In a 4 to 2 vote today, the Santa Cruz County Fair board voted on bringing the Rodeo back…after 26 years. Board members approved renting the fairgrounds to Stars of Justice Inc, a nonprofit offshoot of the Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, for a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned event during October 2nd and 3rd. Animal Welfare activists urged the board to oppose the vote arguing that the rodeo represents animal cruelty for the sake of entertainment. The annual event ended in 1984 after the promoter disappeared with the proceeds.
