The rider at fault was fined $50 for the offence and disqualified from the event. National Rodeo Association board member Steve Augustine watched from the ringside and agreed that it was an unfortunate accident, but he denied any claim that the calf was injured. “It jumped straight up and it showed no drastic evidence of trauma,” he said. “The angle of that video makes it look worse than it was. “I spoke to the contractor the next day and if you walked among those calves you wouldn’t know which ones were used and which ones were not.” Mr Augustine put the sudden stop down to the unintended placement of the rope along the calf’s back.