when we haven’t done a thing but live here. One day these winey-bloggers will wake up and there world as they know it will be gone and they’ll want help. We can look at them and tell them, you had your chance but you blew it…
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I am not surprised at all that you are a member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and all the rest of it. The day they outlaw rodeos will be the day the U.S. starts to elevate itself above all the other cowardly nations who get entertainment out of so called traditional or cultural, narcissistic, sadistic “sports” that exploit animals. It is time people, who are supposed to be superior to animals, start to show some of it by treating them with dignity and respect.
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Not that I am comparing Ginger Kathrens to Mother Teresa, but the sainted lady who devoted her life to the poor and terminally ill was often criticized for taking donations from “criminal types” and other highly questionable characters. Mother Teresa said she left it for God to decide.
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I diasagree, it is for each of us to decide and to speak out against this. I for one will speak out agaist the Cloud Foundation along with many others from this day forward. I challenge Sheryl Crow and Gingers Kathrens to attend and watch the abuse that goes on at thie rodeo that in many cases the end results is the death of horses and other animals. From this day forward I will save this information and speak out against The Cloud Foundation every chance I get. This will NOT be forgotten and for me is an ultimate betrayal. It sickens me that Ginger would say what she has above.
I do believe that Habitat For Horses is 100% correct when they state on their web site that
http://www.habitatforhorses.org/rescues/reportcruelty.html
There is never a valid excuse for abusing a horse. Never.
Abuse and Neglect in Texas
According to the Texas Penal Code Ann. § 42.09 (Vernon 2002), Cruelty to Animals, the following is considered cruel or inhumane treatment of animals and warrants investigation, seizure, and filing of charges:
– torturing an animal
– seriously overworking an animal
– failure to provide necessary food, care, or shelter for an animal
– abandonment of an animal
– killing, injuring, or administering poison to an animal
– causing animals to fight
– using live animals as a lure in dog racing
– horse tripping
I believe the above to be true in every situation including rodeos and regardless of the laws in each state where some DO NOT protect the horses
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It seems money if more important than the horses to them. I am disgusted and will no longer support. There is an excuse for the abuse of an animal NONE and if Sheryl Crow and The Cloud Foundation is going to quote the law, the VERY laws that we fight everyday to change in defense to their actions then I will no longer support either of them.
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