A demonstration by animal rights activists greeted ticket holders as the Valley West Stampede got underway in 91原创 on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 3.

Eight protesters set up a sun shade by the entrance to the rodeo grounds, with a sign that read 鈥淎nimals are not for entertainment. Change my mind.鈥�

They also held placards that read 鈥淒on鈥檛 lie to your children. This place hurts animals,鈥� 鈥淵our fun, their pain,鈥� and 鈥淓xploiting animals for entertainment is wrong.鈥�

Members of the group said they were affiliated with 鈥�,鈥� an animal rights group.

Speaking for the demonstrators, Paul Fader said it was 鈥渃ruel and wrong to use animals for entertainment.鈥�

Another one of the protesters, Ty Lauriente, said most people entering the rodeo were 鈥渃ompletely complicit in animal abuse,鈥� and unwilling to engage with the protesters.

鈥淲e take a passive approach,鈥� Lauriente explained.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 talk to people if they don鈥檛 talk to us.鈥�

READ ALSO: Top riders on the Canadian rodeo circuit to compete at Valley West Stampede

Sheila Hicks, president of Valley West Stampede, disagreed with the demonstrators, saying the animals are well cared for.

鈥淚 say, come down and check us out,鈥� Hicks told the 91原创 Advance Times.

鈥淭hese animals are like our family, they鈥檙e the best of the best, they鈥檙e high-performance athletes,鈥� Hicks said.

鈥淭heir success is our success. So we want everybody healthy and safe, and that鈥檚 why we鈥檝e done all the upgrades to the grounds, and why we have a vet on site for the entire performance.鈥�

On Saturday, stands that could accommodate up to 2,000 people at the 91原创 Riders Society facility were full, with hundreds more seated on the grassy knoll overlooking the arena.

The Labour Day weekend rodeo is being held in partnership with the society, who have been staging amateur rodeo events, like the Little Britches Rodeos for kids, for more than 50 years.

RELATED: VIDEO: 91原创 prepares for its first-ever professional rodeo show

Sanctioned by the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association鈥檚 (CPRA), the event has drawn riders from Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Australia

Valley West Stampede will run until Monday, Sept. 5.

Tickets are available or at the gate.

More photos from the first day can be viewed .