On Sept. 16, as the San Diego Padres hosted the Houston Astros, an announcement in Petco Park declared the San Diego Rodeo was coming back.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, “rodeo representatives lined the field dressed in traditional attire and explained that rodeo is an important cultural practice that stretches back over a century.”
To call the confluence of rodeo and baseball in San Diego a culture clash might be an understatement. The Padres have wrangled in a team-record 3.3 million spectators at home this year. But can a white-collar baseball crowd turn out in January for one of America’s most blue-collar pastimes?
More pertinently for the rodeo’s organizers: will the event have the blessing of City Hall?
SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 5: Pro Rodeo Cowboys Stetson Wright and Rocker Steiner throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on September 5, 2023 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. The rodeo is set to return in 2025 in spite of possible blowback from city officials.
Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images
Animal rights activists resisted the inaugural event last January. According to CBS8, opponents of the event argued in civil court over whether the San Diego Padres were violating city code in bringing a rodeo to Petco Park:
The Animal Protection League and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness sued the Padres and C5 Rodeo, the company that put on the event. They said the event violates municipal code, which prohibits non-service animals inside and around Petco Park.
During a hearing, Padres Attorney Elaine Harwell told the judge the plaintiffs were interpreting the municipal code incorrectly. “The statute is actually meant to apply to the conduct and regulate the conduct of the patrons attending the events at Petco Park, not to govern what type of events or what type of entertainment is occurring at the ballpark,” said Harwell.
But San Diego City Councilmember Kent Lee also proposed banning the event and said he will continue to pursue legislation to effect the ban.
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“The city should not be in the business of profiting from inhumane animal practices, and I was disappointed to learn that this event has been scheduled at Petco Park,” Lee said in an email to the Union-Tribune. “The timing of our proposal will not be decided by any one event, and we continue to work collaboratively with the San Diego Humane Society, animal welfare advocates and other civic leaders to bring forward an animal welfare ordinance this year.”
Scheduled for Jan. 10-12, 2025, the rodeo will reportedly feature some of the world’s top rodeo athletes competing for more than $800,000 in prize money.
For more updates on the San Diego Rodeo, visit Newsweek Sports.
