Taxpayers front $1.3 million in ACC claims for rodeo injuries over 5 years

Rodeo related injuries have cost $1,300,000 in ACC claims over five years.

The cost has been labelled as totally unacceptable by Animal Justice League spokesperson Daniel Challenger.

While New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association president Lyal Cocks said if you're worried about cost to the taxpayer then look at stopping jogging.

Challanger said the figure came from statistics released under the Official Information Act(OIA), which were also supplied to the Herald .

There were so many other areas that the money could be better spent in, he said.

"This is a huge injustice to the people of Aotearoa."

During the last rodeo season, rodeo related ACC claims totalled $278,245.

"This is approximately $6624.90 per person according to the document obtained from ACC..," Challenger said.

Challenger requested "statistics on injuries sustained during rodeo events" between 2007 and 2017.

The total claims within the time period equate to $1,972,177.

Information supplied by Accident Compensation Corporation(ACC) gave statistics for the number of rodeo-related claims that were indentified under the "rodeo" term in accident cause text field.

The cost of claims under rodeo-related claims varied from $133,608 through the 2007 and 2008 period with 51 claims, to the highest of $338,669 in 2012 to 2013 in which 63 claims were lodged, to 2016 to to 2017 which cost $278,245 with 42 claims.

Cocks said if you were concerned about the cost to the taxpayer then look at other sports.

He pointed to ACC's sport claims for 2016, which noted rugby cost at $78mil in 2016, football at $38.39mil, fitness training/gym $30.5mil, basketball $12.8mil and jogging $8.3mil.

"It is a physical sport and an active sport, but like $200,000 a year over 10 years pales in significance to the multitude of other active sports we take part in."

There were around 500 people actively participating in rodeoing, he said.

Rodeo had "come a long way, it had to".

He said "maybe we should be stopping some other sports, if you want to stop taxpayer money, stop jogging that's how silly it is getting".

"It is a sport that does involve physical contact but it is well organized, we make sure it is run with welfare of animals in thought.

"It's well scrutinised, we do everything we can to minimize to risk to animals."

According to the Ministry for Primary Industries owners in charge of animals, including rodeos, must coply with the Animal Welfare Act of 1999 and minimum standards for animal care and management in codes of welfare.

"This code of welfare applies to anyone responsible for the welfare of all animals being used in rodeos (although only cattle and horses may be used) and includes animals used in rodeo training, and animals used in rodeo schools. This includes New Zealand-based rodeos and visiting international rodeos."