SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Petco Park’s first rodeo held in January drew mixed reviews from the public. Despite some rejections, it will still return in the new year, January 10-12, 2025.

On Thursday, the City of San Diego’s Land Use and Housing Committee will discuss options for a rodeo ordinance aimed at protecting animals from harmful rodeo practices. The San Diego Humane Society is proposing new regulations and even banning some of the activities, calling them “inhumane.”

But for others, these rodeos are more than a sport or entertainment under bright lights — it’s a long-standing tradition.

“It gives us the opportunity to share the western lifestyle in environments that don’t normally have a big agricultural background, kind of like San Diego,” says Jed Pugsley of C5 Rodeo.

Pugsley grew up around this lifestyle and everyday traditions since he was a child.

“I was born into it, so I’m fifth generation,” he says. “My family was on the same plot of land and they operate a cattle farm. So it’s not something I take lightly. I’m very proud of the things I do and why I do them, and a lot of other people out there. they are in similar skin to me.”

And with the return of future rodeo comes support, but also concern.

“We think it’s a pretty clear issue of animal welfare issues that we don’t want to have rodeos in San Diego,” says Brian Daugherty, executive vice president of the San Diego Humane Society.

Daughtery and the Humane Society open the discussion to end activities like calf roping, team roping and bullfighting.

“They are the most egregious examples that are harmful to animals,” Daughtery explains. “Every rodeo event causes fear, stress and anxiety in the animals, all of that. These – these examples of the other events have a significant incidence of injury and harm.”

But will canceling these popular and traditional activities change what an overall rodeo event is? Pugsley says it’s hard to say.

“The roping or the bullfighting or the team roping that you mentioned, those are activities that cowboys like me do on ranches every day and perform those tasks.”

Earlier this year, when I spoke to some of the thousands who attended the inaugural event, many were inclined to support the rodeo tradition, but didn’t think it was done maliciously.

“I’m not too worried because they have people who care about them. It’s a bit exploitative, but I love them and that’s what they’re trained to do.”

But activists against rodeo animal practices also stood outside protesting the event, which some expect will happen again this year. Ultimately, both sides want to strive for common ground.

“We would like to move on to that while we look at more long-term solutions to be able to find that. Is there a way to this? We would love to be able to see that,” says Daughtery. “I don’t know exactly what it is at this point, but I’m certainly not going to say it doesn’t exist.”

Pugsley agrees that both sides can meet at the table and discuss how to move forward.

“We have nothing to hide; we’re not trying to push anything under the rug, but we’re here to have those open and honest conversations and ultimately learn what we’re doing.”