The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to back a rodeo slated for the County Fairgrounds near Watsonville. The event, proposed for October, is being promoted by the Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs Association. It would be the county’s first rodeo since the 1970s.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to back a rodeo slated for the County Fairgrounds near Watsonville. The event, proposed for October, is being promoted by the Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs Association. It would be the county’s first rodeo since the 1970s.
It is not, however, without controversy. Though the Deputy Sheriff’s Association says that it would help raise much-needed funds for community groups, animal rights groups led by the SPCA are opposed to the event, calling it “organized animal cruelty.” Similar protests by the group were behind last year’s cancellation of the rodeo after it was approved.
Even supporters of the rodeo, including Supervisor Greg Caput, recognize that there is some animal cruelty inherent in the event. “Sure, there might be some pain involved for the animals,” he said, adding, “There’s a benefit and burden for everything.”
Despite the official nod of approval, the close vote and last year’s cancellation suggest that the future of this year’s rodeo is up in the air as well. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
