The withdrawal of tourism funds is particularly striking given that San Diego Tourism Marketing District (SDTMD) had reversed an earlier denial last year and approved the same $150,000 allocation under unprecedented circumstances, despite no improvement in projected hotel demand or tourism benefit. This year, with the rodeo no longer appearing on any SDTMD agenda ahead of the district’s final meeting of the cycle, the silence is widely interpreted as a deliberate shift away from underwriting an increasingly controversial event. Behind the scenes, city officials and industry observers acknowledge that the Padres’ aggressive lobbying last year did not go unnoticed, and without a similar push in 2025, the rodeo’s prospects have deteriorated rapidly.
The funding exodus coincides with turmoil inside the Padres organization following the death of chairman Peter Seidler, whose family history is deeply intertwined with Western ranching culture and rodeo tradition. Peter’s brother, a rancher in Montana, has long been known within equestrian circles, and the family’s affinity for cowboy culture helped pave the way for transforming Petco Park into a rodeo venue in the first place. With the Seidler trust openly preparing the team for a potential sale, many close to the process believe the rodeo will be quietly abandoned once new ownership steps in, especially given the event’s persistent public relations liabilities.
The controversies surrounding the Petco Park rodeo have overshadowed nearly every attempt to frame it as a celebration of heritage. The death of a pregnant horse during the 2025 saddle bronc event, following the 2024 crash of Waco Kid into a steel barricade, fueled accusations that the Padres and C5 Rodeo were minimizing the risks posed to animals for entertainment. The San Diego Humane Society declined to pursue criminal charges but acknowledged that pregnant horses performing in rodeos is considered “normal,” a statement that alarmed even longtime supporters of equestrian sport. Critics argue that legality should not absolve organizers from responsibility, especially when the outcomes repeat themselves with deadly consistency.
Animal welfare groups, including Strategic Action for Animals, say the funding collapse is the inevitable result of years of avoidable suffering, insufficient oversight, and mixed messaging from officials tasked with monitoring the rodeo. SXFA co-founder Amit Dhuleshia called the moment “a turning point,” pointing out that when both public money and large corporate sponsors walk away, it becomes increasingly difficult to justify the event as a legitimate investment. SXFA is now pressuring all remaining sponsors to sever ties, warning of reputational damage should another animal be injured or killed.
At the same time, tribal leaders across San Diego County remain outspoken defenders of the rodeo, framing it as a cultural practice with Indigenous origins that predates the city itself. Leaders of the Sycuan, Barona, and Viejas bands argue that eliminating the rodeo would erase meaningful expressions of Black, Indigenous, Mexican, and LGBTQ+ heritage that have historically been excluded from mainstream cowboy narratives. To them, the rodeo is not a spectacle but a lineage, a rare platform for cultural transmission alongside animal partners they say they revere and protect.
This defense, however, collides sharply with the experiences of independent investigators and animal-rights organizations who describe the rodeo as fundamentally incompatible with welfare standards. Critics highlight discrepancies between the organizers’ assurances of safety and the recurring injuries suffered by horses performing under highly stressful conditions in a baseball stadium not built for equestrian competition. Some activists argue that the rodeo’s cultural justification is being selectively deployed to shield corporate interests rather than preserve genuine tradition, especially given the Padres’ prominent financial footprint behind the event.
The Padres organization has repeatedly declined to address questions about its long-term commitment to the rodeo as ownership uncertainty deepens. Not only that, but Petco Park Events went as far as to block SanDiegoVille on Instagram after the publication exposed the 2024 incident when a 6-year-old horse named Waco Kid crashed into a barricade during an Indigenous Relay Race, prompting protests and a lawsuit from animal rights groups alleging violations of municipal codes prohibiting non-service animals at the venue.
Animal welfare groups, including Strategic Action for Animals, say the funding collapse is the inevitable result of years of avoidable suffering, insufficient oversight, and mixed messaging from officials tasked with monitoring the rodeo. SXFA co-founder Amit Dhuleshia called the moment “a turning point,” pointing out that when both public money and large corporate sponsors walk away, it becomes increasingly difficult to justify the event as a legitimate investment. SXFA is now pressuring all remaining sponsors to sever ties, warning of reputational damage should another animal be injured or killed.
At the same time, tribal leaders across San Diego County remain outspoken defenders of the rodeo, framing it as a cultural practice with Indigenous origins that predates the city itself. Leaders of the Sycuan, Barona, and Viejas bands argue that eliminating the rodeo would erase meaningful expressions of Black, Indigenous, Mexican, and LGBTQ+ heritage that have historically been excluded from mainstream cowboy narratives. To them, the rodeo is not a spectacle but a lineage, a rare platform for cultural transmission alongside animal partners they say they revere and protect.
This defense, however, collides sharply with the experiences of independent investigators and animal-rights organizations who describe the rodeo as fundamentally incompatible with welfare standards. Critics highlight discrepancies between the organizers’ assurances of safety and the recurring injuries suffered by horses performing under highly stressful conditions in a baseball stadium not built for equestrian competition. Some activists argue that the rodeo’s cultural justification is being selectively deployed to shield corporate interests rather than preserve genuine tradition, especially given the Padres’ prominent financial footprint behind the event.
The Padres organization has repeatedly declined to address questions about its long-term commitment to the rodeo as ownership uncertainty deepens. Not only that, but Petco Park Events went as far as to block SanDiegoVille on Instagram after the publication exposed the 2024 incident when a 6-year-old horse named Waco Kid crashed into a barricade during an Indigenous Relay Race, prompting protests and a lawsuit from animal rights groups alleging violations of municipal codes prohibiting non-service animals at the venue.
C5 Rodeo has never claimed the horse survived with “no major injuries”; their only public statement asserted that an “initial exam” found no “obvious signs of fracture or instability,” despite the fact that no X-rays or diagnostic tests were performed. According to deposition testimony from rodeo veterinarian Rodrigo Vazquez, Waco Kid was given a “very poor prognosis,” was suspected of having cervical trauma, and was still unable to stand when pushed out of the hospital the following morning. Additionally, a lawsuit filed by SHARK and APRL - originally focused on violations of Petco Park’s non-service animal rules - has since narrowed to allegations of general animal cruelty constituting unlawful business practices. The case has survived multiple dismissal attempts by both C5 Rodeo and the Padres and is now headed for trial the week before the 2026 rodeo is scheduled to begin.
Following Peter Seidler’s death, internal disputes within the Seidler family trust - and a lawsuit filed by his widow alleging racial bias and exclusion from team governance - have cast doubt on who will ultimately direct the franchise’s future. With rumors circulating about potential buyers and the likelihood that new ownership may be uninterested in maintaining a politically radioactive rodeo, the event’s viability appears increasingly tenuous.
Supporters insist that any effort to restrict or ban rodeos amounts to an attack on marginalized communities and a misunderstanding of longstanding practices. Opponents counter that the city has a duty to weigh cultural heritage against the measurable risks to animals and the broader shift in public values. Around Petco Park, where crowds once lined up to see the transformation from baseball diamond to dirt arena, the excitement has cooled, replaced by protests, legal threats, and growing perceptions that the Padres themselves may be distancing from a once-cherished idea.
As San Diego approaches a pivotal decision point, the rodeo stands at the intersection of tradition, ethics, business interests, and the uncertain future of the Padres franchise. If funding remains absent and sponsors continue to retreat, the 2026 rodeo may never materialize. Many believe that even if the event limps forward, it will be the last under Padres stewardship, marking the end of a brief and turbulent chapter driven more by the personal passions of the Seidler family than by stable community demand.
Whether the rodeo fades quietly or is formally discontinued, San Diego now faces a broader reckoning over how to honor cultural heritage while protecting animals and avoiding the influence of powerful private interests. For now, the future of the San Diego Rodeo remains in limbo, its fate shaped not by tradition or artistry, but by fractured funding, public scrutiny, and the unraveling authority of the organization that once championed it most.
Supporters insist that any effort to restrict or ban rodeos amounts to an attack on marginalized communities and a misunderstanding of longstanding practices. Opponents counter that the city has a duty to weigh cultural heritage against the measurable risks to animals and the broader shift in public values. Around Petco Park, where crowds once lined up to see the transformation from baseball diamond to dirt arena, the excitement has cooled, replaced by protests, legal threats, and growing perceptions that the Padres themselves may be distancing from a once-cherished idea.
As San Diego approaches a pivotal decision point, the rodeo stands at the intersection of tradition, ethics, business interests, and the uncertain future of the Padres franchise. If funding remains absent and sponsors continue to retreat, the 2026 rodeo may never materialize. Many believe that even if the event limps forward, it will be the last under Padres stewardship, marking the end of a brief and turbulent chapter driven more by the personal passions of the Seidler family than by stable community demand.
Whether the rodeo fades quietly or is formally discontinued, San Diego now faces a broader reckoning over how to honor cultural heritage while protecting animals and avoiding the influence of powerful private interests. For now, the future of the San Diego Rodeo remains in limbo, its fate shaped not by tradition or artistry, but by fractured funding, public scrutiny, and the unraveling authority of the organization that once championed it most.
Originally published on December 9, 2025.
