Cowboys in midst of California run
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., -- It doesn’t take long to understand why PRCA cowboys talk favorably about the spring California run. More than 10 ProRodeos are held outdoors in April and May in California. Some are Heartland ProRodeo Series rodeos in smaller communities, while others are big rodeos near metropolitan areas.
Cowboys, especially from the West and Midwest, delight in an opportunity to escape snow, mud and rain for sunshine and warmer temperatures.
The competition is intense on the California run, but the pursuit for prize money and buckles is mixed with time to slow down and enjoy the surroundings. To get the picture, imagine baseball games, golf courses, amusement parks, Redwood trees, wineries, sunscreen and Beach Boys music.
Los Alamos, Calif., tie-down roper Casey Branquinho understands the appeal of California in the springtime.
“As far as the ranching industry, we could always use a little more rain, but the weather is gorgeous and the grass is green and high. It’s just a great time to be out here rodeoing,” Branquinho said. “The days are long, but it’s usually not too terribly hot.”
The Oakdale (Calif.) Saddle Club Rodeo and Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up have concluded. Several California rodeos are ahead, including Clovis (April 24-26), Bakersfield (May 1-2) and Redding (May 14-16). The Redding Rodeo is a Silver-tier stop on the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour presented by Justin Boots.
Colorado native and timed-event star Josh Peek is looking forward to competing at the Redding Rodeo in May.
“It’s normally like 70-80 degrees, slight breezes, real peaceful,” said Peek, who joined the PRCA in 2002. “It’s a break for us from the rigorous travel schedule that we have in the winter where we go back and forth.
“In California, you spend three weeks – a week in each place – Red Bluff, Clovis and Redding. We’ve played baseball, and a lot of guys play basketball. You can take a young horse out and do a lot of riding.”
Peek will rejoin his fellow cowboys in May. He is currently off the road. He and his wife, Kori, are expecting twins in July, and he is spending time getting ready for their arrival. Peek will then be among those in the California sunshine.
Some stay at fairgrounds near the arena and in hotels, while others stay with California cowboys and stock contractors.
California saddle bronc rider Justin Arnold, who lives in Santa Margarita with his wife, Cory, are planning on hosting out-of-state saddle bronc riders, such as Chet Johnson of Gillette, Wyo., and PRCA World Standings leader Bryce Miller from Buffalo, S.D., later this month. Arnold likes to take visiting bronc riders to his father-in-law’s ranch near the beach. His past guests have included seven-time World Champion Dan Mortensen, who will be inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in July.
“I took him boogie boarding one time,” Arnold said of Mortensen.
Mostly, the bronc riders will try to go for horseback rides on the ranch where they have a view of the ocean. The difficult thing could be convincing cowboys to move on when it’s time to go.
“It’s just a beautiful time of the year,” Branquinho said.
And the winners are… Red Bluff, Calif., wraps up
Bareback rider Clint Cannon is continuing his winning ways. The Waller, Texas, cowboy, who won $59,250 at RodeoHouston in March, was the top finisher at the Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up, which concluded on April 19. Cannon scored 85 points on Growney Brothers Rodeo's Bitter Sweet to claim top honors and collected $6,142. In other events, Mount Vernon, Ore., steer wrestler Trevor Knowles finished first in 19.9 seconds on three head and pocketed $5,041. In the team roping, Californian's Wade Wheatley and Cody Cowden posted a time of 24 seconds on three head to grab the top spot and won $2,608 each. Great Falls, Mont., saddle bronc rider Jesse Kruse appears to be on cruise control with another victory. He scored 87 points on Growney Brothers Rodeo's Quiet Storm to win his event and pocketed $4,973. Tie-down roper Clint Robinson of Spanish Fork, Utah, won the three-header in 28 seconds and earned paychecks totaling $4,950. Lindsay Sears, reigning world champion barrel racer, posted the fastest time on two runs in 34.62 seconds to earn $3,096. Bull rider Shane Gordon had the high-marked ride with a 89-point score on Western Rodeo's Pogo and earned $6,192. Competing in steer wrestling and tie-down roping, the all-around winner was Curt La Duke from Bozeman, Mont., who took home $3,574. (For a complete listing of results, visit ProRodeo.com and click on the early results link.)
Red Bluff “stimulus package” draws fans
There were about 3,700 more fans than usual in the bleachers at the Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up on April 17, thanks to the rodeo committee’s version of a “stimulus package.” The rodeo committee created a special $20 per family of four ticket price (except for box seats) for the Friday performance. An adult ticket is normally $13 apiece, and the incentive price increased the crowd to about 6,500 Friday, compared to the roughly 2,800 last year, estimated Dave Ramelli, Red Bluff Round-Up president.
"It's a tough year for the whole economy, and we were trying to put back into the community a little bit, and it went over absolutely wonderfully," Ramelli said.
The Red Bluff committee was able to offer the special price because of the support the rodeo gets from its sponsors and the efforts of its many volunteers.
"The good part of it was that we had a lot of young people come who probably would not have bought a ticket to the rodeo that we now have made rodeo fans," Ramelli said. "Because once they come to one of our performances, they'll be back."
Xtreme Bulls on ESPN2, ESPN Classic
The Xtreme Bulls Tour, presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, is on a mid-season break until the Reno, Nev., stop on June 18. However, fans can get their bull riding fix by watching ESPN2 and ESPN Classic, which broadcast action from earlier events in Rapid City, S.D., San Antonio, Houston, and Laughlin, Nev. Below are a few upcoming broadcasts dates. (For the complete Xtreme Bulls TV schedule, visit ProRodeo.com or check your local listings.)
Five different cowboys have won previous Xtreme Bulls competitions with events in Cody, Wyo., (July 5) and Bremerton, Wash., (Aug. 30) along with the Reno stop remaining, before the season-ending finale Sept. 5 in Ellensburg, Wash.
Wrangler, Shada Brazile team up for baby clothing line
Wrangler, the official jean of the PRCA, has partnered with Shada Brazile – wife of nine-time PRCA World Champion Cowboy Trevor Brazile – to develop the All-Around Baby Collection by Wrangler. Debuting this fall, the new clothing line from Wrangler offers a variety of Western-inspired designs and styles for newborns, infants and toddlers.
Shada Brazile – a long-time Wrangler model and friend of the brand – approached the Western apparel brand with the idea of a new clothing line for babies and children after the couple had their son in December 2007. After conducting focus groups at rodeos across the country, Shada and Kelly Warren, merchandise manager for Wrangler, found that women are not satisfied with baby clothing options currently available on the shelves of their Western retailers. With that discovery, Warren and Shada knew they were onto something.
“The Wrangler brand has been a part of my family for a long time, and it is the brand I am dedicated to when I shop,” Shada said. “I wear Wrangler products, Trevor wears them both in the arena and on the ranch, and we know there are many other fans like us who will be excited to find Wrangler clothes for their babies and toddlers.”
To locate the Wrangler retailer nearest you, visit www.wrangler.com or call 1.888.784.8571.
Upcoming broadcast dates
*Noon, April 25 – ESPN Classic, San Antonio, Feb. 21 event
Noon, May 3 – ESPN2, Houston, March 22 event
1 p.m., May 3 – ESPN2, Laughlin, Nev., April 4-5 event
(*Times listed are EDT and subject to change.)
Upcoming PRCA Rodeos
April 22 Angelina County Benefit Rodeo, Lufkin, Texas, begins
April 23 Buc Days Pro Rodeo, Corpus Christi, Texas, begins
April 24 Clovis Rodeo, Clovis, Calif., begins
April 24 Henderson County PRCA Stampede, Athens, Texas, begins
April 24 Mesquite Championship Rodeo, Mesquite, Texas, begins
April 24 Kananaskis Pro Rodeo, Coleman, Alberta, begins
April 24 Lakeside Rodeo, Lakeside, Calif., begins
April 24 Minnesota Horse Exposition Rodeo, St. Paul, Minn., begins
April 25 Auburn Wild West Stampede, Auburn, Calif., begins
April 25 Springville Sierra Rodeo, Springville, Calif., begins
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