January 28, 2026
DEAR FRIENDS,
On Tuesday, January 27, a judge in San Diego, California delivered a well-deserved smackdown to those involved in the San Diego Rodeo, including the San Diego Padres baseball team, the San Diego Humane Society, and a veterinarian for the Salinas Rodeo, which is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the San Diego Rodeo’s public relations spokesperson, and a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association stock contractor.
The decision was the result of a lawsuit filed by Animal Protection and Rescue League and SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) against the San Diego Rodeo, which is made up of various corporate entities, including the San Diego Padres baseball team.
Referencing those involved with the rodeo, Judge Joel R. Wohlfeil noted that the witnesses “testified untruthfully about some things…”
Fortunately, Judge Wohlfeil wasn’t shy about providing details. What follows is just a small sample from the Court’s Statement of Decision.
Regarding a press release issued following the horrific injury to the horse Waco Kid:
The press release (“Initial exam performed by the Veterinarian team did not reveal any obvious signs of fracture or instability”) was false and intended to mislead the public.
Regarding the testimony of PRCA veterinarian Tim Eastman, who is also the vet for the San Diego Rodeo:
Dr. Eastman testified that he agreed with the press release. This part of Dr. Eastman’s testimony is not credible and, since this testimony was “about something important,” the Court rejects all of Dr. Eastman’s testimony.
Regarding the testimony of Livestock Welfare Coordinator Jed Pugsley, who prepared the press release about Waco Kid:
Mr. Pugsley’s participation in the false press release is a reason to discount, if not disbelieve, all of Mr. Pugsley’s testimony.
Regarding the testimony of PRCA stock contractor Timothy Bridwell:
During trial, the Court viewed Exh. 201, clip 51 -a video of Pearl Necklace competing at the 2025 rodeo - and even from the Court’s untrained eye, Pearl Necklace was obviously pregnant. Mr. Bridwell’s testimony that he did not know Pearl Necklace was pregnant is not credible. Since this testimony was “about something important,” the Court rejects all of Mr. Bridwell’s testimony.
Regarding the testimony of San Diego Humane Society Investigator Suzie Blackburn:
At trial, the Court observed Sergeant Blackburn deny that she thought Pearl Necklace was pregnant at the rodeo. Sergeant Blackburn's denial appeared to be rushed, defensive and lacked credibility. The Court finds that her report's conclusion that “We cannot prove definitely whether the horse’s participation in the rodeo directly contributed to her death or that anyone had knowledge that she was more pregnant than the assumed eight months ... (and) her death appears to have been accidental and unforeseen” was based on inconsistent information and the product of a biased perspective. To the contrary, the Court finds, based on this record, that Pearl Necklace’s death was both foreseeable and preventable, and that Pearl Necklace was subjected to “needless suffering” or “unnecessary cruelty.”
Regarding Stephanie Grace, Vice President of Special Events for the Padres:
Her testimony that the press release was accurate is not credible. As set forth above, the press release was false and intended to mislead the public.
We should note that Dr. Brenda Forsythe, who was called as a expert witness to testify about the cruelty of rodeo had her testimony accepted by the court:
Dr. Brenda Forsythe is Plaintiffs’ expert veterinarian. Her qualifications (Exh. 109) and the foundation on which she relied to form and express her opinions were adequate.
SHARK has been working to expose the abuse of the San Diego Rodeo since it started in 2024.
Attorney Bryan Pease, who has a long history of standing up for animals, faced off against four lawyers from the animal abuser’s side, and he bested the lot of them.
Shame on the San Diego Padres for supporting animal cruelty, and shame on the San Diego Humane Society for betraying rodeo victims.
The bottom line is, rodeo spin doctors might be able to feed their hogwash to the mindless drunks sitting in the rodeo stands, but clearly it doesn't pass muster with a California state judge. Will this decision stop the John Wayne wannabes of rodeo from attending the next cruelty exhibition? Probably not. But it will make corporate sponsors, and hopefully governments think about whether they want to continue to support this abuse.
We’ve included a link to a pdf of the entire Statement of Decision for your review.
