Fans, protesters assemble at Montreal's urban rodeo

Hundreds of people, enthusiasts and protesters alike, were at Montreal's Old Port Thursday evening for the start of NomadfestUrbanRodeo,a rodeo and country music festival that has drawn the ire of many in recent months.

Nomadfest calls itself a"contemporary rodeofestival, where country music, western-inspired gourmet food and equestrian competitions comingle."

It is organized by the same group that runs the annual western festival inSaint-Tite, Que., and is being held at the Old Port's JacquesCartierPier as part of Montreal's375thanniversary celebrations. It runs until Sunday.

At least two animal rights groups AssociationTerriensand the KebekAnimal Rights Association are protesting every day of the rodeo at the pier.

• Injunction dropped, rodeo to go ahead in Montreal this summer

"Our main reasons for opposing it are that the rodeo is essentially making its money and profit off of individuals who are being used," said one of the protests' organizers Christina Vassilatos.

She said she purposefully referred to animals as individuals because "they want to feel a sense of security and safety, and rodeos put them in dangerous situations."

SylvainBourgeois, who is a producer withNomadfest, told CBC News none of the equipment used is meant to cause animals pain or discomfort. He said it's to "tell them it's time to work."

If it were too tight,they wouldn't be able to move as much, he said, adding the animals are taught to buck when a rider is on them from a young age, with the use of adummyat first.

"Wedontwant to hurt them," Bourgeois said Thursday."We want them to perform so we make sure they like what they're doing."

Mayor unwavering in support forevent

Despite calls to cancel the rodeo,Montreal Mayor DenisCoderrehas been steadfast in insisting the show will go on.

Thursday, at a news conference about the storm that wreaked havoc onNotre-Dame-de-Grce,Coderresaid, "good for them!" when asked about the protests. "I heardKieferSutherlandis going to be there."

• 'End of story,' saysCoderre: Urban rodeo coming to Montreal for375thanniversary

The actor recently turned singer-songwriter is one of the festival's musical acts, performing Saturday.

Vassilatos says she feels the entire premise of rodeos is "essentially touching [animals] in areas that they don't like to be touched."

TheSPCA, which is not involved in the protests, has also condemned Montreal's rodeo,calling it "barbaric" and saying itsubjects animals to "stress andsuffering solely for the purpose of so-called 'entertainment.'"

• 'Kind of jaw-dropping':SPCAasking Montreal to drop rodeo plans

Italso questionedthe rodeo's link to the city's anniversary celebrations.

Rodeo enthusiastChris Harrison was heading into the eventwhen he was approached by the protesters.

"It doesn't change much for me, I'm going to keep going to rodeos," Harrison told CBC News.

"But I don't think the population here is ready for it, I can see they really seem to oppose it here."

He said holding a rodeo in Montreal wasunique and that he hoped it would helppopularizethe type of event in Quebec, but that if it doesn't stick, "we'll go to the United States instead."

The protests arebeing dedicated to a six-year-oldhorse, Grady,who died earlier this year during theSaint-Titerodeo.

• Death of horse atSaint-Titeevent renews calls to cancel Montreal rodeo

Gradycollapsedsuddenly in May withanapparentspinal injury, ejecting his rider. A report by the Universit de Montral veterinary faculty in July said the horse may have had a genetic malformation that weakened its vertebrae.