Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo is coming back to Minneapolis on February 2nd and 3rd to exploit animals for “entertainment.” Join us in standing up against cruelty to animals by peacefully protesting outside the Xcel Energy Center in February on Friday the 2nd and Saturday the 3rd, from 6:30-8:00 PM.

This rodeo includes bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, and barrel racing. The horses, bulls, and steer, often suffer broken ribs, backs, and legs, torn tails, punctured lungs, internal organ damage, ripped tendons, torn ligaments, snapped necks, and agonizing deaths. More information on why rodeos are cruel can be found here.

These animals did not sign up for this, and they deserve better.

We ask you to meet at least TWO challenges from the Call-to-Action options below:

• Sign ARC’s petition to Stop the Exploitation of Animals at Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo.
• Post on social media (X-Twitter, Meta, Instagram, TikTok) about the Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo protests. Tag the Animal Rights Coalition and Xcel Energy Center.
• Create posters and join us at the protests. Slogan ideas for rodeo signs: “Only Bullies Ride Bulls”, “Stop Bull Riding”, “Bull Riding is Cruel”, or “Rodeo Animals are Electrocuted, Tormented, and Terrified.”
• Tell your local newspaper, TV news station, and radio station about the protests.
  • KSTP-TV  – Submit a news tip.
  • Star Tribune – Submit a tip, contact a reporter, share an event, etc.
  • MPR – News Tips newsroom@mpr.org – (651)-290-1424
• Contact Xcel Energy Center and encourage them to only host cruelty free events at their venue. Let them know that animals are forced to participate in the rodeo, putting unnecessary stress and harm on the animals. Xcel doesn’t need to benefit financially from cruelty to animals. Rodeos are a cruel “sport” that needs to stop, and their business can refuse to host them.
  • Saint Paul Arena Company
    175 W. Kellogg Boulevard, Suite 501
    Saint Paul, MN 55102
    Administrative Office Phone: 651-265-4800
    info@xcelenergycenter.com
• Leave a Google Review for the Xcel Energy Center:
  • Go to the Google Maps website or mobile app.
  • Search for the business you want to review.
  • Scroll down to the bottom of the business’s profile page.
  • Click on the “Write a review” button.
  • Select a star rating and write your review.
  • Click on the “Post” button to publish your review.
• Pass out ten copies of the Rodeo B.S. Fact Sheet

Please join us in a huge THANK YOU to Heidi Greger as she retires from her Program Manager position with the Animal Rights Coalition. Heidi plans to continue her involvement with ARC as a volunteer, but this is a great time to look back on her many accomplishments (so far!):

• Served as the Animal Rights Coalition board vice-president to president Mary Britton Clouse for three years and helped to significantly increase ARC’s annual budget.
• Played a role in ending dog labs at the University of Minnesota while vice-president of ARC.  (These were labs for first-year medical students where students were given dogs to cut open and perform procedures on, and the dogs were then killed at the end of the experiment.)
• Worked on the successful campaigns against illegal actions of several University of Minnesota USDA Class B dealers who sold dogs to the U of M; these campaigns provided information to a local TV channel for an in-depth expose on B dealers. After the expose and one of the U’s dog dealers losing his USDA license, the U of M finally discontinued the dog labs.
• Helped end the Rent-A-Rabbit program at the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley.  (AHS would actually purchase rabbits to be rented out for a fee to the public.)
• Was part of ARC’s University Records Project and successful lawsuit against the U of MN to open research records to the public.
• Participated in the campaign for Make-A-Wish chapters to stop granting wishes involving hunting, shooting, or sport-shooting equipment, including archery gear. Because of pressure from ARC and other organizations, the Make-A-Wish board of directors ultimately reversed their policy and prohibited its chapters from granting these types of wishes.
• Helped in the creation of ARC’s vegan store Ethique Nouveau. Early on, the store supported new vegan businesses and had the first vegan pop-ups in the metro for many now successful vegan businesses.
• Took the ARC State Fair campaign from an idea to a reality by researching and creating a very effective strategy and website for the campaign.
• Surprised the audience with her gorgeous voice and singing with her late husband’s band at the Cabooze in Minneapolis at one of the ARC “Unleashed” fundraising concerts in the 90s.

Thank you for your endless compassion and commitment to advocating for the animals, Heidi! ARC is grateful you’ll be sticking around to volunteer!

All members of the Animal Rights Coalition are encouraged to join Slack, a simple and incredibly useful instant messaging app. Slack has transformed the way organizations communicate. We’re offering Slack as the simplest and most effective way for volunteers to connect and build an online community of animal activists in Minnesota!

Using Slack, you can get automatic updates on upcoming events, receive calls to action right from your phone, ask advice, and start conversations about your volunteer experiences with ARC and other volunteers just like you – instantly!

Curious if an event is canceled due to the weather? Looking for someone to carpool with to a protest? Not sure where to find our group for your volunteer shift? Just head over to Slack and ask your network instantly! By abandoning long email chains and opening up the conversation, we can bring more people to the table and get quicker and more efficient results.

Join in the conversation now by signing up as a volunteer with ARC!