One Fiesta: Two Rodeos, Two Different Ways to Have Fun

Despite the drama surrounding this year’s Fiesta rodeo, the show went on … in two locations. For the first time in the history of the Fiesta rodeo, the official Old Spanish Days Stock Horse Show and Rodeo took place outside the city limits at the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center, featuring an amateur rodeo competition. The Earl Warren Showgrounds, where the Old Spanish Days rodeo traditionally had been held, presented this year what it called the Santa Barbara Rodeo Days, run by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). 

Earl Warren’s rodeo featured highly skilled professional ropers and riders who tour around the country competing in traditional timed events. The two-hour show included team and breakaway roping, bronco riding, steer wrestling, bull-riding, barrel racing, and mutton busting. Tickets started at $30 for general admission — more for box seating — plus $20 for parking. Also on the grounds was a free carnival, but with pay-for rides and games, complete with a Ferris wheel. A cash bar and food stands lined the walkways. 

Like most PRCA rodeos, the evening began with the unfurling of an enormous American flag as the announcer said a prayer. Between the skilled contests, a rodeo clown bantered with the crowd, performing stunts and encouraging the audience to cheer and drink. The deejay blasted sing-along songs such as  “Come on Eileen,” with the audience singing the chorus enthusiastically. The announcer threw quippy comments when bull and bronco riders hit the ground. The energy was high among the young crowd, mostly 20 and 30 year olds, a few with kids in tow. 

Prizes were given away to audience members, including a Yeti cooler to the rowdiest crowd member, which on Friday, was an 11-year-old boy who was jumping and yelling all night. Josiah Jenkins, who had participated for many years with the Old Spanish Day’s rodeo, and in fact, was running the Santa Ynez rodeo this year, was honored at the Earl Warren event for his riding skills and for his 50 years of participation in Fiesta. 

Junior riders competed in a mutton busting competition, hanging on as long as they could. But the real star of the show was pro rider Lefty Holman from Visalia taking the win of the night’s bronco riding competition. 

After the show was over, the crowd funneled out while the bronc horses ran free in the arena to the tune of John Denver’s  “Country Roads.” Some of the audience stayed for another round from the bar and a line dancing lesson from Borderline Bar instructors.

It was a different tune at the Old Spanish Days Stock Horse Show and Rodeo out in Santa Ynez. A free event — free parking too — in a casual setting that felt more like a local horse show than a production. Riders from Santa Ynez to Ojai competed in a friendly, yet fierce, competition. 

On Saturday, most of the afternoon was spent on team penning where a herd of steers with different numbers marked on their backs were roaming around the arena while a team of three riders are given a number and 90 seconds to cut their numbered steers out of the herd and into a pen. The competition was intense but friendly, the teams bantering with one another as they awaited their turns in the ring. People in the audience were yelling encouragement and advice.

Between their rides, cowboys and cowgirls parked behind the bleachers, their horses mingling with seated audience members. Road apples lined the walkway and horses munched on hay bales. The crowds were smaller than at Earl Warren, with many families with kids, including Clint Eastwood’s son Scott with his family. 

But the event that filled the stands was the 5 p.m. mutton busting. Twice the number of young competitors showed up than at Earl Warren the night before, and parents and friends lined the rail. With ages ranging from about four to ten, most of the competitors held on for about two strides, barely making it out of the box. That did not stop the crowd from roaring. Colorful lassos were handed out as prizes.

Following the events Saturday night, there was a sold out BBQ with free plates for competitors and $30 a plate for spectators. A live band played as diners were served from the buffet line. Parents had to wrangle their kids to the dinner table from the lawn where they were roping a trash can, and each other. 

Providing two different feels, both rodeos were full of fun for crowds and competitors. Some missed having a united event with amateur and pro rodeo in one location as it had been in years past, but that didn’t prevent them from having a good time.

Editor’s Note: Tickets for Earl Warren’s rodeo started at $30, not $45 as originally reported.