The long-running civil case, filed in late 2023, will go to trial beginning Monday, January 12, 2026, a few days before the Padres-backed rodeo is scheduled to return to Petco Park from January 16 through 18. The lawsuit was brought by animal advocacy groups Animal Protection and Rescue League and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, alleging that rodeo practices promoted and hosted by the Padres violate California Penal Code §597, which prohibits causing animals needless suffering.
The case, formally titled Animal Protection and Rescue League Inc. v Padres, L.P., has survived multiple dismissal attempts by the Padres and rodeo operator C5 Rodeo Company, contrary to early reports suggesting the lawsuit had been thrown out. While the court declined to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the rodeo from proceeding while the case was pending, the upcoming trial will determine whether a permanent injunction should be imposed.
Central to the lawsuit are injuries and deaths tied to previous rodeos held at Petco Park. During the inaugural 2024 event, a horse named Waco Kid crashed into a metal barricade at full speed during an Indigenous Relay Race, collapsed, and never stood again. Public statements released by the Padres and C5 Rodeo claimed there was “no fracture or instability,” but court discovery later revealed that no X-rays were ever taken. Veterinary records showed Waco Kid was transported from the stadium on a sled, held overnight at Helen Woodward Animal Center, and released the following day unable to stand or walk, with what the attending veterinarian described as a “very poor prognosis.”
The controversy deepened in 2025 when a mare nearly eleven months pregnant collapsed following a saddle bronc event and later died along with her unborn foal. Plaintiffs argue these incidents are not isolated accidents, but predictable outcomes of practices that place animals under extreme stress inside a baseball stadium not designed for equestrian competition.
If the plaintiffs prevail, the court could issue an injunction barring a range of rodeo activities at Petco Park, including roping calves at full speed, steer wrestling, the use of bucking straps, and the participation of pregnant horses. Attorneys for the advocacy groups argue that even if criminal charges have not been pursued, civil courts can still prohibit conduct that violates animal cruelty statutes when used as part of a commercial enterprise.
The Padres and C5 Rodeo have argued that the presence of on-site oversight from the San Diego Humane Society shields the rodeo from liability. Plaintiffs counter that enforcement decisions by local agencies do not determine whether the underlying conduct is lawful, pointing to recent court rulings in which Humane Society practices themselves were found to violate state animal cruelty laws.
The lawsuit is being led by civil rights and environmental attorney Bryan Pease, whose past litigation has reshaped animal welfare enforcement and free-speech protections across California. Pease has characterized the case as a test of whether large sports franchises can market and profit from events that would otherwise be unlawful if conducted outside a stadium setting.
The legal showdown unfolds amid mounting pressure on the Padres’ rodeo venture. Major sponsors including Diageo, Monster Energy, and Casamigos have withdrawn support, while the San Diego Tourism Marketing District did not provide public funding for the first time since the rodeo began. Combined with ownership uncertainty following the death of Padres chairman Peter Seidler and the family’s acknowledgment that a franchise sale is being explored, the rodeo’s long-term future appears increasingly unstable.
The trial will take place in San Diego Superior Court, Department 73, beginning at 9am on Monday, January 12, 2026, just blocks from Petco Park. While the 2026 San Diego Rodeo remains scheduled to proceed later that week, the outcome of the trial could have lasting implications for whether rodeo events can continue at the publicly owned stadium. For now, the Padres find themselves preparing for opening pitch in the courtroom rather than the arena, as a judge weighs whether the spectacle promoted as cultural entertainment crosses the legal line into animal cruelty.
Petco Park is located at 100 Park Boulevard in downtown San Diego, with the 2026 San Diego Rodeo scheduled for January 16-18.
Originally published on January 10, 2026.
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