Edhat Staff
Scroll through the Fiesta Rodeo slideshow above (Photos: Fritz Olenberger, courtesy of Old Spanish Days)
Every year the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association hosts a series of Fiesta events, including Bareback Riding, Tie-down Roping, Steer Stopping, Mutton Bustin’, Saddle Bronc Riding, PRCA Team Roping, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding.
The Fiesta Stock Horse Show began in 1924 as a Saturday only stock horse show event held at the old Pershing Park arena on Castillo Street. During the very first fiestas, a “competencia de vaqueros” was the highlight of the festivities. Rancher and now household street-name, J. J. Hollister, sponsored a handmade saddle to the winner of the stock horse class as a way to encourage the development of superior cow working horses.
In 1958 the Fiesta Stock Horse Show was moved to the Earl Warren Showgrounds and professional rodeo was added to the show, which consists of professional steer wrestling, team roping, bareback broncos, saddle broncos, and bull riding. The name of the event was also changed to the Old Spanish Days Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo.
According to Fiesta Rodeo history, the main goal is to bring to town the cowboys from the many local ranches in the Tri-Counties. They must live within the Tri-Counties (San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara or Ventura) to be eligible to compete. The objective is to get local amateur horsemen competing among themselves to see who has the best horse, or is the best roper, brander, etc.
More Fiesta Rodeo history can be found here.
Santa Barbara touts itself as progressive, forward thinking and environmentally aware. Yet our city leaders still condone rodeo. It’s not a sport. It’s not legitimate entertainment. It’s just animal abuse. Pure and simple. Shame on those who remain silent. Shame on those who condone it. And shame on those who support it.
Great family fun – my kids really enjoyed it. Next year I’m bringing a sun umbrella no matter how “un-cowboy” it is.
Thank you, Bob Wilson.
You may be right, as long as Hanna Beth and Monique care more about confetti eggs than they do protecting defenseless animals being abused for the entertainment.
I am so degummed sick of the rodeo protesters who seem to know nothing about livestock. Those professional rodeo horses and brahmas are incredibly valuable and get first class treatment by the owners. A bucking horse probably gets ridden no more than 1 hour a YEAR and that’s an over estimate, only 8 seconds for a ride, if the rider is good enough to stay on that long. They sometimes even stop bucking when the bell goes off because they know their act is over. Any old backyard horse will buck if the second cinch slides back, it’s very loose but irritating to them; hence attached to front cinch. The bulls are usually in the arena less than 30 seconds and ridden about 2 seconds unless a rider is good enough to stay on the 8 seconds. Stock goes out to winter pasture. Life of Riley.
Exchange the word bull with Poodle. Then, exchange the words bucking horse for bucking Golden Retriever, or Beagle. Now, put an iron rod in the dog’s mouth. Attach that iron rod to a rope, now give it a good yank. Would the Beagle be scared. Is it ok to hurt it for _just_ one hour a year? Now, give the Golden Retriever a good 20 kicks to the ribs, while you are (smaller of course) on its back. Stock traveling (getting shipped) all the time and sent into cheering crowds. In fact, it’s so much fun, these “stock” actually volunteer.
Because a bull and a poodle are basically equivalent in so many ways… haha wow! All that tofu has gone to your brain!
And, after that, you can compare apples to oranges.
As always it was quite a show, the daytime stock horse events are especially relaxing (and free) and the main events of the evening put on a show for people from all over the world.
Weak justification for continuing the abuse of animals.
Yes Flicka. These are comments from people who don’t have a real connection to livestock. Most of the animals out there would be put down if there wasn’t an interest in rodeo. It is not abuse, pure and simple. They are well treated and their presence preserves a tradition we best not abandon. The connection to animals is good for the human soul.
Thank goodness we have rodeo to balance Dancing With the Stars and I’ve Got Talent.