Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has asked the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo to postpone the event until the local COVID-19 case numbers can decline further.

He sent a letter Monday to Rodeo Chairwoman Nancy Loeffler, asking to delay the February 11th start date. Austin and Fort Worth Rodeos have both cancelled their events, and Houston has delayed until May.

“I suggested [to rodeo officials over the weekend] that it would be best to postpone the rodeo for now,” Wolff wrote. “With attendance at 4,000 each night, some 56,000 people will attend over the 14-day rodeo.”

While local hospitalizations are declining, the county is still reporting about 1,400 new infections daily, and new variants of the virus are raising the risk for large gatherings.

Cox Media Group