Just venting. I went to a bull riding competition on the weekend and was quite disgusted when we were all invited to stand for a prayer and the national anthem. This was very unusual for Aussie and I imagine it was only done to keep the visiting riders from the great usa happy. Most were from texas. I suspect they lumped the national anthem in with it to get people to stand, as I wouldn't have otherwise, and I heard a few grumbling, but nearly all the audience were standing just looking around at the very few that were praying. I was disgusted and felt blackmailed into it because of the anthem as I do respect my country, though not our pollies. What was amusing was that the riders had to complete two rounds, staying on for at least 8 seconds in each round to qualify. I don't know if we had really good bulls or bad riders, but out of 28 riders, the score was bulls 27, riders 1. It was amazing how far a bull can toss a rider 
I loved the bulls.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I grew up being taken to every rodeo within 200 miles, the only thing my dad liked was the bull riding, 46 years old, and you're the first person ever to show me why he did like it 
. Let's hear it for the bulls. And yes, that was blackmail.
OnTheInside
Level 7
Mar 2, 2020
1
I do feel it is somewhat ungracious as they are coming into our environment not vice versa.
Actually, it is arrogant, not ungracious.
Geoffrey51
Level 8
Mar 2, 2020
0
I’ve only been to a few rodeos here in the US but I’ve never been to one where there was a public prayer. I think that would be rare at any sporting event.
I don’t like public prayers but I try not to let them ruffle me. It does seem pretentious to impose a particular religious ritual on a diverse public crowd where there are Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and non-Christians of all types. Inevitably the prayers end with, “In Christ’s name we pray”, as though Christianity were the only correct religion.
Are there really Americans who go all the way to Australia just to get thrown off a bull? Wow!
WilliamFleming
Level 8
Mar 2, 2020
1
Go Bulls. Anyone that gets on a bull deserves to get thrown off!
Geoffrey51
Level 8
Mar 2, 2020
2
And those bulls looked so cute I wanted to take one home, prancing around the ring afterwards making it their own. They each seemed to have their own unique character
I like that the bulls tossed the tossers..er riders! As for the praying, maybe that was introduced as an aid to the riders as they looked like a bunch that were about to be tossed! Seriously though, this praying is a creeping menace and one that should be resisted. Perhaps Australia is following closely behind the USA in this..you did get a religious nut elected as PM so maybe you guys are getting more religious! I hope not, always admired the Aussie irreverent spirit.
Marionville
Level 10
Mar 2, 2020
1
Me too. Never heard of such a thing! Stand for the national anthem (a dire piece of tosh, should be Waltzing Matilda, but that’s another tale) by all means but prayers?
When their are prayers before rugby or AFL matches we will be in trouble.
@Geoffrey51 Oh GAWD forbid! 
Yes, hopefully this current fruitcake doesn't last too long. There's a good chance his own party will boot him if he makes too many more screwups. Unfortunately there's not much to choose from amongst any of the current contenders. I think theism in aussie is going thru a few dying gasps with the old guard still in control, although at least we had an elected atheist in gillard who was also shacked up with her boyfriend. I don't see that happening in usa any time soon. Then again I thought it would be a cold day in hell before you elected a black president so anything is possible. I don't see too many young people caught up in that bullshit these days so maybe they'll see it all change.
@Geoffrey51 agreed 
@Cyklone I don’t really know what’s going on in Australian politics beyond who the current PM is ...I do know that Gillard had to put up with a lot of sexism from the other parties, and possibly her own. Let’s hope this current bunch in power get thrown out, and that Trump does too (not holding out much hope for that though), I’m not American btw, so Obama wasn’t my president, but we’ve got Trump’s clone as PM in Boris. Only saving grace he has is that he’s not a religious nut too. Announced engagement to his pregnant girlfriend at the weekend when he’s not yet divorced from his estranged wife who is recovering from cancer! Really charming chap, doesn’t really know how many other children he has fathered, but the electorate in the UK don’t give a shit about morals and gave him a landslide victory...so five more years of Tory rule and the unknown effects of Brexit to look forward to here!
@Marionville yes, between trump, morrison, boris, Putin, deturte and the rest of then, it's like they all cane out of the woodwork at once: or out from under a rock.
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