Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky had their fans turn on them this week when they entered their pre-teen daughter, India Rose, into a steer riding event.
The couple shared a video to Instagram on Monday which saw them anxiously watch from the sidelines as their 12-year-old hopped onto the back of a male calf for the introductory bull riding competition.
India was brutally thrown off the steer the second it burst out of the bucking chute, shocking fans who flocked to the comments to slam actors Chris, 41, and Elsa, 48, for allowing their daughter to do such a dangerous rodeo event.
‘Omg! So dangerous and irresponsible. Poor kids!’ a follower fretted.
‘This is not ok… this is animal cruelty. If your kid gets hurt, don’t blame the bull,’ another said.
‘This is silly fun, the animal is a living creature and is stressed. One should have compassion and not participate in this silly entertainment, let alone support children in it,’ a third person wrote.
Chris Hemsworth, 41, and Elsa Pataky, 48, had their fans turn on them this week when they entered their pre-teen daughter, India Rose, 12, into a steer riding event. All pictured
Someone else said entering India into the rodeo was ‘absolutely disgraceful’.
‘Putting children at risk of serious injury to glorify this cruelty is appalling. Many Australians are working to ban rodeos, and promoting this outdated and harmful practice is deeply disappointing,’ they added.
Despite the backlash, a wave of fans stepped in to defend Chris and Elsa, saying they should be ‘proud’ their child was willing to try out such a dangerous event.
‘She is a little legend! Nice riding Indy!’ one person congratulated.
‘Good on them I am a mum of an eight-year-old that is starting out in bull riding and it does stop your heart,’ another added.
A third noted: ‘THAT is the look of a prideful mother, your kids are truly blessed.’
‘I bet you held your breath from the second that gate opened til the buzzer. Love that you were able to put your fears aside, chuff up your baby enough to get them on that beast and ride. I’d be proud as a peacock,’ one user commented.
The video Chris and Elsa shared to Instagram saw the couple hyping up their daughter, who was dressed head to toe in safety gear which included a helmet.
The couple shared a video to Instagram on Monday which saw them anxiously watch from the sidelines as their 12-year-old hopped onto the back of a male calf for the introductory bull riding competition
Fans were left divided in the comments, with some slamming Chris and Elsa for putting their daughter in danger, while others said they should be ‘proud’ of themselves
Chris and Elsa share three children—twin boys Sasha and Tristan, 10, and daughter India Rose, 12. All pictured
‘Woohoo, come on girl,’ Elsa said with a beaming smile as the Fast and Furious star hugged India from behind.
Chris gave her a fist bump as he filmed her stepping into the bucking chute to hop on the steer.
India was thrown to the ground on the first buck, falling to her back as the bullfighters stepped in to distract the steer away from her.
The pre-teen appeared to be unharmed as she left the arena, with her younger brother also taking a crack at steer riding later on in the night.
The 10-year-old was also kicked off on the first buck.
Elsa captioned the video with: ‘Starting the year with a little bit of adrenaline! Rodeo night! I almost have a heart attack!’
The Spanish model and actress then tagged J&J Rodeo, the NSW company which hosted the event.
Chris and Elsa share three children—twin boys Sasha and Tristan, 10, and daughter India Rose, 12.
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