Miss Rodeo California 2013 Dakota Skellenger On the night of October 4th, 2012 at the Paso Robles Inn, Dakota Skellenger was crowned Miss Rodeo California 2013. She entered the pageant representing the Bakersfield Stampede Days Rodeo where she had the pleasure of promoting her beloved hometown. At the pageant, Dakota won the categories of Appearance, Personality, Speech, Photogenic, and Horsemanship. Born and raised in the city of Bakersfield, CA, Dakota is honored to have the privilege of symbolizing the western way of life and promoting the Professional Cowboys Association as Miss Rodeo 2013. Dakota is a long time 4-H member where her love of horses and rodeo blossomed. She has ridden in multiple disciplines including both Western and English pleasure
and equitation, hunter jumping, equestrian drill team and reining. Dakota entered her first rodeo queen pageant when she was 15 and has been in love with the industry ever since. Winning the title of Miss Rodeo California was a dream come true for her and she will do her all to exude the characteristics and traditional values that has made rodeo what it is today. “To me, rodeo is so much more than a sport; it is really about people. The PRCA does so much for our communities with programs like the Wrangler National Patriot and Tough Enough To Wear Pink. I am proud to promote this aspect of our organization as the platform for my year. Representing such a philanthropic and honorable organization is a task that I will treasure!” After receiving her Associate’s Degree in Agriculture Business, Dakota plans on transferring to California State Fresno to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communications. Her career goal is to become a representative in the horse or rodeo industry that she loves.
Long time resident Brett Gill will be on hand Saturday April 27th at 2:00 pm as our Springville Rodeo Parade Announcer
The “Hide Race” is part of the fun begining at 5pm on Saturday before the night’s PRCA Rodeo Performance.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
We Welcome Our Special Guests & Entertainers! Rodeo Parade Downtown Springville 2-3 p.m. on Sat., April 27th
U.S. Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard Frankie “Punkintown” Smith Rodeo Clown
David Cantrell & Montie Montana Jr. on the Springville Sierra Rodeo Stagecoach. Stagecoach will appear at the rodeo and in a number of parades in California promoting the Springville Sierra Rodeo.
Music by Terra Bella Terra Bella is ‘the’ country act to watch coming out of California. Their songs tell the story of falling in love, good times, heartbreak and the country way of life. The husband and wife duo have shared the stage with some of the biggest acts in the industry such as Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Gary Allan and Montgomery Gentry. They are currently on the road and recording new material. Keep an eye out for them in your town. Rodeo time in Springville is accompanied by the ever-popular parade through downtown Springville from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27th. Cowboys, clowns, floats, music and more are part of the fun. Highway 190 is closed during the parade.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
For more information about this terrific band visit www.ChaparralMusic.com
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Springville Sierra Rodeo Schedule of Events Friday, April 26th
7 PM “Barrels and Bulls” Motorcycle Barrel Race 8:30 PM Country Music with “Terra Bella” 9 PM Queen’s Coronation Dance Location: Rodeo Grounds
Saturday - April 27th
7AM Back Country Horseman Cowboy Breakfast at Rodeo Grounds 2 PM Rodeo Parade Downtown Springville Sponsored by McDonalds 2-5 PM Happy Hour Rodeo Concession - $1.00 Off Draft Beer! 5 PM Local Events Silver Dollar Dig 6 PM - P.R.C.A. RODEO & Grand Entry 9 PM Dance at Rodeo Grounds with “Terra Bella”
Sunday - April 28th
7 AM Rodeo Grounds Open 7 AM Back Country Horseman Cowboy Breakfast at Rodeo Grounds 10 AM Cowboy Church Services NOON Pre-Rodeo - Silver Dollar Dig 2 PM P.R.C.A. RODEO & Grand Entry “Tough Enough to Wear Pink Day” Special Prizes Each Day! Justin - Lowe’s - Resistol - Walmart
Springville Rodeo Grounds 15 miles East of Porterville on Hwy. 190
www.Rodeo49.com Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
Silver Dollar Dig
Originally started at the Springville Sierra Rodeo when the bad guys buried their stolen loot from the stagecoach robbery; kids 12 and under were encouraged to dig up the loot and keep what they found. This tradition continues at the rodeo performances on Saturday and Sunday sponsored by the Springville Chamber of Commerce, Citizen’s Business Bank, & Suncrest Bank where 200 or so silver dollar coins are scattered in the arena each day and kids 12 and under dig ‘em up and keep their treasure. A favorite with the kids.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
As one of the sport’s best-known personalities, Randy Corley has enjoyed two sides of rodeo, that of competitor and announcer. And while he had limited success in the arena himself, he has obtained mega-success outside it describing the action. Success that sends more honors and awards his way each year. Randy won another “Announcer of the Year” award at the 2011 National Finals Rodeo Corley began his rodeo career as a bareback and bull rider at amateur rodeos over twenty years ago. While he enjoyed the thrill of competing, he always had an interest in announcing that eventually won out. “I decided I could probably talk about it better than I could do it,” Corley said. Randy announces approximately 35 rodeos a year, and offers his expertise to several radio and television broadcasts. Corley and his wife, Michelle, have four grown
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Randy Corley World Champion Rodeo Announcer children, Amanda, Kassi, Cole and Brittany, and Michelle tends the family’s ranch in Washington while he is away.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Prior Year Springville Sierra Rodeo Queens & Grand Marshals Grand Marshals 1958 Frank Negus 1959 Joe McDonald 1960 Carmah Hodges 1961 Clem Simpson 1962 Art Griswold 1963 Jack Fees 1964 Bill Radeleff 1965 Eda Spees 1966 Vernon Gill 1967 Perry Marlin 1968 Mark Borror 1969 Edith Crook 1970 Bud Lyman 1971 Jim Vaughn 1972 Monte Gifford 1973 Owen Rutherford 1974 Clyde Simpson 1975 Laurence Anderson 1976 Evelyn Snider 1977 Lawrence Unser 1978 lra Spees Jr. 1979 Dan Hanggi 1980 Bud Hauert 1981 Esther Lowe 1982 Claude Brown 1983 Darwin Griswold 1984 Dorothy Dye 1985 Verne Long
Springville Sierra Rodeo Queens
1986 Herb & Goldie Brown 1987 Dick & Maxine Vernon 1988 Hazel Marlin 1989 Ken & Clara Rutherford 1990 Pete & Johnnie Stephens 1991 Jack & Verla Everett 1992 Dale & Betty Gill 1993 Virginia Radeleff 1994 Phil Brown 1995 Cliff Fitton 1996 Floyd Elliott 1997 Bud Feagins 1998 J. B. Gibson 1999 Milly Gann 2000 Tom Walker 2001 Bud Gililland 2002 Ken Fox 2003 Fred Collison 2004 Jim Bodley 2005 Bill Murphy 2006 Ed Mountain 2007 Emmy Kibler 2008 Thomas N. Baker 2009 Bill Johnson 2010 Don Abbott 2011 Montie Montana Jr. 2012 Ester Hunsaker
1950 Coeta Gifford Reiger 1951 No Queen announced 1952 Judy Williams Putnam 1953 Barbara Rowland Reynolds 1954 Deanna Talbot 1955 Jackie Root 1956 Nancy Diffenbough Sims and Rose Cooper Taylor 1957 Claudia Haulman 1958 ]udy Bayless Cole 1959 Lynne Woods Weisenberger 1960 Linda Cooper Benjamin 1961 Mary Ann Beaver Lindsay 1962 Christine Frymire Focke 1963 Terry Strader Harris 1964 Dion Schwuist 1965 Karen Kerley Janey 1966 Christine Kibler Brown 1967 Shelley Rose Keplinger 1968 Cinda Baker Morley 1969 JoWayne Brown Lyons 1970 Karen Nalbandian Waggoner 1971 Linda Gill Scott 1972 Vicki Forest Haley 1973 Karen Long 1974 Darnell Grant Trueblood 1975 Julie Lewis Robinson 1976 Tammy Lusby 1977 Christy Chesser Harmon 1978 Marlou Dens 1979 Maureen Cummings Goodin 1980 Liz Hudspeth Changala
Leona Urmy
Worship under God's great sky Cowboy Church Service
Pastor Chris Ferrell coordinates the voices of the Lighthouse Chapel Worship Team accompanied by guitar, piano, base drums and violin with inspirational message from pro rodeo barrel man Frankie “Punkintown” Smith.
Sunday April 28th at 10:00am Rodeo Arena Central Seating Area
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
1981 Kris Mims 1982 Tracy O’Leary 1983 Diane Mahert Schuh 1984 Susan Ash 1985 Staci Sammann Wilkins 1986 Timmy Schoer 1987 Beth McCarter 1988 Chris Cheney 1989 Tonia Williams 1990 Kristy Davis 1991 Stephanie Manlove 1992 Tanya Castaneda 1993 Jennifer Turk 1994 Michelle Goodrich 1995 Krissey Aubuchon 1996 Emily Faria 1997 Bethany Todd 1998 Cathy Cooksey 1999 Renee Prescott 2000 Diana Prescott 2001 Jennifer Schlitz 2002 Megan Moody 2003 Kassi Corzine 2004 Laura Smith 2005 Jamie Changala 2006 Corey Ann Duysen 2007 Sydney Coletti 2008 Leah Herron 2009 Sonnie Shew 2010 Jade Bell 2011 Elizabeth Brown 2012 Alley Henry
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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
Leona Urmy is the 2013
Rodeo Parade Grand Marshal Leona Urmy laughs as she gives her thoughts on rodeo and if it is different after all these years. “ Always liked Rodeos” she states, “Nothing changes. A roper is a roper and a cowboy is a cowboy.” She should know. Born with cowboys and horses as a backdrop, Leona has been a part of the local community for over 80 years. Raised in Springville, Leona married her husband Michael in 1948 at a church in Springville. They were together for 50 years before he passed away. They raised 3 children, have 4 grandsons and 2 great grandchildren. Her children, Ronald, Jackie and Robert are proud of their mother and happy she received this honor.
the rodeo arena, climbing to the top of each pole. The crew had neglected to run the wires before they installed the poles.
Leona has held various jobs in Springville. She worked for Martin Brothers Trucking in the early years. She remembers her first office was in a wooden crate that one of the trucks had been delivered in. She worked for Springville School for 20 years as the secretary and retired in 1986. She watched her husband wire the original lights for
Leona says that she is a quiet individual who likes to organize things and volunteer in Springville. “I just float along from year to year, doing whatever comes up” she states. Leona loves Springville and loves her life in the area. She is a true Springville native and an asset to our town.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
Since retiring, Leona has been busy with volunteer work. She joined the Springville Historical Society in 2002 and has presided as President for many years. Driving from Porterville every Sunday and Tuesday, she offers tours of the museum. She is also a member of the Camp Nelson Women’s Club and the Porterville Women’s Club. She has volunteered as a pink lady at the hospital and spent many hours during Springville rodeo working in the booths.
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Cowboy Up to the Cause on Sunday, April 28th The word rodeo is from the Spanish rodear (to turn), which means roundup. In the beginning there was no difference between the working cowboy and the rodeo cowboy. The advent of professional rodeos allowed cowboys, like many athletes, to earn a living by performing their skills before an audience. Many rodeo cowboys are
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
still working cowboys and most have working cowboy experience. It wasn’t until the advent of the Wild West shows that cowgirls came into their own. By 1900 women were competing with the men in riding, marksmanship and trick roping. The growth of the rodeo brought about another type of cowgirl, the rodeo cowgirl. Women competed
in all events, sometimes against other women, sometimes with the men. In today’s rodeos, men and women compete equally together only in the event of team roping. In open rodeos, cowgirls compete in the timed riding events such as barrel racing, and most professional rodeos do not offer as many women’s events as men’s events. But, on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at the Springville Sierra Rodeo in the beautiful Sierra Foothills, we can all compete in the same event, “Are You Tough Enough to Wear Pink?” The objective of the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign launched in 2005 by Wrangler is to rally the rodeo and Western industry around a cause that touches too many of our competitors, families and friends. And this means you, cowboys—are you Tough Enough to Wear Pink? We encourage all ticket holding spectators to wear pink on Sunday at the Springville Sierra Rodeo or visit our booth sponsored by the Rodeo Board and purchase
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something pink from a selection of items such as a shirt, hat, scarf or bandana. All funds from the sales of these items will be donated to a local organization to help detect and provide treatment for breast cancer victims. On Sunday, April 28th the Rodeo Board Tough Enough To Wear Pink booth will be open prior to the start of the rodeo. Let’s all bunch up at the booth and support this worthy cause. Plan on spending a wild, wooly and exciting weekend at the Springville Sierra P.R.C.A. Rodeo and this special Sunday event designed to bring awareness to our communities for this most critical competition in the fight to cure breast cancer! Let’s all join each other in Springville, wearing pink to support this worthy cause and the families of our communities fighting this disease. Due to all the research that has been done, women now diagnosed with breast cancer are likely to survive for at least 20 years! (Cancer Research UK).
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
TOP TRICK ROPER IN THE WORLD Rider Kiesner is a multitalented performer, a true Wild West showman. His performances include Whip Cracking, Gun Spinning, and his specialty, Trick Roping. Rider is considered one of the top trick ropers in the world. Given a Will Rogers trick roping kit for Christmas when he was 9 years old, trick roping became his passion, and he aspired to be the best. Studying the great trick ropers of the past and present, his dedication to the art has led him to numerous titles including 2004 Montie Montana Showmanship Award, 2007 Will Rogers Rising Star, 2007 Trick Roper of the Year, 2009 World Champion Trick Roper, 2010 World Champion Trick Roper and 2011 World Champion Trick Roper. Along with these titles, Rider has traveled and performed in all 48 lower United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Oman, Japan, U.A.E., France, and Lebanon. Born 5th generation into the horse industry, Rider’s other interests are team roping and calf roping. He’ll be dazzling the audiences at the 65th Annual Springville Sierra Rodeo, April 26-27-28. Get your tickets now and save $3 at www.rodeo49.com
Rider Kiesner a true Wild West showman
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Western Trade Show is popular feature of Springville Sierra Rodeo
A popular feature of the Springville Sierra Rodeo is the Western Trade Show, with a selection of vendors offering items of interest to rodeo attendees. Look for their booths just outside the arena and enjoy shopping while you’re at the rodeo! If you would like a booth next year, contact information for the Springville Sierra Rodeo Trade Show is available at : www.rodeo49.com.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Konda Farms is the proud sponsor of the 2013 Springville Sierra Rodeo Queen’s Chaps
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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
2012 World Champion Bareback Bronc Riding- Kaycee Feild On his way to joining the winner’s circle of 2012 ProRodeo world champions at the Thomas & Mack Center, Kaycee Feild grabbed his grandmother’s hand and kissed it. “He said, ‘I love you grandma.’ I was crying tears of happiness,” said Brenda Allen, a PRCA photographer since 1978 and a Gold Card member. “We were kind of worried up until the end. That kid has wanted to be a bareback rider and win the world since he was old enough to talk.” Feild successfully defended his title and picked up his second gold buckle in a row by earning money in eight of the 10 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo rounds, including three first-place finishes in Rounds 2, 4 and 8. He also captured the Finals’ average title, with 834 points on 10 head. The 25-year-old cowboy from Payson, Utah, finished the 2012 season with $276,850 in earnings and surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings, joining his father, five-time World Champion and ProRodeo Hall of Famer Lewis Feild, who was the first roughstock contestant to do so, in 1990. “I’m friends with a lot of past world champions, and they always say the second one is a little tougher than the first one. I don’t know why. But I found that to be true,” Feild said.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
Unlike 2011, Feild struggled to reach the top of the world standings prior to the NFR, a feat he accomplished in the last week of the regular season that ended Sept. 30. For months, he and other top bareback competitors traded places in the top five, with Feild finally edging out Steven Dent by $858. That led Feild to incorporate this strategy at the Finals: “I’m going to come in every night like I’m in last place and I’ve got to catch 14 of the best guys in the world,” he said after tying for first with Will Lowe in the second round. “I ride better when the pressure is on. My motor gets running better.” The pressure was certainly on. The title wasn’t determined until the last round of the 2012 finals; last year, Feild clinched the championship before the tenth round. Feild acknowledged that as the reigning world champion, he found that people expected more of his performances, and he expected more of himself. “I don’t know if I like winning as much as I hate losing. When I lose, I feel like I let people down,” he said, specifically mentioning U.S. military troops in war zones, whom he has visited for several years on morale-boosting tours. “I know those guys are keeping up with me and watching me on the Internet, and their jobs are so much tougher than mine.”
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
2012 World Champion Saddle Bronc Riding Jesse Wright
When Jesse Wright rode alongside his brother, Cody, at the 2010 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, he witnessed his big brother’s second world-title run as one of the other 14 saddle bronc participants in Las Vegas.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Just two years later, the roles were reversed. It was Cody watching from the sidelines as Jesse received the crowning achievement of his budding career. “I wasn’t there when he won his first title but I remember watching it on TV,” Jesse said of Cody’s victory in 2008. “I was really happy for him because I knew he worked really hard to win that. When I was here in person to watch him win the second one, it was special because I got to ride with him. “Ever since I started riding broncs I’ve wanted to be a world champion, and to accomplish it, I’m just speechless. It’s the greatest feeling I’ve ever had.” Getting his rein-chapped hands on that first gold buckle was no easy feat for Wright. He found himself in a three-way battle entering Round 10. After Wade Sundell recorded a no-score, it came down to Wright and four-time reserve champion Cody DeMoss. The Heflin, La., cowboy held up to his end of the bargain, riding for 86 points on Smith, Harper and
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Morgan Rodeo’s Painted Feather. DeMoss won the round and temporarily took over the world standings lead by a small margin. Wright wasn’t sure about the math as he prepared to ride; he just knew he needed to be solid. “I just climbed down on the horse and I was thinking I wanted to win the round, and that was it,” he said of his tussle with Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Pedro. “When he popped me up out of the saddle right at first it scared me, but I was able to lay back and started setting him and trying to get back onto my saddle and it worked out good. The whole thing felt like a whirlwind; not until I was walking out of the arena did I think I had him rode.” Following Wright’s ride, folks behind the scenes scrambled to do the math and figure out who had won the world title – it would’ve been the first for either man. The ride earned Wright a split of fourth place and was enough to hold off DeMoss by just $797 for the world title. “I feel tired now that it’s all over with,” Wright said in the media room. “Every blood, sweat and tear went into winning that gold buckle and I’m glad to finally have it. That buckle is for every practice horse I got on and every time I got thrown off and hit my head.”
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
2012 WORLD CHAMPION BULL RIDER - Cody Teel Cowboys are superstitious by nature. So when Cody Teel’s mother, Kami, came to his hotel room in Las Vegas midway through the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and offered him the tiny piece of paper from a fortune cookie, he wasn’t sure what to think. The fortune, which Kami received from a cookie at Panda Express, read, “Gold is in your future.” With her son in the middle of a fierce battle with three-time World Champion J.W. Harris and other bull riders for the gold buckle, Kami passed it on to Cody, who put it in his hat. “She came to my room and gave it to me around the fifth night and I was thinking, ‘Oh, mom, don’t give me that,’” Teel said. “I’m not about that superstition stuff, but now I’m happy she gave it to me. Before I thought it might be a jinx, but I guess it wasn’t. I actually forgot it was
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
there until just now; that’s pretty cool.” Gold was indeed in Teel’s future, thanks to a combination of skill and luck. He rode just four bulls over the 10 nights, earning a first-, fourth- and fifth-place finish in three of the rounds. “I’ve been working at this my
whole life and to get it right now is crazy,” Teel said. “I would’ve never thought I’d win the title in my second year and I still can’t believe it. “Right now I’m flashing back to when I was a little kid, and when I walked into the building tonight, I was thinking about when
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I went to the high school finals. I was feeling the same way then as I feel right now; bull riding is bull riding and that’s the way I looked at it to try to simplify it.” As it stood going into the final night, Teel only needed to ride his bull – Growney Brothers Rodeo’s Canadian Tuxedo – to win the world title. He didn’t get it done. Teel was then left in the extremely uncomfortable position of having to watch Harris ride last – knowing that if Harris stayed on for eight seconds the gold buckle would slip through his 20-year-old fingers. “Talking about J.W., nobody has more respect for that guy as a man and a bull rider than I do,” Teel said about beating his childhood hero by $1,056. “I grew up looking up to him and I don’t expect him to buck off anything, and I was more shocked that he bucked off than when I bucked off. This just shows how crazy rodeo can be sometimes and I’m glad it worked out the way it did.”
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Springville Rodeo award buckles are made for champions by Gist Silversmiths of Placerville GIST Silversmiths is the premiere company in providing the finest custom and trophy buckles, jewelry and accessories for more than 40 years. “Since the day I began my business, I’ve worked to be the best at it”, says Gary Gist, owner and founder. “I’ve constantly changed my procedures and I am always trying to find a better way to craft the finest buckle possible. We’re trend setters in the industry and always will be.” And a trendsetter he is. GIST’S event figures and motifs are widely known for their exceptional detail and authenticity.
A former professional rodeo cowboy who finished second for the World Title Championship in 1964, Gist has used his firsthand knowledge of the sport and has filled an important niche. “When I started making buckles, silversmithing was almost a lost craft.”
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
He drew on his talent and former desire to be a commercial artist, an intended career which was sidelined due to his success as a rodeo cowboy. He had won numerous buckles and knew he could create a quality buckle that every cowboy would want to wear. In fact, for 23 years, Gist created the award buckles for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. Starting out as a one-man shop, GIST Silversmiths now has over 95 employees which occupy a 23,000 square foot facility in the foothills of the Gold Country in California; but is in no way willing to compromise quality and craftsmanship for quantity. It is that care about consistency, quality and superior design, that has distinguished GIST from the competition. The hallways of the office are decorated with photographs and memorabilia of accomplishments from illuminated replicas of collector belt buckles, to signed autographs from various presidents and professional athletes. In fact, GIST has designed buckles and specialty pieces for past Presidents Regan and Ford, celebrity personalities such as George Strait, Reba McEntire, Billy Crystal, Hank Williams, Jr., Kenny Stabler, Brooks and Dunn, Wilford Brimley, Travis Tritt, and the list goes on from there. Although primarily dealing with the western motif, GIST proudly designs buckles for more than 40 other sporting events. There are approximately 30 different price ranges of buckles, depending on quantity of precious metals and semi-precious stones used. It takes over 35 different processes for a custom buckle. “We feel we create the best belt buckle in the world. There are bigger companies, but not better quality,” says Gist. “It’s an
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art, a craft.” And yet, the best is always affordable. And, there is always that open invitation to stop by and see their booth if you’re visiting one of the many trade shows GIST frequents. Some of the trade shows include the Pinto Horse World Championships and Palomino World Show, both in Tulsa, OK; The United States Team Roping Championships in Oklahoma City, OK; the National Cutting Horse Futurity and American Paint Horse World Show, both in Ft. Worth, TX, the National Finals Rodeo Cowboy Christmas in Las Vegas, NV; the Jr. High Division Finals Rodeo in Gallup, NM; the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, WY and the National Reined Cow Horse Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, NV. For a complete list, be sure to check their website. When visiting www.gistsilversmiths.com, be sure to check out their large assortment of items for purchase while visiting their Online Store, or call GIST Silversmiths direct at 800-456-4478 and speak with one of their qualified sales representatives that can assist in helping you with all your award or personalized buckle needs or to answer any questions you may have about their product. Be sure to ask about GIST Silversmiths substantial discounts for clubs, associations and volume orders. Remember, that for over 4 decades, GIST Silversmiths has set the standards for silver buckle design and craftsmanship. It’s their uncompromising devotion to qualitycombined with a service ethic that’s second-to-nonethat makes GIST Silversmiths the choice of champions. They believe what a champion gets should be worth what a champion gives.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Trevor Brazile Ten Times World Champion At this stage of his career, Trevor Brazile rewrites the record books almost every time he rides into a rodeo arena. The 36-year-old cowboy from Decatur, Texas, is already the all-time PRCA record-holder for holding PRCA records, and in 2012 he extended one of those records by winning his 10th all-around world championship. But success isn’t always measured by numbers. Some hold that a better definition of success is doing what you love and doing it on your own terms. If that is indeed true, there’s yet another record Brazile is breaking on a weekly basis these days. When Brazile walked down the tunnel behind the roping chutes on his way to the Wrangler NFR Media Center moments after stepping off the stage as the World Champion All-Around Cowboy for the 10th time in his career (his 17th gold buckle overall), the picture no photographer was there to take was worth a thousand words.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
The world’s greatest cowboy was flanked by his wife Shada and son Treston, who just turned 5 years old, as he carried 2-year-old daughter Style, who couldn’t have looked more appropriately named, in his arms. This is how Trevor Brazile rolls these days, and it genuinely appears to give him more satisfaction than winning the round in all three events at a major rodeo. “It’s a dream I couldn’t have dreamed,” Brazile said. “I’m living out something I didn’t dare to dream, and now I just don’t want it to end. I’m so thankful to be here, because I’ve dealt with some things this year, some injuries, and I know that there are some things that aren’t certain anymore, so I just try to enjoy every bit of the ride.” On the night when he had that 10th World Champion All-Around Cowboy gold buckle in his hands, a feat that didn’t seem plausible or even possible for anyone to achieve a decade ago, Brazile was torn between appreciating the momentous nature
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of that achievement and the world title he felt he had left on the table, not only for himself but also for his team roping partner of six years, Patrick Smith. “Tonight should be a celebration, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to win that world championship,” Brazile said. “When they called (to say I had clinched the all-around in the fifth round) I was ecstatic. Maybe even more so than usual, because when you’re expected to win it – when you come in with a big lead – there’s nothing worse than blowing a lead like that. “That was such a sigh of relief, but to also leave here knowing that I could have done my job so much better for Patrick, for him to leave here with a world championship, that makes this bittersweet.”
TREVOR BRAZILE TEN TIMES WORLD CHAMPION
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
The First Rodeo Queen & Four Times World Saddle Bronc Champion - Alice Greenough Orr Alice Greenough Orr : a rancher’s daughter in Montana, became an internationally known rodeo performer and organizer who was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas, and in 2010 the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in Wolf Point, Montana. She is considered “hands down the first rodeo queen.” Orr broke horses while she was growing up on a ranch near Red Lodge, the seat of Carbon County southwest of Billings, Montana. At the age of fourteen, she left school to deliver mail by horseback over a 35-mile route. She intended to become a forest ranger until the return of servicemen from World War I made such employment unrealistic for women at that time. We came from a great era. We called ourselves the ‘Wild Bunch.’ -Alice Greenough Orr Ultimately, Orr performed in rodeos in forty-six states and in Madison Square Garden in New York City as well as Australia and Europe, where she was once invited for tea with the Queen of England. Orr was four-times
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
the world saddle bronc champion. She and her sister, Marge Greenough Henson (19082004), excelled at trick riding and bull riding. Alice and Marge, with their brothers, Bill and Thurkel, known as “Turk”, were termed the Riding Greenoughs. Turk Greenough was a bronc rider and occasional film actor who died in June 1995 at the age of eighty-nine, two months before the passing of his sister Alice. Orr also did occasional stunt work in films. From her first marriage to Ray Cahill, Alice Orr had two children. Her interest in bronc riding began in 1929, when she and her sister answered an advertisement from Jack King’s Wild West Show. Because competitors were sometimes cheated by tour operators, Orr joined a group which in 1936 organized the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. In the 1940s and 1950s, Orr and her long-term friend Joe Orr (1905–1978), also of Montana, operated their own Greenough-Orr Rodeo, which toured the American West. The couple married in 1958. The Orrs offered the first women barrel racing events. Orr also did difficult exhibitions of saddle bronc riding, a specialty no longer on the women’s rodeo circuit. Orr retired from rodeos in 1954 at the age of fifty-two, but she continued to accept oc-
casional motion picture assignments until she was eighty. She did stunt work for the NBC western television series, Little House on the Prairie, starring Michael Landon. Her last public appearance was in a parade in 1992 in her native Red Lodge. Orr died in 1995 at the age of 93 at her home in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to her sister Marge, also of Tucson, who lived another nine years, Orr was survived by a son, Jay Cahill of Grandview, Missouri, eleven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Orr was among the first three inductees, along with Jackie Worthington and Sissy Thurman, into the National Cowgirls Hall of Fame, when the museum, founded by Margaret Formby, was located in the public library at Hereford in Deaf Smith County, Texas. It was moved to a house in Hereford and then in 1994 to Fort Worth. A new
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$21 million headquarters building opened in 2002. Others inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame include subjects as diverse as former Supreme Court of the United States Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, painter Georgia O’Keeffe, sculptor Glenna Goodacre, markswoman Annie Oakley, author Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Margaret Formby herself. Orr was also named among the “100 Most Influential Montanans of the Century.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Welcome to the 65th PRCA
Introducing Our 2013 Springville SierraRodeo Board of Directors
Front Row: Kenny Walker (at large) Second Row: Tim Shew (Lions), Sandy Oates (Women’s Club/VP), Frank Wittich (VFW) Third Row: Gail Inman (Back Country Horseman/Secretary), Dennis Corzine (at large/President) Fourth Row: Greg King (VFW), Mike Brown (at large), Frank Schlitz (Lions). Not pictured Steve Ladrigan (Back Country Horseman).
Springville Sierra Rodeo Women’s Flag Drill Team Top row: Jennifer Steinhauer, Sonnie Shew, Jade Bell, Chancie Cathey, Holly Ford Bottom row: Theresa Sheridan, Patsy Anderson, Becky Murphy, Jennifer Murphy, Meghan Pacheco, Elizabeth Brown, Katie McCaulley Not Pictured: Laura Grabowski and Jada Lindegren
Thank You Drill Team Leader Jennifer Murphy For All Your Hard Work! We’re proud of the young women who dedicate many hours of hard work and training to prepare for the rodeo and parade each year. Be sure to give them a big hand!
Sponsored by: Gillespie Ag Service The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Springville Sierra Rodeo Farewell To Springville This maybe my farewell as your 2012 Springville Rodeo Queen but the Springville Sierra Rodeo will always hold a special place in my heart. This has been an experience I will look back on with fond memories. For my first rodeo as queen I headed up north to the Woodlake Lions Rodeo where I was able to a carry a flag and witness one of my favorite salutes to our country, the traditional fly over. Next I drove to Layton to ride in the grand entry and watched some great rodeo! One of my favorite events of the year was the PRCA Circuit Finals in Lancaster. I ran several flags throughout the night and was able to watch the best cowboys in California compete for a spot at the NFR. The last rodeo I attended was in Tehachapi. During the year, not only did I attend rodeos but several other local events and parades. First, I attended Porterville’s Flag Day ceremony where I helped fold and retire the old flag and see the bright new colors flown. In October myself and princess Emily Baeza walked around and chatted with the community at the well-known Apple Festival where I tried my first apple burrito! At the Bull Bash, I carried the American flag during
Alley Henry 2012 Springville Sierra Rodeo Queen
the national anthem. This was one of my favorite memories as queen. And what would the year have been without parades! I showed off the Springville Rodeo in the Veterans Day Parade, Memorial Day Parade, Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and several rodeo parades. As my year comes to an end and I say goodbye I want to thank the rodeo board for their endless commitment in putting on such a remarkable rodeo. I would also like to thank Dianne Shew, Sandy Oats and Kassi Corzine for their hard work in organizing great pageants throughout the year. And finally I would like to thank my parents and sponsors for their continual support during my reign. Although I am sad that my year is ending, I am very excited for my future. I will be attending UCLA in the fall with a major in biology. I am confident that my year as queen has taught me many valuable skills that will help me throughout college. It was a great pleasure to represent the Biggest Little Rodeo in the West. My year as queen was everything and more that I expected it to be. It is an experience I will never forget.
Our Lovely 2013 Rodeo Queen Contestants
Jade Lindegren
Siarra Ritter
Madison Gilbert
This year’s Queen Contest is sponsored by Generations Photography & Evans Feed The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Three Running for 2013 Springville Sierra Rodeo Queen Madison Gilbert is 19 years old and resides in Corcoran. She attends college of Sequoias. Her Junior year of high school she participated in an exchange program and spent a year in Australia. During school she was a member of the California High School Rodeo Association. She played volleyball in college and hopes to join the equestrian team this Spring. Special accomplishments include being Corcoran Cotton Princess and later Cotton Queen. She spent time in 4-H winning many awards. Her long term goals are to graduate from a 4 year college and major in sports medicine. She would like to take care of the cowboys and cowgirls who get injured in the sport of rodeo. She would like to become Springville Rodeo Queen to have a chance to promote rodeo and a way of live and be a positive role model for young girls.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Siarra Ritter, born and raised on a cattle ranch in Wisconsin, is 16 years old and attends Porterville High School. Her parents are Shelley Barnett of Porterville and Mike Ritter of Wisconsin. She currently lives at The Zante Ranch in Strathmore. She is an honor role student with a 3.0 average. Siarra plays water polo for PHS and is active in the Porterville High School FFA chapter. She has been representing her school as a chapter officer for the past two years, and has participated in many of the judging and speaking teams that the program offers. She also participates in the lamb and hog projects at the Porterville and Tulare County Fair and this spring she will be showing her horses at the fair as well. Siarra was a Porterville Canterbell and currently on Tulare County Cowgirls Drill Team and has been on our own Springville Sierra Rodeo Drill team for three years. She also enjoys barrel racing, poles and Extreme Cowboys races along with many other speed and competitive events. In her spare time she enjoys training and working young horses along with her own 5 horses. After high school Siarra Plans to attend Cal Poly, UC Davis or an Agriculture school in Texas to fulfill her long term goal in life of becoming a Large Animal Vet. She looks forward to the years of schooling ahead that will make her that much closer to saving the lives of animals. Siarra would cherish the chance to be your Miss Springville Rodeo Queen.
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Jada Lindegren is 16 year old honor student and a junior at Monache High School in Porterville. Her parents are Jim and Julie Lindegren of Lindsay. She participated in horse, dog, shooting sports and archery projects in Springville 4-H for three years. Jada is currently a member of the Monache High School FFA chapter where she is participating in Meat Rabbits and Horse projects. Jada rode with the Porterville Canterbelles for three years and was a Jr. Board Member for two years. She is currently a member of the Tulare County Cowgirls Drill Team. This will be her 4th year riding with the Springville Rodeo Drill Team. Jada also enjoys Gymkhana events and participating in Trail competitions. Jada is a member of the Monache Concert Choir and Christian Club. She also enjoys assisting in Children’s Church as well as singing in churches and retirement homes. She plans on attending California State University, Fresno or Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she will be working towards her long term goal of becoming a Veterinarian. Jada would be a great ambassador to the community because she is passionate about sharing her love for horses and the sport of rodeo with anyone who has an interest in learning and will do it with integrity and enthusiasm. Jada treasures the opportunity to be a role model for young cowgirls everywhere. Rodeo is more than just a sport; it’s a way of life.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
Three Running for Rodeo Princess
Katie Hillen
Willow Werlhof
Sierra Davis
Katie Hillen is from Porterville California. Katie is 15 years old and attends Porterville High School. Katie is an active member in FFA and 4-H. Katie is involved in several barrel racing clubs and has also barrel raced at the Woodlake Rodeo the past 3 years. Katie hopes to achieve the title of Miss Springville Rodeo Princess and then go on to become Springville Rodeo Queen in the years to come. Katie would like to thank her friends and family for their support. Katie loves to socialize and meet new people. When she’s not barrel racing or shooting skeet, you can find her at the golf course.
Willow Werlhof is eleven years old. She attends Rockford Elementary School where she is in the sixth grade. Willow has been riding horses for six years. She enjoys Western Pleasure, English and Gymkhana with her horses Oscar and Pearl. Her favorite hobbies when not riding are 4-H where she takes classes in archery, cooking, swine, sewing, horse and shooting sports. She has been dancing for ten tears and enjoys pallet, tap, jazz, pointe and student teaches for two years with kindergarten children. She would like to say thank you to her amazing parents Chris and Emily and her adorable little sister Natalie for helping me on my adventure to become the 2013 Springville Rodeo Princess.
Sierra Davis is 15 years old. She lives in Springville, CA. Sierra is the daughter of Roland Davis and Angela & Eddie Patterson. A sophomore at Porterville High School, she is involved in FFA, horse judging, and choir. She plays volleyball, soccer, and swims. After school activities include; showing lambs, barrel racing, helping out on the ranch, and hunting! After graduating from high school she would like to attend UC Davis and study veterinary science to become a large and small animal vet. She began riding horses when she was 3 years old and learned everything she knows from her mother. She has performed in rodeos for 4 years with the Visalia Rockettes drill team, and has loved the sport of rodeo ever since!
The organization was created in 1936 when a group of cowboys walked out of a rodeo at Boston Garden to protest the actions of rodeo promoter W.T. Johnson, who refused to add the cowboys’ entry fees to the rodeo’s total purse. Johnson finally gave in to the cowboys’ demands, and the successful “strike” led to the formation of the Cowboys’ Turtle Association. That name was chosen because, while they were slow to organize, when required they were unafraid to stick out their necks to get what they wanted, like turtles might do. Among the organizers was a woman, a four-time national bronc champion, Alice Greenough Orr. In 1945, the Turtles changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association, and in 1975, the organization became the PRCA.
circuits compete in the four-day championship event held in Oklahoma City. Points are achieved for the top competitors in each of the circuit rodeo events held throughout the year. The winner in each event at the RNCFR is the national circuit finals champion for that event. In addition to the eight individual event winners, there is also an overall champion titled the All-Around Cowboy. All eight winners receive the National Circuit Championship gold belt-buckle. Ram (formerly Dodge) has been the title sponsor of the NCFR since 1991.
History of the PRCA The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is an organization whose members compete in rodeos throughout North America, primarily in the United States. The PRCA sanctions rodeo venues and events through the PRCA Circuit System. Its championship event is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The PRCA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
The PRCA staff consists of about 70 full-time employees, but grows to nearly 100 during the peak rodeo season. The PRCA headquarters, established in 1979 in Colorado Springs, also houses the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy. A performer must qualify in his or her regional circuit to move on to the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR), held every year from 1987-2010 in Pocatello, Idaho before moving to Oklahoma City in March 2011. The top two contestants in each of the seven rodeo events from the 12 different PRCA regional
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The top 15 money winners in each PRCA discipline (including the top 15 “headers” and “heelers” in team roping) earn a trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, commonly called the National Finals or NFR. The NFR is held in Las Vegas, Nevada every December & airs live on Great American Country. Rodeo action is held over 10 consecutive days at the National Finals, with the top money winner for the year crowned the year’s champion in each discipline at the end of the NFR. Because of the large amount of money at stake in the NFR, the leaders in each event going into the NFR are often dethroned for the year’s championship at that event.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Farewell to Springville Rodeo Princess I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to represent Springville as Princess for the past two years. This past year, I also became a resident of this great town that I love. I along with Springville Rodeo Queen Alley Henry have made many appearances representing our rodeo. We have attended rodeos such as Bakersfield Stampeded Days, the Tehachapi and Woodlake Rodeo and Layton Rodeo. We have traveled to many parades, such as the Veterans Day Parade in Porterville, the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Visalia and the Orange Blossom Parade in Lindsay. Sadly I will be attending the Springville Rodeo parade this year with a big good bye. I hope to return as your Springville Rodeo Queen one day. Springville is a great community that supports the Cowboy. This year Alley and I were lucky to be present and help with the first ever “Springville National Day of the Cowboy”. In August, we attended the Hot August Nights Bull Bash. This past October I was proud to represent Springville at the first ever “Teen Miss Rodeo
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
2012 Springville Rodeo Princess California”. Even though I came in third, it was a great experience and I hope to try and bring that title home this year. I would like to say a big thank you to the entire rodeo board, and Kassi Corzine for being there and supporting me the past two years. I also would include a big thank you to 2012 Queen Elizabeth Brown and Alley Henry for mentoring me during my reign as Princess.
View our Springville Sierra Rodeo Program all year long at www.Rodeo49.com
Emily Baeza
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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Healthy stock is an important part of the Rodeo Four Star Rodeo Company of Cottonwood, Calif., known for having some of the top bulls and bucking horses in professional rodeo, is providing stock for this year’s Springville Sierra Rodeo. For nearly two decades Four Star Rodeo Company has been producing rodeos throughout California, Oregon and Nevada. The company provides the livestock for more than 50 rodeos per year including the California Cowboys Pro Rodeo Association Finals, Senior Pro National Finals, Indian National Finals, California High School Rodeo State Finals, Silver State Invitational Rodeo and the All Indian World Finals. The company’s trademarks include dramatic openings, top notch contract personnel, and of course award winning livestock (animal athletes). Being athletic is usually found in your genes, the same is true in the animal world. Horsemen know that if you want a running horse, you look for running horse bloodlines,
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
usually thoroughbred going back to great sires such as Three Bars, Easy Jet or Bold Ruler. Should you want a cow horse you need quarter horse bloodlines perhaps going back to the great Doc Bar, King Fritz or Poco Lena. Well, if you want them to buck. That’s right, you want them to buck. Then you need a bucking horse in their bloodlines. Four Star Rodeo has built its reputation for bucking horses on the progeny of “Super Star” one of the company’s great bucking horses who has been the sire or grand sire to many of the horses in the herd. To be a really good horse, whether it be race horse, cow horse or bucking horse, they have to like what they do. That’s what makes them great, you can’t make a horse buck if he or she doesn’t want to. NO BULL ABOUT IT... Four Star Rodeo Company has tough bulls. Stock contractor and former bull rider Jeff Davis puts 20-some years of experience into providing the right kind of livestock that will
match up with the rodeo’s contestants and has earned a top reputation with rodeos for doing just that. Davis has primarily worked as a rancher but rodeo is in his blood. A calf roper in high school, Davis
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joined the PRCA to work the pro circuit. Tragically, his career was cut short when a bull stepped on and broke his leg at age 21. While rodeo is not without its risks, the selection of a stock contractor is an important decision the Rodeo Committee must make each year and this year Four Star Rodeo Company made the cut. While cowboys may be the obvious stars of the rodeo arena, it is the stock contractor who supplies the livestock that either breaks or makes an event. The health and performance of the bucking animals often spell the difference between failure and success of a community rodeo. The cowboy may be first class, he also must rely on a strong showing by the animal as 50 percent of the contestants score is determined by the performance of the horse or bull he has drawn. Be ready for exciting, rockin’ and rollin’ rodeo when Four Star Rodeo Company comes to town.
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
Bulldogging in the 1920’s Morphed into Rodeo Steer Wrestling
Willie M. “Bill” Pickett
Willie M. “Bill” Pickett was a cowboy and rodeo performer. Bill Pickett was born in the Jenks-Branch community of Travis County, Texas near Taylor, Texas in 1870. He was the second of 13 children born to Thomas Jefferson Pickett, a former slave, and Mary “Janie” Gilbert. Pickett had four brothers and eight sisters. The
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
family’s ancestry was African-American, EuropeanAmerican and Cherokee Native American. In 1890, Pickett married Maggie Turner, a former slave and daughter of a white southern plantation owner. The couple had nine children. He left school in the 5th grade to become a ranch hand, and soon he began to ride horses and watch the long horn steers of his native Texas. He invented the technique of bulldogging, the skill of grabbing cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground. It was known among cattlemen that, with the help of a trained bulldog, a stray steer could be caught. Bill Pickett had seen this happen on many occasions. He also thought that if a bulldog could do this feat, so could he. Pickett practiced his stunt by riding hard and springing from his horse and wrestling the steer to the ground. Pickett’s method for bulldogging was biting a cow on the lip and then falling backwards. This method eventually lost popularity as the sport morphed into the steer wrestling that is practiced in rodeos. He also helped cowboys with bulldogging. He soon became known for his tricks and stunts at local country fairs. With his four brothers, he established The Pickett Brothers Bronco Busters and Rough Riders Association. The name of Bill Pickett soon became synonymous with successful rodeos.
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He did his bull-dogging act, traveling about in Texas, Arizona, Wyoming and Oklahoma. In 1905, Pickett joined the 101 Ranch Wild West Show that featured the likes of Buffalo Bill, Cowboy Bill Watts, Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Bee Ho Gray, and Zach and Lucille Mulhall. Pickett was soon a popular performer who toured around the world and appeared in early motion pictures. Pickett was shown in a movie created by Richard E. Norman. Pickett’s ethnicity resulted in him not being able to appear at many rodeos. He often was forced to claim that he was of Comanche heritage in order to perform. In 1921, he appeared in the films The Bull-Dogger and The Crimson Skull. In 1932, after he retired from the Wild West Shows, Bill Pickett was killed when he was kicked in the head by a wild bronco. In 1971, he was inducted into the National Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. Bill Pickett has a headstone beside the graves of the Miller brothers at the Cowboy Hill Cemetery, but he is buried near a 14-foot stone monument to the friendship of Ponca Tribal Chief White Eagle and the Miller Brothers on Monument Hill, also known as the White Eagle Monument to the locals, less than a quarter of a mile to the north-east of Marland in Noble County, Oklahoma.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Clowns are part of the Rodeo Fun Frankie “Punkintown” Smith
me to entertain families; after all it seems in America we are losing sight of “Family.” That’s why I love the sport of Rodeo. It is a family sport.
Rodeo Clown
Frankie has 17 years of experience as a PRCA rodeo clown. He attends more than 100 rodeo events across the U.S annually and appears at more than 20 radio stations. On top of that he has 8 years of service in the U.S. Army, 6 of those as a Special Forces Army Ranger. Frankie has many accomplishments in his comedy and rodeo career, the list is long! He was 5 times Christian Country Music Entertainment! It is not what I do. It Association comedian of the year and Chrisis who I am. It is awesome to wake up every tian Country Music showcase host in Nashmorning and love your job, or at least that’s ville, TN for 7 years. what some people call it. I say it is great to get up every day and be myself. I don’t Check out his website: have to hide behind makeup and put on www.Punkintown.com to learn more. an act, I just get to be me. It’s an honor for
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
Darrell Difenbach, Donnie Castle & “Punkintown” Team up to protect the bull riders Following his father’s footsteps, Darrell began fighting bulls at the age of 17 in his native Australia. After gaining experience in his homeland, he came to the United States in 1994 to fight professionally. It wasn’t long before the rodeo world was taking notice of the bullfighter known as “The Thunder from Down Under.” Darrell has earned some of the highest honors in bullfighting. He was named the 1996-97 Australian Bullfighting Champion and was selected as a Wrangler National Finals bullfighter seven times. In 2007 and 2008,
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the PBR bull riders selected Darrell to join the Dickies Dura Bullfighters team to protect them at the PBR World Finals and at the Built Ford Tough Series events in the 2009 season. When he’s not fighting bulls, Darrell makes his home in Azle, Texas., and used to live in Porterville, California. Donnie Castle has made several appearances at the Springville Sierra Rodeo in the past.
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Calf Roping Like saddle bronc riding and team roping, calf roping traces its roots to the working ranches of the Old West. When calves were sick or injured, cowboys had to rope and immobilize them quickly for veterinary treatment. Ranch hands prided themselves on how quickly they could rope and tie calves, and they soon turned their work into informal contests. As the sport matured, being a good horseman and a fast sprinter became as important to the competitive calf roper as being quick and accurate with a lasso. In today’s modern rodeo, the mounted cowboy starts from a box, a three-sided, fenced area adjacent to the chute holding the calf. The fourth side of the box open into the arena. The calf gets a head start determined by the length of the arena. One end of a breakaway rope barrier is looped around the calf’s neck and stretched across the open end
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Sponsored by Farmer's Tractor & Supply sprints to his catch and throws it by hand, a maneuver called flanking. If the calf is not standing when the cowboy reaches it, he must allow the calf to get back on its feet, then flank it. After the calf is flanked, the roper ties any three legs together with a pigging string a short, looped rope he carries in his clenched teeth during the run. While the contestant is accomplishing all of that, his horse must pull back hard enough to eliminate any slack in the rope, but not so hard as to drag the calf. When the roper finishes tying the calf, he throws his hands in the air as a signal that the run is completed. The roper then mounts his horse, rides forward to create slack in the TUF COOPER rope, then waits six seconds to see 2012 WORLD CHAMPION if the calf remains tied. If the calf kicks free, the roper receives no of the box. When the calf reaches a 10-second penalty. When the cowboy throws his loop time. its advantage point, the barrier is The PRCA now calls this event Tie released. If the roper breaks the and catches the calf, the horse is barrier before the calf reaches its trained to come to a stop. After rop- Down Roping. Go figure. head start, the cowboy is assessed ing the calf, the cowboy dismounts,
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Sponsored by Finance & Thrift
Barrel Racing The colorful cowgirl’s Barrel Race is a full-fledged part of the rugged, action-packed, sport of rodeo. Fast, exciting and easily understood by the novice fan, the cloverleaf patterned Barrel Race provides a thrilling feminine contrast to the slam-bang action that characterizes big league rodeo. In Barrel Racing, more than any other rodeo contest, horse and rider coordination are vital to success. Cowboys will often borrow steer wrestling or roping mounts and win. But take a Barrel Racer off her own horse and it’s a different story. The contest is that exacting, and competition is that close. A Barrel horse is a talented, highly conditioned animal athlete and a Barrel Racer with a good horse stands to win as much money as any PRCA cowboy. Many competitors make over $100,000 in a year. A relatively recent addition to professional rodeo, barrel racing got it’s start at neighborhood gymkhanas and horse shows and has developed into a highly competitive event. The barrel race is sanctioned by the W.P.R.A. the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Watch how close they come to the barrel when they’re making their turns. They want to be close to cut down on the time, but not too close because a knocked over barrel is a 10 second penalty, and that almost always puts them out of the competition.
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Mary Walker 2012 WORLD CHAMPION BARREL RACER
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Steer Wrestling
Speed is the name of the game in steer wrestling. With its modern world record sitting at 2.4 seconds, steer wrestling is the quickest event in rodeo. The cowboy’s objective is to use strength and technique to wrestle a steer to the ground as quickly as possible That sounds simple enough. But anything that sounds that easy has to have a catch to it, and the catch here is the steer generally weighs more than twice as much as the cowboy trying to throw it. The need for speed and precision make steer wrestling, or “bulldogging” as it is commonly known, one of rodeo’s most challenging events. As with calf ropers and team ropers, the bulldogger starts on horseback in a box. A breakaway rope barrier is attached to the steer, then stretched across the open end of the box. The steer gets a head start that is determined by the size of the arena. When the steer reaches the advantage point, the barrier is released and the bulldogger takes off
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
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in pursuit. If the bulldogger breaks the barrier before the steer reaches its head start, a 10-second penalty is assessed. In addition to strength, timing and balance are skills cultivated by the successful steer wrestler. When the cowboy reaches the steer, he slides down the right side of his galloping horse, hooks his right arm around the steer’s right horn, grasps the left horn with his left hand and, using strength and leverage, wrestles the animal to the ground. His work isn’t complete until all four of the animal’s feet face upward. But that’s still not all there is to it. In order to catch up to the running steer, the cowboy uses a “hazer,” another mounted cowboy who gallops his horse along the right side of the steer, keeping it from veering away from the bulldogger. The hazer can make or break a steer wrestler’s run, so his role is as important as the skills the bulldogger hones. The hazer usually receives a fourth of the payoff if the steer wrestler places.
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LUKE BRANQUINHO 2012 WORLD CHAMPION
Cowboy Up in the Sierra!
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Team Roping Team roping, the only team event in professional rodeo, requires close cooperation and timing between two highly skilled ropers - a header and a heeler. The event originated on ranches when cowboys needed to treat or brand large steers and the task proved too difficult for one. The key to success? Hard work and endless practice. The partners must perfect their timing, both as a team and with their horses. As in calf roping or steer wrestling, the team ropers start from the boxes on each side of the chute from which the steer enters the arena The steer gets a head start determined by the length of the arena. One end of a breakaway barrier is attached to the steer then stretched across the open end of the header’s box. When the steer reaches its advantage point, the barrier is released and the header takes off in pursuit, with the heeler trailing slightly further behind. If the header breaks the barrier before the steer completes its
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Saturday Sponsored by Porterville Rock & Recycle Sunday Sponsored by Webb & Son Construction
CHAD MASTERS (HEADER) & JADE CORKILL (HEELER) 2012 WORLD CHAMPIONS head start, the ropers are assessed a 10-second penalty. The header ropes first and must make one of three legal catches on the steer - around both horns, around one horn and the head, or around the neck. Any other catch by the header is considered illegal and the team is disqualified. After the header makes his catch, he turns the steer to the left and exposes the steer’s hind legs to the
heeler. The heeler then attempts to rope both hind ~ If he catches only one foot, the team is assessed a fivesecond penalty. After the cowboys catch the steer, the clock is stopped when there is no slack in their ropes and their horses face one another. Another aspect vital to the event is the type of horse used by the ropers. The American Quarter Horse is
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the most popular among all rodeo competitors, particularly team ropers. Heading and heeling horses are trained separately for their specialties. Heading horses generally are taller and heavier because they need the power to turn the steer after it is roped. Heeling horses are quick and agile, enabling them to better follow the steer and react to its moves.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
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Saddle Bronc Riding Saddle Bronc Riding is rodeo’s classic event, both a complement and contrast to the wilder spectacles of bareback and bull riding. The event requires strength to be sure, but it is as much about style as anything: grace and precise timing are mandatory. Saddle bronc riding evolved from the task of breaking and training horses to work the cattle ranches of the old West. Many cowboys claim riding saddle broncs is the toughest rodeo event to learn because of the technical skills necessary to master it. Every move the bronc rider makes must be synchronized with the movement of the horse. The cowboy’s objective is a fluid ride, as opposed to the wilder and lesscontrolled ride of bareback riders. Among the similarities shared by saddle bronc riding and bareback riding is the rule that riders must
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
While a bareback rider has a rigging to hold onto, the saddle bronc rider has only a thick rein attached to his horse’s halter. Using one hand, the cowboy tries to stay securely seated in his saddle. If he touches any part of the horse or his own body with his free hand, he is disqualified. Judges score the horse’s bucking action, the cowboy’s control of the horse and the cowboy’s spurring action. While striving to keep his toes turned outward, the rider spurs from the points of the horse’s shoulders to the back of the saddle. To score well, the rider must maintain that action throughout the eight-second ride. While the bucking ability of the JESSE WRIGHT horse is quite naturally built into 2012 WORLD CHAMPION the scoring system, a smooth, mark out their horses on the first on the animal’s shoulders when rhythmic ride is sure to score better jump from the chute. To prop- it makes the first jump from the than a wild uncontrolled one. erly mark out his horse, the saddle chute. If the rider misses his mark, bronc rider must have both heels he receives no score.
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Bareback Bronc Riding
Bareback bronc riding, it has been suggested, offers a sensation about as enjoyable as riding a jackhammer, pogo stick-style, using only one hand. And that’s the easy part. The bareback rider’s real challenge is to look good while he’s being punished. Bareback riding, simply, is the most physically demanding event in rodeo, its toll on the body immense. Muscles are stretch to the limit, joints are pulled and pounded mercilessly, ligaments are strained and frequently rearranged. The strength of the broncs is exceptional and challenging them is often costly. Bareback riders endure more punishment, suffer more injuries and carry away more long-term damage KAYCEE FEILD than all other rodeo cowboys. 2012 WORLD CHAMPION To stay aboard the horse, a bareback rider uses a rigging made of leather and constructed to meet horse’s withers and secured with a his horse. In other words, he must have both spurs above the horse’s PRCA safety specifications. The cinch. As the bronc and rider burst from shoulders until the horse’s feet hit rigging, which resembles a suitcase the chute, the rider has to “markout” the ground after its initial move from handle on a strap, is placed atop the
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
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the chute. If the cowboy fails to do this, he is disqualified. As the bronc bucks, the rider pulls his knees up, dragging his spurs up the horse’s shoulders. As the horse descends, the cowboy straightens his legs, returning his spurs over the point of the horse’s shoulders in anticipation of the next jump. But it takes more than sheer strength to make a qualifying ride and earn a money-winning score. A bareback rider is judged on spurring technique, the degree to which his toes remain turned out while he is spurring and his “exposure,” or willingness to lean far back and take whatever might come during his ride.
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Bull Riding Rodeo competition, in the beginning, was a natural extension of the daily challenges cowboys confronted on the ranch - wrestling steers, roping calves, breaking broncs. But intentionally climbing on the back of a 2,000- pound bull? There‘s nothing natural about that. Most people, in fact consider that a foolhearted act. The risks are obvious. Serious injury is always a possibility for those fearless or foolish enough to sit astride an animal that weighs a ton and is usually equipped with dangerous horns. But cowboys do it, fans love it and bull riding may rank as rodeo’s most popular event. Bull riding is dangerous and predictably exciting, demanding intense physical prowess and supreme mental toughness. Like bareback and saddle bronc riders, the bull rider may use only one hand to stay aboard during the eight-second ride. If he touches the bull or himself with his free hand, he receives no score. But unlike the other roughstock events, bull riders are not required to mark out their animals. While spurring a bull can add to the
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Sponsored by Broken Hobble Ranch
CODY TEEL 2012 WORLD CHAMPION
cowboy’s score, riders are commonly judged on their ability to stay aboard the twisting, bucking ton of muscle and rage. Balance, flexibility, coordination, quick reflexes and, perhaps above all, a good mental attitude are the stuff good bull riders are made of. To stay aboard the bull, a rider uses a flat braided rope, which is wrapped around the barrel of the bull’s chest just behind the front legs and over its withers. One end of the bull rope, called the tail, is threaded through a loop on the other end and tightened around the bull. The rider then wraps the tail around his hand, sometimes weaving it through his fingers to further secure his grip. Then he nods his head, the chute gate swings open and he and the bull explodes into the arena. Every bull is unique in its bucking. A bull may dart to the left, then to the right, then rear back in fury. Some spin, or continuously circle in one spot in the arena. Others add jumps or kicks to their spins, while others might jump and kick in a straight line, or move side to side while bucking.
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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!
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Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
Springville Sierra Rodeo 2013
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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!