Battle rages at City Hall over proposed rodeo ban

Rodeo proponents leave the Los Angeles City Council chambers Tuesday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) By Susanne Rust and Melissa Gomez June 9, 2026 3:35 PM PT 7 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. Rodeos are causing a circus at City Hall. On Tuesday, rodeo lovers and animal welfare advocates descended on downtown Los Angeles to argue for and against a draft ordinance that would ban the hooved spectacles within the city. The thing is — the ordinance wasn’t even on the agenda. In 2023, the city council voted unanimously to support the drafting of a ban by the city attorney. But Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, the chair of the Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee — which oversees rodeos — has yet to introduce the ordinance. The proposed rule, which was drafted in 2024, will expire at the end of the month if not brought to the City Council for a vote. The Los Angeles City Council has approved an amendment meant to assuage concerns that a rodeo ban would unfairly block equestrian events of cultural significance. “Because this item was introduced before Councilmember Jurado took office, our office has taken a thorough and deliberate approach to reviewing the proposal and meeting with community stakeholders to fully understand its history, cultural context, and potential impacts,” said Alejandra Alarcon, a spokeswoman for Jurado. “We do not have a confirmed meeting date for this item at this time.” The law defines rodeos as spectator events that include bareback and saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, or any other event or activity that involves physically taking down an animal, roping an animal, or attempting to ride a bucking animal. Rodeos supporters meet with Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, second from right, and council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson on June 9, 2026. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Advertisement The ordinance included language that excludes equestrian events, as well as American Indian, Native American, Indigenous Rodeo, Mexican Charreria and Escaramuza events that don’t involve the activities cited in the law. For example, trick roping performed by horse riders that don’t actually lasso animals or choreographed riding to music are not included in the ban. A new motion, introduced by Councilmember Bob Blumenfeld, who represents the west San Fernando Valley, would also direct the city attorney to apply the ban only to events that exceed 1,000 spectators. At an arts and parks subcommittee meeting Tuesday morning, some members of the public urged Jurado to act and introduce the ordinance for a vote, while others encouraged her to drop it. “Obviously, there are improvements that can be made, and there are definitely collateral damages” said a man who identified himself as Carlos Madriz. “We’re here to show you that we are also people that take care of our of animals, and we care for their well-being, and we do it with dignity.” Others urged Jurado to introduce the ordinance for a vote and ban the practice. “Torturing animals in rodeos is not a celebration of Latino culture, that is an insult,” said former KCAL reporter, Jane Velez-Mitchell. “Almost half of the population of Los Angeles is Latino. 1.8 million people. How many of them do you see riding around on bulls and wearing cowboy hats and sombreros? This is cynical political theater. I dare say most of the sombreros in Los Angeles are in this room right now.” She also mentioned news reports showing that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol uses rodeo events to recruit agents. In 2008, Border Patrol began sponsoring the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), the largest competitive bull-riding league in the world. During President Trump’s first term, the administration signed a $1.5-million deal with the organization. Later, in 2019, the administration allotted $3 million annually for five years. Photos from PBR events show bullfighters wearing shirts with “Protected by U.S. Border Patrol” emblazoned on their backs. “Why would Los Angeles provide a venue and a platform for ICE to do its dirty work? ICE out, rodeos out, pass this out of committee. Let the people of Los Angeles have a cruelty-free city,” Velez-Mitchell said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol are overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, but they are separate agencies. ICE does not sponsor PBR events or recruit agents at those events. Demonstrators on both sides of the issue also showed up at a full council meeting Tuesday. People wearing cowboy hats and sombreros peppered the audience chamber. Again, rodeo supporters and opponents lined up at the microphone to speak. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez addressed concerns about ICE at t

Battle rages at City Hall over proposed rodeo ban

Key takeaways

More in local