To get through the gates and into the last day of events at La Fiesta de Los Vaqueros yesterday, rodeo-goers first had to pass through a group of animal-rights protesters holding signs like "Ban Rodeo" and "Animals Are Not Entertainment."

Voices for Animals, a local animal-rights group, held its annual rodeo protest outside the Tucson Rodeo Grounds at South Sixth Avenue and East Irvington Road.

The group has been protesting the rodeo for over 10 years, said Lisa Markkula, president of Voices for Animals.

"They are out here to do cruelty to animals for the most trivial reasons. Of all the reasons to hurt an animal, having fun with them has got to be the worst one," she said.

Some University of Arizona students also participated in Saturday's protest.

"We are here because the rodeo is cruel and wrong," said Gena Drowney, undeclared sophomore.

A rodeo official watched the protesters from about 50 feet away.

"They have the First Amendment right to be here," said the official, who did not want to be named. "We are here to make sure they don't come into the rodeo grounds and disrupt the show."

Markkula said her group bases its allegations of cruelty on standard rodeo practices.

"The reason calves run so fast is that cowboys are tormenting them by either kicking them, twisting their tails, or even using electric shock to the animal's anus," Markkula said. "I think this is classified as cruelty."

The official flatly denied the charges.

"It's against Rodeo Association rules to do that. They are not prodded in any way," he said. "Rodeo animals are like highly trained athletes. They are fed better than most backyard animals."

When asked about cruelty to animals in rodeo events, Voices for Animals member Michael Perez said although he had never seen one live, he had watched televised rodeos.

"How can these so-called wild animals be confined and taken to other cities and then be wild again?" he said. "I don't have to witness it (cruelty) to know that it goes on.

"If we can make one person think that this is abuse," he said, "we've done well."