CHEYENNE, Wyo. - A federal judge Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against an animal rights group that persuaded rock band Matchbox Twenty to pull out of its scheduled concert at this year's Cheyenne Frontier Days.

U.S. District Judge William Downes ruled in a telephone hearing that the lawsuit by Romeo Entertainment Group Inc., based in Omaha, Neb., was not filed in the correct state, according to court records.

Romeo Entertainment filed the lawsuit against SHARK, which stands for Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, and its president Steve Hindi, in April after the rock band Matchbox Twenty canceled a scheduled performance at this year's Frontier Days.

SHARK and Hindi had asked Downes to dismiss the case, saying Wyoming was not the proper venue.

The lawsuit against the Geneva, Ill.-based group contended the group and Hindi used "false and misleading information" and "threats of negative publicity" to persuade Matchbox Twenty and singer Carrie Underwood to cancel performances at the Cheyenne rodeo. Underwood canceled a scheduled performance in 2006.

The lawsuit says Romeo Entertainment lost more than $100,000 from Matchbox Twenty dropping out of its scheduled July 18 performance. It did not provide a dollar figure on the loss of the Underwood concert.

The entertainers were not sued in the lawsuit.

Hindi said he was pleased with the judge's ruling.

Romeo Entertainment attorney J. Kent Rutledge said the company was considering whether to appeal Downes' decision or to refile the lawsuit in another state.

"Clearly this will not terminate Romeo's efforts to recover against SHARK and Mr. Hindi," he said.

The lawsuit could be filed in either Illinois or Oklahoma, places from which SHARK and Hindi could have contacted Matchbox Twenty, Underwood and other bands in efforts to get them to cancel their Cheyenne performances, Rutledge said.

Lisa White, attorney for the animal rights group, said the lawsuit should have been filed in Chicago.

Wherever it ends up, White said SHARK and Hindi believe Romeo Entertainment's arguments have no merit.

"We would simply say that there are public policy concerns at issue here, the right of Americans to freely express themselves," she said.

The lawsuit sought a court order to stop Hindi and SHARK from contacting any entertainers scheduled to perform at Frontier Days.

The lawsuit claims that Def Leppard and Bon Jovi also were contacted by Hindi and SHARK, but those entertainers did not cancel their performances in 2007.

Hindi has posted Internet video of rodeo action at Frontier Days that he considers to be cruel to the participating horses, calves and steers. He says he wants some events changed or eliminated but doesn't want to shut down rodeos.

Rodeo supporters counter that the animals are treated well and that the contestants are hurt more often than the animals. They argue Hindi is ignorant of ranching life and his true intentions are to shut down rodeos altogether.