Usually, it’s the horses that kick up the dust at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara.

But a skirmish over space at the facility has erupted into a battle royale between multiple recreational sport interests.

The drama has pitted Dynamite Pickleball against several other users, including the Brawlin’ Betties Roller Derby League and Santa Barbara Roller Hockey.

“We, the concerned residents of Santa Barbara County, are deeply troubled by the potential takeover bid . . . of Dynamite Pickleball to acquire the roller rink lease at Earl Warren Showgrounds,” a change.org petition states. “We firmly believe that this decision would undermine the mission statement of Earl Warren Showgrounds, and fail to serve our diverse community adequately.”

The petition has a headline of “Our Sports Leagues Are Under Attack.”

Dynamite Pickleball put in an undisclosed bid to manage the sports activity at the Showgrounds, a contract that had long been held by Santa Barbara Roller Hockey, and was being rebranded as Santa Barbara Arena Sports, which includes roller derby, roller hockey, futsal, lacrosse and hockey events.

Whatever the amount was, Dynamite Pickleball’s offer was more than Roller Hockey had been paying.

Dynamite Pickleball, led by Dave and Tracy Wilcox, bid to oversee the master contract, but had promised not to displace any of the other uses.

“We would honor all other groups that are there,” Dave Wilcox told Noozhawk. “We would not take away any time from any groups, and everyone’s rates would stay the same.”

Earl Warren Showgrounds, on 35 acres at 3400 Calle Real, has taken steps in recent years to become more financially sustainable.

The state-owned facility took out a line of credit to cover payroll in 2019.

Officials that year also received a year-long extension on two State of California loans — totaling about $300,000. Without the line of credit, the complex would have run out of money that year.

Historically, it has been home to an annual fair, equestrian performances, the Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo, Haunt at the Showgrounds, and events inside the Exhibit Building and Warren Hall and on the parking lot.

The facility also rents overnight parking for RVs, and it sometimes serves as a command center for major wildfires and other emergencies.

Earlier this year, however, it changed its mission statement: “The Earl Warren Showgrounds is a multi-use community event and emergency resiliency center serving the existing and changing needs of Santa Barbara’s culture, history, and community,” with the intention of opening up its space to pickleball, youth football and soccer.

“The goal is to build a profit-sharing business at the showgrounds that is used all the time, with a wide variety of business groups that will benefit from the arena,” said Ben Sprague, showgrounds general manager.

Pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport, and users play at courts everywhere there are tennis courts. The player-base is enthusiastic, and courts that once sat underused by tennis players are now regularly buzzing with people and the sounds of paddles on balls.

The showgrounds would not have a problem booking its facilities with pickleball players because of the overall scarcity of space for the sport on the South Coast.

The drama over the contract has resulted in Sprague putting everything on hold for a few days.

The Santa Barbara National Horse Show takes place July 5-8 and 12-16, which gives Sprague time to decide what to do with the contract.

Late last week and over the weekend, Santa Barbara Arena Sports and the Brawlin’ Betties put out news releases stating that they were being pushed out of the showgrounds, a tactic that did not sit well with Sprague.

Late Monday night, five people formerly and presently on the Santa Barbara Roller Hockey Board, and one on the Mission City Roller Derby board released a letter apologizing to Earl Warren.

“Personally, and on behalf of our organizations, we regret and apologize for recent statements regarding Earl Warren Showgrounds’ management,” the statement said. “We have been partners with the Showgrounds since 1998. The Showgrounds supported us through the pandemic when we could not skate. We have been communicating with Showgrounds CEO Ben Sprague and Rosie Miranda to work together to move in a positive direction so that our community can continue to enjoy activities at the rink.

We look forward to continuing together under the new rink leadership.”

The change.org petition, however, is still up and suggests that Earl Warren is putting the needs of pickleball users above everyone else.

“The current roller rink lease agreement with Santa Barbara Roller Hockey/Santa Barbara Arena Sports has been instrumental in fostering inclusivity within our community,” the petition states.

“It offers opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to engage in recreational activities together. Dynamite Pickleball’s proposed takeover would limit access primarily to pickleball enthusiasts, while neglecting other sports enthusiasts who rely on the roller rink.”

The petition concludes: “Sign this petition today and let your voice be heard in support of diversity, inclusivity, and the preservation of our beloved roller rink!”