Dust and Dominion

Rodeos celebrate rural pride and tradition, but animals often suffer stress, injury, and even death. This series questions the ethics of animal entertainment and what it reveals about our values and relationship with the natural world.

In an era where tradition and long-held rural values are often seen as under threat, rodeos remain a stronghold of rural identity—bringing communities together to celebrate the grit, skill, and spectacle of stockmanship. For many, these events are a source of pride and adrenaline. But at the heart of the performance are animals whose experience is far removed from that of their human counterparts.

Cattle and horses used in rodeos more than often display clear signs of emotional distress. Injuries are common, and in more severe cases, animals can be seriously harmed or killed. Marketed as a contest between man and beast, the rodeo raises an uncomfortable question: how fair is the competition when animals are subjected entirely to human control? Most of these animals are born into a life of captivity, destined for a predetermined end. Is it not enough that they live short, utilitarian lives—must they also be made to entertain us?

As we face an era of ecological crisis, perhaps it’s time to question the cultural impulse to dominate other species for amusement. Our treatment of animals is not an isolated moral issue; it reflects broader attitudes about power, control, and our relationship with the natural world. When we normalize the exploitation of animals for entertainment, it becomes easier to justify harm elsewhere—against the environment, and even against one another.

This series challenges viewers to reconsider the ethics of animal-based entertainment, to reflect on its true cost, and to examine how our perceptions of animals mirror deeper societal values.