On Sept. 16, a friend and I took our seats at the Coliseum on the Big E grounds after an enjoyable but tiring day at the fair. With interest and curiosity, we settled in to watch the oxen pull. Having both grown up with horses in farming communities, we looked forward to what we thought would be an exciting event.
However, our excitement soon turned to unpleasant distress over the appalling way that these gentle creatures were treated.
Several of the teamsters repeatedly struck the animals in the face, particularly around the eyes, with their goad sticks when getting the animals lined up with the sled. It was heartbreaking to see the oxen flinch and shut their eyes, helpless to move their heads away due to confinement of their yoke.
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