On 12th January 2026, a civil trial began in San Diego Superior Court over allegations of animal abuse at the San Diego Rodeo held in Petco Park, California, US.
The case has been brought by the Animal Protection and Rescue League, supported by Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), targeting the San Diego Padres organisation over the rodeo they host at the baseball stadium. The groups had already tried to halt the event in 2023 with a temporary restraining order, which was denied, but the court allowed a full trial on the substantive issues to proceed.
At the centre of the lawsuit is the death of a horse named Waco Kid, who was used in a relay race during the 2024 rodeo. A local veterinarian testifying in court described the incident, saying, “Waco Kid was being utilized in a relay race and ridden into a barrier and became immediately recumbent, never stood up again.” The case also highlights the death of a pregnant horse at last year’s rodeo, who collapsed and later died, along with her unborn foal, after taking part in an event.
An investigation by the San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement division concluded that the pregnant horse died from a ruptured uterine artery, a condition it said can occur “spontaneously,” and that it could not determine whether participation in the rodeo directly caused the death. However, according to a release from the San Diego law firm Pease & Ijadi, APC, if the lawsuit succeeds it would prohibit the rodeo from practices such as roping calves and the use of bucking straps on animals.The San Diego Rodeo has been a focus of ongoing controversy since it started three years ago, with animal rights protestors regularly gathering outside Petco Park to dissuade people from attending. Financial backing has also shifted, as the San Diego Tourism Marketing District did not provide any funding this year, after the event reportedly received about $150,000 in previous editions, and Monster Energy is said to have withdrawn sponsorship.
