The. Rodeo riders preparing for their next contest. Getting a grip right can make all the difference between potentially life or death. Here in brazil they called rodeo the most radical sport in the world a. Good band understandably so it has a long tradition here and discipline fictional School Classrooms ones big problem pleasing spectacle. Will promote them at the edge of their job was that what we promote them as extreme. Athletes who are willing to risk all. For a fistful of dollars. See how could i give it up its rodeo that has made me who i am today. This is how their careers started chasing calves. It was the same for from london or vice as a child on this ranch. It all started as a game when we were kids we used to herd the calves in the cage. And when the adults werent looking we used to ride the cabs. The farm workers son has grown up to be a rodeo champion even if he might not look like one it 1st class. Hes one dozens of competitions and is one of the best brazilian riders were and now hes a major contender for the annual World Championship title. Mounting guy in the south brazilian hinterland. Half a 1000000 visitors flock to the agricultural show here every year including cowboys their fans and their future successors. The traditional Cattle Market is the genesis and still the centerpiece of the trade fair. But further along people are standing in line for the rodeo show the highlight of the mering got angry cultural show for from mundo this could be his ticket to the World Championships in the u. S. His boyhood dream. The level. That i remember the agricultural fairs of my childhood. I came here to see cattle and horses and of course the rodeo writers. Now im one of them its fantastic lego is but. Here comes. The having tim and dating named researchs sultan. Or islamic state. The riders dont know which bull theyll ride. Only 4 percent of all bulls are aggressive enough for rodeo competitions. They turn to a unit close to one time a draw decides which rider will mount which animal for not needs to win here in modern go to take part in the World Championships in las vegas if you can master these especially fierce bulls to learn more points on the world ranking list. Will do it this rodeo is a sport where you went on one day and lose the next general says yes but you cant afford to think about failure. You have to conquer the ball mentally if you want to win the me. I will mental preparation is just one of the rodeo rider as tasks as the excitement reaches a fever pitch. The cowboy outfit his obligatory. Lack that they use their knives to roughen the braided rough. Night treated with resin to maintain a good grip for front undergo this procedure is part of his job. I have those ourselves only god decides which task is given to us and its my mission to write goals i owe everything i am to rodeo. I was still a little the was the before the mens rodeo starts its the womens competition the pure speed rush was rodeo as a spectacle generally associated with the u. S. And mexico but nowhere will you find more enthusiastic fans than in brazil the country plays host to over a 1000 tournaments. Take place at night theres Nothing Better than going to a rodeo with the family 6 i love it to me something. That ive been coming here every year since i was a child. Think about it rodeo is an alibi as we brazilians our nation loves rodeo we love horses thats why were ranches get. Amid the hustle and bustle a silent prayer some on the protagonists. Gree are done tonio with the blond hair has just recovered from a serious pelvis injury. That is a good friend to friend on dos the riders recite the christian lords prayer together as they do before every competition. 2 that not. Unlike god knows here can personally step in to protect the riders. Hes one of 3 sign of the dice life savers. This is why i wrote columns as a young boy but then i got scared. And 8 years ago i met a lifesaver here who had nice to make himself a career in the us. And i immediately fell in love with this job. That i want to save other peoples lives i see. It. Every time its a gamble to see whether you can fulfill this with. The riders are ready to go. In the starting box the main glove has to be a perfect fit if its too tight they could get dragged along by the ball. They have to stay on board for. 8 seconds then the bell rings. Little. Miss rider is made it. Theyre not allowed to touch the ball with their free hand otherwise theyll have points deducted. From a new post the lifesaver has his hands full. Minute school yard start. His injured pelvis hasnt quite healed. Was a laxative or is have to prevent the worst we are gets away this time with just a fright. Ah. The next rider was also handed one of the fiercest bulls in the draw. Its almost a miracle that none of them are seriously injured although cutting us does look a little worse for wear. We arent comes in to help his friend out of the arena. Its the 1st scary muddy. Next step is for nadal says. If he wins this rodeo hell cash in on a 7000. 00 euro prize but much more importantly people qualifying for the World Championship in las vegas where the winner earns 1000000. 00. That could be the different on those worries. Hes already the top earner among his colleagues because he succeeded in qualifying for key u. S. Tournaments. Fernando says he only managed it because he respects every ball. There are. A great dismount and almost perfect crime. He was a difficult ball he didnt turn the way i like but i have to handle that i think the planet were going to be getting. To one of the last riders on the 1st day is rafael across. The business who was left motionless. The lifesavers protect the fallen riders as. The party mood is over for no. Second and some uncertainty. And relief as he signals hes conscious. The 1st day and so. It was a good 1st day for me but i have to do better tomorrow. For nanda was in the lead ahead of the finals maintaining his chance to compete in the World Championships. Guys surrounded by vast cornfields loses brazils bread basket. The countryside otoh frequented by the professional rodeo riders is right in the middle of the cornfields. They travel through the country together 35. 00 weekends a year up and down brazil to places like this. So find a local. Although as such rivals theyre more like partners and often friends. That. Rodeo brings us together they say. Yes in the family this is our 2nd family where with our wives from mondays to wednesdays but the weekend this is our family we are pals we help each other out. For not you. Know i remember one time when fernando fell under a pole and i helped to get him out. The boat will kick me then someone else help me thats what i call sticking together. Properly roeser comes in and joins them the rider who fell the earlier years to put up with all kinds of jokes. So. Im going to go boy. Them with another new i have no idea. Them so i was unconscious. Deep was an amazing i dont remember anything off trying call it box face but sports do you know but i reckon thats just part of what is the most radical sports in the wound. Far away from the ranchers in the cities many people think rodeo is crazy. They see the sport not as radical but as ruthless towards our most. The university of better order his own church is hosting a conference for Animal Welfare activists. The lectures are about neurological studies and the question of whether rodeo and kept chasing still have a place in modern Brazilian Society are they in keeping with the times. But who was a recipe for. Newness insists that these traditions should be banned. Thank. You my scare but all the bull suffered broken bones and bruising and grazed skin its a common occurrence. In years im not the fact is theyre disturbed behavior. They are constantly trying to behave in an abnormal just to suit this event means but i bet most of us will not kill you mommy. Among those attending this lecture is politician or a dino union or hes fighting for a ban on rodeo shows and wants to introduce a long way issue in the regional parliament. If a judge. Who actually still defends these events as this is this is just the writers themselves and the people who profit to make money from the about this for days otherwise are zillions are increasingly against rodeo shows. The breeders of course see things very differently one of the major ranches for rodeo bulls is in the federal state of south. The bulls are just getting accustomed to being enclosed in the starting boxes but the physical confinement and stress that all the stages of the tournament involves. The manager of the farmers responsible for 260. 00 rodeo cattle he rejects criticism that rodeo bulls are subjected to greater stress. The bulls are fine with the rodeo all their joints and bones remain on heart. Theyre happy ill show you then you can believe me. Power always eager to show that the genitals of his bulls have not been harmed he demonstrates how the rope is strapped across the abdomen during the ride and apparently doesnt squeeze any delicate areas. Doing this my whole life i take care of the animals. At benny one can prove to me that rodeo hurts the bulls id be the 1st to give up my job. Or. Just talk but dont have a clue about how our business actually works. Without rodeo here these bulls would have been slaughtered long ago. They get a special blend of feet. Its a high protein diet including corn and soy. The animals need a lot of rest too to conserve their energy for the brief but fears rodeo rides. The value of a barrel that has performed well in the arena rises quickly. Then the breeder gets more bonuses from the rodeo events. Founded this farm hes the most successful rodeo bull breeder in brazil. He rents out his bulls for competitions depending on the ball he gets the equivalent of about 200. 00 euros per animal. But it doesnt bring in enough revenue. Money with the radio bonuses because costs are so high we have to pay for the van staff and in particular the bulls nutrient rich fate. Owns a range of feared. But only best ones bring in profits. At the moment he is only one such bull he. Is the best in the whole of brazil. And has been at the top level for 6 years now. And thats twice as long as. He still is strong as a young bull. The vet comes by regularly to take a sperm sample from the bull. Somebody asked to stimulate the bull from behind its a routine procedure for the sperm bank. The objective is cross breeding the best animals a good young bull can be sold for some 150000 euros. Never doubt to see if. We crease our probability of getting a suitable product for the radio event. The aim of all our genetic measures is to cross breed the best bowl for competitions. The fiercest pollo ever owned was called bungee do. He died a year ago but over 2000 of his sperm samples are now available for in vitro fertilization. In a laboratory the best samples are selected and used to fertilize suitable egg cells this creates a higher probability of producing successful competition bulls. This is paolos real business model. Which in the past no one knew which specimens had conceived which volvic in our days with in vitro fertilization we know every detail we make brothers cousins aunts and also crossbreeds among them were always looking for a rodeo pole with marks and an aggression and which books the best is fit to hold the. Good old rodeo has become big business here. Its long become the type of sport where vets are just as important as the carboys and where managers want to extract maximum profits from their animals. And. There were a few daredevils are willing to risk their lives for a good show the. 2 rodeo is still a popular sport in rural brazil its an event that brings the whole town together. But for the following mediocre its all about keeping his business running. And keeping an eye on his bulls performance making sure they stay healthy in an event that is becoming increasingly spectacular and increasingly radical. And you got me. In the past rodeo riding on horses was more popular but now its bull road because its more danger. Yes. The bulls jump really high its before they riot they are very calm a lot of it is that the but then its a battle between the bull and the rider its you all me one of us has to loose the war yet. Learned a lot about. Curtis its not unusual for the ball to gain the upper hand in a very quick way. Good. Bye. To. The riders are lucky if they get away with just a bruising. The breeding costs are very high so we decided to break the fiercest ones in vitro it reduces our costs by 60 percent. But its worthwhile and it makes for a great show. Im pretty excited now. To the. Rodeo is particularly popular in parts of brazil were agriculture plays a large role. In many regions this is quite a recent development in the 1980 s. A large swathes of the amazon rain forest were cut down to make way for farmland. To transoceanic a highway connects Perus Pacific coast with brazil via the andes and the amazon and runs right through this region. Truck traffic is increasing along this highway. As our cotton fields. And down just a handful. They stretch as far as the icons. Seen. This is mato grosso home to the countrys farming giants it could be described as the larder of brazil and that of the world. These cattle are destined not for rodeo shows but for export to europe and china. Time thats never leave you in the best place in the world to produce food you have to fold crops a year if you have enough rainfall and its a good to great climate so you dont have a strong winters and oldest season is pretty much the same all year round so. Hundreds of thousands of cattle chickens in the us israel girls manages one of the biggest farms in brazil right now its cotton harvest time on an area the size of a major city. The last few months have been unusually dry but that doesnt affect the genetically modified plants. Are saudis Getting Better year after year because of especially of precision ag planting where you do Soil Sampling in a whole field and then you put the fertilizer on has the soil needs it based on what culture you plan a plan soya and you plan cotton and therefore you use enough fertilizer and chemical. Other plants and insects die. The genetically modified plants and the controversial week killer agent life was sitting there supplied by month santo and its Parent Company buyer. The biggest possible profits are made on all sides. Much of it also means the forest but that hasnt existed for around 30 years now. Everything possible is extracted from the ground in this. Bio ethanol is being produced for fuel. And this is the man who owns it all you know the mighty you know fronts so the son of a struggling immigrant from germany who found is eldorado here. The weekend 987. 00 i started my own business with just 600. 00 in my pocket. And i started selling cement and other materials. And then. Then we planted soybeans and produced bio diesel. Years and. Now were the 1st ones to produce ethanol here and all the media. Do you know is now head of the 3rd biggest Agricultural Firm in brazil and is very well connected including contacts high up in the government. Theres a reason for as well but he manned for resources from eastern asia. Most of merino soy goes to china. I feel that without bias it out of my business you need a Major Chinese investor has just got on board. Plan. That was the chinese buy from us because we have a lot of space and farming area we are a major producer because conditions are ideal for farming. And we have plenty of watches there with us to so as that. And those workers are cheaper most of them were lured here from the poverty stricken northeastern brazil to work in the agricultural heartland with his rodeo tradition they earn their Monthly Minimum wage the equivalent of 280. 00 euros. For these expensive field stop is where other people have begun fine. Ending new work earning a few dollars with whats left of the rain forest. Bloggers seem to be everywhere in brazils amazon rain forest although most of these operations are illegal theyre not exactly conducted in secret. The rain forest is visibly shrinking at the same time brazils agricultural areas are growing unable in the country to serve the world wide need for food. And is on rain forest the worlds biggest green lawn is also suffering in the far west of the country in the federal state of shock at close to the border with peru and bolivia. News which he does souvenirs from the Workers Union for years shes been keeping track on how international logging firms fell rain forests timber without permits fucking things the only ones who managed to get timber out of the region are Big Companies theyre mostly not from our region as far as i know most of the wood is taken abroad its a Small Farmers who lose out when we need to ember we have to buy it somewhere else that had nothing. To. Do is we sure has lived with and from the rain forest for as long as you can remember. She works as a rubber tapper she used to work on a plantation but today she works in a dedicated area of the amazon rain forest. Using a special tool these slits 20 centimeters long grooves into the tree trunks. Then they collect the sticky white latex out been there cops drop by drop. Oil last daily i was born here and grew up as a rubber tapper just like my 7 siblings does not demand has fallen though and today we only supply one condom factory that. The rubber tappers need an intact rain forest its the very bases of their work it for years theyve been fighting against the ruthless exploitation of the forests and against the large scale farmers looking for even more grazing land. Bucolic calm of the brazilian far west is deceptive theres a brutal battle being fought here. Anyone who interferes with the interests of the landowners can end up paying for it with their lives such as the assassinated chico mendez the legendary leader of the brazilian rubber tappers studios which you and your fellow campaigners are certain that the danger is just as big today for those who dared to challenge the powerful landowners. Just because 4 people are afraid to join our union. Because a lot of previous members have been murdered. Mohammed said scares people who does business there but im not afraid succulent day although i have already been threatened to out of. A man told me i talk too much just like the murder chico mendez and me just was this fall jim was good that we should mention just before we became. Not everyone. Has the energy to keep up this fight poverty levels are very high as well as dependence on state welfare programs. The same goes for the family of sort of a disorder. The familiar Program Allows me t