We spoke too soon and yeehawed just a little prematurely. On June 16, Santa Cruz.com reported.html that the rodeo would be coming to town. Santa Cruz County, we said, was about to host its very own rodeo, with broncs and bulls and barrel racing to support the County’s Deputy Sheriff’s Association. We spoke too soon.
A vote on holding the event in October has been rescinded as a result of legal concerns. Opponents of the rodeo have threatened to sue if the event went forward, and there was concern over who would bear the brunt of the legal responsibility.
The major opponents of the proposed rodeo were animal welfare groups, who wrote that, “Because of the inherent cruelty of rodeo, it was not an appropriate event for our area.” Animals, they said, are often harmed or even killed in the event.
The Deputy Sheriff’s Association is disappointed with the outcome, saying that the money that the rodeo would raise could be used for a variety of programs for disadvantaged children. In the past, the group raised money for sports and recreation programs, a Christmas party for 350 disadvantaged kids, and cancer support programs. Because of the current economic situation, the possibility of raising money to continue these efforts is in jeopardy.
Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Santa Cruz County Rodeo Gets Nixed
County planners messed with the bull and got the horns when it came to anti-rodeo activists.
