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IT’S
NOT THE SIZE, IT’S THE ENTHUSIASM!!
Community after community in the west has
had a celebration with rodeo being the main
attraction beginning as early as the mid-1880s.
Chester
,
California
, held a two day rodeo in early July that made
me think of each and every small community that
decided to take on a rodeo as their special
event the first few years over the last 150
years.
Chester
is a small community with a 1,500 population,
nestled in a valley in the Sierra Cascades of
northern
California
on the shores of
Lake
Almanor
. They
have no rodeo grounds, but they have the
‘inclination’ and with that desire and hours
and months of dedicated time and effort by many
local residents they held an outstanding event.
The community of Chester has a core of
residents who were born and raised
in this cattle ranching area, other
workers came to the area for various endeavors,
such as logging, and construction, then there
are the weekenders and summer residents from the
lower part of California that have found this
special place where swimming, golf , fishing,
boating, hiking and other recreational
activities abound.
July 9th and 10th
found the town abuzz with rodeo activity
including a parade from one end of town to the
other. A
herd of longhorn cattle led the way, as did the
two long-term residents, Grand Marshals Kay
Olsen Richardson and Jane S. Spence.
The parade also included a bright red
stage coach pulled by four handsomely matched
horses, a miniature chuck wagon which raced
another wagon in several heats during each
performance, plus numerous cowboys and cowgirls
horseback.
A hay pasture on the edge of
Chester
became the site for a temporary arena, as were
bleachers and pens for the stock.
Cotton Rosser of Marysville,
California
, a major stock contractor with the Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association provided the stock for
this event.
. Rosser,
who spent several years in the area after his
college days working for Charlie Stover, a major
local rancher, has special feelings for the area
and ‘pulled out the stops’ to produce this
rodeo. A
skydiver jumped out of an airplane from high
above carrying a huge American flag and landed
precisely in the arena for both performances..
I don’t have to tell anyone who has
ever been to a rodeo there is not a sport around
that is more patriotic.
(I had goosebumps it was so special).
Each performance included local
kids in the mutton bustin’ and the Jr. and
Buckaroo Barrel Racing.
The bronc riding and bull riding was a
favorite with the fans and brought area cowboys
to try their skill with these magnificent
athletes – the bulls and the broncs.
The wild steer decorating with local
teams was a riot.
The comedy of Charlie “Too Tall” West
and his Dog Fish kept the fans in stitches.
Dale Woodward, another seasoned rodeo
clown, also kept the momentum going.
Meanwhile Cotton Rosser and his
professional team of pickup men and gate
handlers kept the rodeo moving and before you
knew it the last bull had been ridden.
Those who’ve been to rodeos since they
were “knee high” to those coming to their
very first wild west event went home
entertained, exhausted from laughing, and
enjoyed the chills, spills and thrills.
The expertise of the Rosser ‘gang’
helped this small community hold a first class
event.
However without the willingness of the
numerous volunteers from the
Chester
community to do whatever it took this project
could not have happened. This has hot changed in
the last 150 years.
Hats off to everyone from
Chester
who participated in the fun-filled and action
packed weekend.
You did yourselves proud!
Next year’s Chester Wild West Rodeo
will be held July 8th and 9th.
For anyone interested phone 530-258-2422.
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