OldSpanishDays
OSD Board Votes Unanimously to Separate from Earl Warren Showgrounds
Since the very first Old Spanish Days Fiesta in 1924, the Fiesta Rodeo known as “Competencia de los Vaqueros” has been a treasured cornerstone of our Fiesta celebration—honoring the enduring spirit, strength, and horsemanship of the local vaquero tradition.
What began over a century ago in Pershing Park with local ranchers and horsemen showcasing their skills evolved into one of the region’s most anticipated equestrian events and cornerstone of the celebrated Fiesta week.
By the 1930s, the event had gained statewide acclaim, drawing thousands of fans and hundreds of competitors from across California. The energy was electric, the competition fierce, and the connection to our shared history unmistakable.
In 1958, the Stock Horse Show found a permanent home at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, where the professional rodeo component was introduced. Over the last 67 years, the arena echoed with the spirit of Fiesta—where legends rode, families gathered, and memories were made.
Old Spanish Days Fiesta is proud of the decades-long tradition of producing a top-tier professional rodeo and horse show. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Board, our Fiesta Rodeo and Stock Horse Committee, and countless volunteers and sponsors, our rodeo became a hallmark event—leaving an indelible mark on our community year after year.
Unfortunately, despite good-faith efforts and years of negotiation, we have been unable to reach an agreement with the current Earl Warren Showgrounds management that allows us to continue producing this event at the professional standard, community-focused level, and financial sustainability our organization requires. While this decision was not made lightly, we simply cannot produce the rodeo Santa Barbara deserves under the current conditions.
This is not the end of the Old Spanish Days Fiesta Rodeo spirit—it’s simply the end of this chapter. As we’ve done in the past, Old Spanish Days remains committed to reimagining this beloved tradition for the future. The vaquero spirit is woven into the fabric of Old Spanish Days, and we will continue to honor that heritage in new and meaningful ways moving forward.
We extend our deepest gratitude to every volunteer, competitor, attendee, and sponsor who helped shape the legacy of the Fiesta Rodeo and Stock Horse Show. Your passion and support are the reason this event has meant so much to so many.
Fiesta 2025 runs July 30-August 3 this year. Events and celebrations can be found at sbfiesta.org.
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Fiesta Stock Horse Show and Rodeo to Miss 2025 Old Spanish Days Celebrations
No matter the reason. It’s a glorious day when the pure animal abuse called “rodeo” is finally eliminated from our community.
I’m guessing too many PETA-type Nancy wankers crying about how “mean” rodeos are. Just a guess.
Well BASIC, just like your comments on the other article about this, you’re wrong. Maybe try reading the articles for once?
Basic – You sure have a knack for stepp’n in it.
I believe there are some “rodeos” who might be less cruel than others. But using flank straps, metal spurs, electric prods to force animals to behave a certain way for entertainment is inhumane. Causing calves and steers to run at high speeds and then roping or wrestling them to the ground for the glory of winning – not to mention doing this to them while practicing for the rodeo – is animal cruelty.
And there is a distinction between using animals for food or entertainment. The former is a basic need and the latter manipulates them in cruel ways for human amusement or enjoyment.
There is nothing good about abusing animals for entertainment. Glad to hear the rodeo is cancelled.
Kelly and Joe and others who think like them. I am part of one of the oldest cattle ranching families in the county going back to the Presidio. A rodeo is not meant for some gladiator-cruelty-based entertainment. A rodeo is a display and competition of all the skills necessary in the cattle ranching industry. Ever eaten a burger, worn a leather belt or shoes? This nation would be nowhere without the cattle industry and the tough people it takes to make those items available.
For this and for our history of cattle ranching in this area, I am beyond sad to see the rodeo go.
Bull riding is a necessary skill? Sounds like your usual load of bull.
Go see it!
You provide plenty of BS here for all to see.
I appreciate this announcement. I love Fiesta but never liked the rodeo, so I’m glad it’s not part of the Fiesta tradition. I have a couple of friends who volunteered or even participated in it and they said the attendance went way down the last several years.
“wahine”, take a look at the companion article from 4/1 on Noozhawk that stated multiple events were sold out for the past three years. Maybe your friends just went to mutton busting? It was popluar. Good money down it got canned because of the angry, wealthy PETA types in an ultraliberal town like SB. Sad.
“good money down?” LOL you gotta stop “betting” here. You’re over a grand into me already and you’ll lose this bet too.
It would be *much* more entertaining to have BI, clad in a sheepskin, attempt to run across the rodeo arena, trying to avoid being thrown and hogtied. Rinse and repeat.
Way too vague. Need actual, specific reasons why there was no agreement. You could drive a cement truck through those general descriptions….
“Unfortunately, despite good-faith efforts and years of negotiation, we have been unable to reach an agreement with the current Earl Warren Showgrounds management that allows us to continue producing this event at the professional standard, community-focused level, and financial sustainability our organization requires.”
Interesting that there’s no mention of care & concern for the safety & well being of the animals.
“..it’s okay to eat fish ‘Cause they don’t have any feelings”.
KC 1991
¡Aleluya! And then some. Animal abuse is animal abuse. There’s no sugarcoating it. Some people like to claim rodeo as “tradition.” Guess which other cruel, inhumane and “acceptable” traditions we have wisely done away with? Slavery and forced labor. Public executions (e.g., burning at the stake and drawing and quartering). Punishing our children via beatings. Wife beating. Genital mutilation of women. Forcing young girls to marry early. Medical lobotomies. Forced sterilization/selective breeding (aka eugenics). *********** Just because we CAN abuse the voiceless, doesn’t mean it’s okay to do so. I am thrilled that this barbarous rodeo “entertainment” will no longer take place in Santa Barbara. Happily, other communities in CA, Rhode Island, Nevada, Florida, Ohio, etc. have long since banned rodeo. Now Fiesta in Santa Barbara will be celebrated without humans tormenting calves, bulls, horses and lambs (“mutton busting”). ¡Olé!
I won’t miss the rodeo, because I’ve missed it every year and don’t even think twice about it. I agree with a lot of the posters claiming that some rodeo events, maybe not all, abuse animals, which makes it very unpleasant to watch and are glad to see it stop. But wait: nothing in this article nor the previous ones says that there will no longer be a rodeo. Rodeo isn’t banned from Santa Barbara, and none of the reporting has a even a single word related to charges of animal cruelty. All they are saying is that Old Spanish Days, as a financial entity, will no longer be contracting with the Earl Warren show grounds to put on a rodeo. Someone else might do it, and then there will be a rodeo.
“The Board” of Fiesta such as it is, has had little to no information at all about the Rodeo. That’s the way it’s been for decades- uninformed; mi papi says so- it is true. I challenge all the pontificating know nothings to prove me wrong. Papis further detail is this: Rodeo financial information has only ever been a line item in the Fiesta financials. The board sees the change in book value months after Fiesta is completed if they know what to look for. THAT”S IT. No revenues, no operating costs, just a single line item number once a year. Fiesta may “own” the Rodeo, but the board has no idea what the details of the Rodeo were nor any idea what the risks were. There may well be some back filling now on that El gato está fuera de la bolsa.
Read the three press releases of this year regarding the rodeo. Any wordsmith can smell a rat. Ask any board member if there was a vote on anything Rodeo related prior to the first press release. Make sure you look into thier ojos de serpiente when you ask. The truthful answer is no; in fact, board members have never seen Rodeo financial information.
Why would this be? Because “the people downtown don’t know how to run a rodeo.” One single person has been a go between for decades. This same person has long had a not insignificant personal financial interest in the Rodeo. The annual Rodeo audit is performed by a different firm than the audit firm that does Fiesta’s audit. Champiñones en una habitación oscura
While things have evolved over the years, the rental cost at Earl Warren is several thousands of dollars per day (under $5,000) and proper insurance, etc is of course necessary. This is peanuts compared to perennially sold out seat seating and on premises food and alcohol sales. The dependency on one person who may or may not have. proper moral and business interests has now proved fatal to the rodeo. Same said person may have an interest in seeing a newer rodeo not far away being successful and not having any competition. Related Q: why after cancelling the Rodeo are the showgrounds still booked for these dates by Fiesta?
Pequeños robos y una continua paquete de mentiras.
Very interesting!
More obfuscation — or explanation, depends on your point of view I guess:
https://www.noozhawk.com/negotiations-fail-to-bring-back-fiesta-stock-horse-show-and-rodeo/
Exactamente. El Presidente [and the Directors] says: “Olenberger said, “I grew up around cowboys and rodeos and I wanted a rodeo and the board of directors wanted a rodeo.”
One person, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiesta, says: “the rodeo was challenged financially and “last year we had three sell out performances … we can’t complain at that but we had no bottom line. You can’t continue an event or reinvest in yourself without a little left over each year.”
The rental cost of Earl Warren Showgrounds is quiet small compared (several thousand $ a day) to ticket admission revenues. Most of the labor is volunteer. A burro could make this happen given all of the historic goodwill. And over the hill, a newer smaller competing Rodeo is in its fifth year. Pescado podrido.
I had to look up “podrido” 🙂
Why I bought a home in Wyoming….
Good place to live in the past.
LOL, so GTFO.
RIPHARLEY – wait, so you bought a home in Wyoming because Earl Warren Showgrounds and the Fiesta group might not have been able to come to an agreement about the rodeo this year?
Wow! Now that is some passion for local business decisions!
I hear ya…