The Fiesta Stock Horse Show and Rodeo, a cornerstone event of Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days celebrations, will not be part of 2025 festivities, officials announced.
In a joint statement released by Old Spanish Days and the Earl Warren Showgrounds, officials disclosed that the beloved rodeo has been cancelled. This announcement follows the heels of last year’s centennial celebration which saw the event concluding with three sold-out performances accredited by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).
The statement, issued by Ben Sprague, CEO of Earl Warren Showgrounds, and Fritz Olenberger, El Presidente of Old Spanish Days, expressed a shared regret over the decision: “Both Earl Warren Showgrounds and Old Spanish Days Fiesta are saddened to share that the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo will not be producing a rodeo this year. The event, under this entity, is no longer viable for a variety of reasons. While this marks the end of an incredible chapter, we are actively working together to explore ways to ensure that a rodeo event remains part of the Fiesta celebrations at Earl Warren Showgrounds—potentially as soon as 2025.”
Looking to the future, both organizations express hope and determination to bring the rodeo back to Fiesta celebrations.
“We are grateful to the leadership of the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo for their years of dedication and contributions to this long-standing tradition. The legacy of rodeo at Earl Warren is something we deeply value, and we remain committed to preserving and continuing this important part of Fiesta,” the statement read.
Old Spanish Days Fiesta is scheduled to take place from July 30 – August 3, 2025.
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Sorry for being dense, but I read the article and I am not understanding why the rodeo has been cancelled this year, yet they say they want to bring it back in the future? Can someone explain what is really going on?
Fiesta people have been weirdly side-stepping the reason. I read somewhere else it was too expensive to manage or produce, but in their statement they clearly didn’t say that. Lack of transparency isn’t good for this organization that has been changing a lot and not telling the public who provides money and support to them.
So many things are not what they appear to be. Gradually, then suddenly, both the Rodeo and the Parade are non existent shadows of their prior selves. Insidious infighting, cheating and self dealing have been rife. So much so that many upstanding citizens have pulled back on their personal contributions.
What really happened? Did the BOD actually vote to shut this down or is there something more nefarious at foot? Why is the Rodeo not a separate 501(c)3 legal entity? Why have the financials been hidden from the BOD and the public for all of these years?
Has the state of CA already written off Earl Warren so it can be sold and developed? From the website, the listless leadership has been working on a “transformation” for 15 years and in typical fashion, has put out a large consulting contract to determine the next chapter. Sounds familiar, taking a page from the City of SB.
Rumors swirl: an intractable and pricey contract from Earl Warren? A contentious Fiesta board meeting looms. It’s all sad. Opacity, thievery and ineptitude all seem to have caught up to this crew.
Wow! Now we can have fantasy conspiracies of our very own!
Sara ~ As a long time Fiesta and Earl Warren Showgrounds supporter, I too wondered about this. Rather sad in my opinion.
Oh Happy Day. Rodeos are inherently cruel and have been banned by many communities. Santa Barbara can find a better way to celebrate Fiesta, rather than continue to promote and condone this exhibition of animal suffering. The CEO of Earl Warren Showgrounds and El Presidente of Old Spanish Days “actively should be working together to explore ways to ensure that” this barbaric display of animal abuse is no longer welcome here.
That’s a bummer. 100 years of tradition, no longer. I would’ve thought it was due to the PETA types whining if I had to guess. But hey, it’s been sold out year after year here. I wonder what really happened.
Maybe read the article for once?
Is the actual horse parade cancelled too? I don’t see it listed in their schedule for 2025 online. Thats like having Halloween without Pumpkins, Mardi Gras without beads, it’s just not right. That doesn’t make sense, it can’t cost that much to ride a horse. The explanation as to why the rodeo and this isn’t happening is a little vague and suspect. It would be nice to hear the real reason why this all isn’t viable. Who out there knows the real skinny, let’s hear the details.
SEAINSB – it’s still scheduled.
https://www.sbfiesta.org/event_categories/425-friday-fiesta
Gee, no more probing, poking, whipping animals for our entertainment?
More quail’s tongues for my people!
It is time for people to find something else to do other than abuse animals for their entertainment.
Do these animals look like they are enjoying being belted up and whipped with some big guy on their back? Really people time to get over it.
Gee, it only took 100 years to liberate our sentient animal friends from this barbaric display of human cruelty. Let’s work on Zoos next!
(BTW, while NEVER in attendance, I’m always rooting for the Bulls)
Rodeo is cruel to its animals. Bulls and horses that are used for bucking have straps pulled tight around their flanks to make them buck. The straps go under their bellies, the most tender area for both. The roping stock is also subject to rough handling as they get jerked down to the ground at running speed
with a rope around their necks. Good riddance!
If you have ever owned anything made of leather or ever had a hamburger, STOP saying rodeo is cruel. It is an exhibition of the skills it takes to run the cattle industry. It is not made up stuff to be cruel and entertain.
That same lame, invalid argument yet again.
Don’t you usually just apply that flawed logic to petroleum products?
Is the horse parade really cancelled?
Yeah, I’m afraid so – some folks complained that the horses didn’t like being ridden in the heat of summer. Cie La vie!
Trying to sound sophisticated, but botching the French. Your armchair knowledge strikes again!
It’s a joke, lighten up Frances!
A standard reply from someone embarrassed when called out.
No, the horses hated fiesta, John. Really. It hurt their feet.
Sounds to me like they’re trying to find someone else to pay for the rodeo, and if they find someone like that then there still might be a rodeo.
“…the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo will not be producing a rodeo this year. The event, under this entity, is no longer viable for a variety of reasons. While this marks the end of an incredible chapter, we are actively working together to explore ways to ensure that a rodeo event remains part of the Fiesta celebrations at Earl Warren Showgrounds—potentially as soon as 2025.”
So they ran out of money? The Rodeo and Fiesta were always separate entities but worked together I think. I’m assuming this means the Rodeo company went kaput.
Oddly, The Press [EH, NH and KEY3] never seems to ask any Qs; the Fiesta/Rodeo PR is taken at face value. What do Fiesta Board Directors have to hide or do they really not know anything re expenses vs tickets sales after all this time? Two are gentlemen, one should be avoided. How hard is it?
sbrobert: Will an inquisition help?
Can someone in the know please explain what “Penalty Points” are? A post of a day ago is still available, but not easily found. These are goteos de oro from mi papi.
Too bad OSD is so dysfunctional and egotistical they have run out some good people