OFFICIAL PROGRAM
N N A 100TH
UAL
JULY 12-18, 2021 History, Heritage & Honor – 100 Years Strong WWW.FORTUNARODEO.COM (707) 725-3959
FREE
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CONTENTS 2021 Rodeo Committee..........................................................4 President’s Message.................................................................5 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors .........................................6 Schedule of Events ..................................................................7 2021 Fortuna Rodeo Grand Marshal: Roy Curless............................................................................9 Bullfighters Only and Motorsports on Friday Night .................................................................. 11 Memorial to Dave Nicholson ..............................................13 Rodeo Dedication to Mike Mora ...................................... 14 Food Events All Week .......................................................... 15 Kids Events All Week ............................................................17 2019 Rodeo Winners ............................................................. 21 Cover Artist Michael Zontos .............................................23 Saturday Night Bulls, Broncs, Bands & Brews ...............25 Rodeo Events .......................................................................... 29 Bull Riding.............................................................................31 Saddle Bronc.......................................................................32 Bareback Riding .................................................................33 Steer Wrestling ..................................................................34 Tie Down Roping...............................................................35 Team Roping ...................................................................... 36 Breakaway Roping .............................................................37 Barrel Racing ...................................................................... 38 2019 Fortuna Rodeo Fun Run Results...............................39 One Hundred Years of Fortuna Rodeo Firsts ...............40 New Book Chronicles Fortuna Rodeo History..............42 Saddle and Buckle Awards .................................................43
T HE O T ! L E A M U O C N L N WE 100TH A
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On the Cover 2021 Fortuna Rodeo poster art by Michael Zontos. Read more about the artist and this year’s poster on page 23. Official photographer of the Fortuna Rodeo
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
OFFICIAL FORTUNA RODEO PROGRAM 2021 is a publication of the North Coast Journal Weekly. © 2021 Entire contents copyrighted. No portion may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission.
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2021 Rodeo Committee Gannon Chapman, Parade Committe
Front row, left to right: Ben McWhorter – Sponsorships/PR Chad Lake – Saturday Night Hec Wood – Street Entertainment Russ Renner – Friday Night Bob Natt – Grounds Robb Foley – Barbecue Missing: Patrick Whitchurch – Treasurer Brad Glass – Parade Fortuna Rodeo Association, Inc. (a nonprofit organization) is sponsored jointly by the Fortuna Chamber of Commerce and the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department.
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Javier Luna, Barbecue Director
Doug Burgess, Parking and Security
Photos by Carol Niles Photography
Back row, left to right: Wayne Tomasini – Beverages Mike Johnson – Grounds Shannon McWhorter – President/Tickets Jim Hinrichs – Parade Ricky Ruud – Street Entertainment Dave Jackson – Secretary Roy Curless – Carnival/Concessions Dave Victorine – Vice President/Security Todd Fulton – Merchant Contributions Cody Waddell – Beverages Jessie Renner – Friday Night Dave Nicholson, deceased. Read Dave’s memorial tribute on page 13.
2021 Fortuna Rodeo President’s Message
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History, Heritage and Honor 100 Years Strong
ell, the last year or so has been a wild ride, to say the least! I am hoping that the 100th anniversary of the Fortuna Rodeo will help our community to heal up and kick-start us back into a normal way of life! The history of the Fortuna Rodeo is a reflection of the Eel River Valley and beyond. It started as an annual gathering of ranchers, farmers, business owners and residents in 1921. I am proud to report the tradition continues today, stronger than ever! It requires a tremendous amount of time and resources to pull this event off. The Board of Directors would like to thank our generous sponsors, volunteers, the city of Fortuna, the Fortuna Chamber of
Fortuna Office (707) 725-4465 926 Main Street Fortuna, Ca 95540
Commerce and the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department for all their support. When Fortuna comes together, everything is possible! Mr. Roy Curless is our Grand Marshal this year and I want to personally congratulate him on his 60+ years of dedication to the Fortuna Rodeo Association. His insight, wisdom and hard work have been instrumental to the success of the Fortuna Rodeo. We have a full week of family fun planned this year, so bring the family and your sunscreen down to “Sunny Fortuna.” It’s past time to have a good time!
Happy trails, Shannon McWhorter President
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Welcome Rodeo Fans! FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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Thank You to Our 100th Anniversary S
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92.3 FM
y Sponsors! Centurion • • • • • • •
Bear River Casino and Resort Eel River Brewing Company Fortuna Grocery Outlet Humboldt Beer Distributers Mercer-Fraser Company Redwood Capital Bank Sequoia Gas Company
• • • • • • • • •
DCI Construction Express Employment Professionals Harbers Insurance Agency Humboldt County Edward Jones Offices Leonardo Logging Northwood Auto Plaza Ray’s Food Place US Bank Valley Pacific Petroleum
All Around Champion
Gold Buckle • Whitchurch Engineering • Jack Hurst Trucking • MCI Construction & Engineering • Pacific Pastures Beef
Top Hand • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Rodeo Event Sponsors
Silver Spur • • • • • • • •
Bugenig Fencing Coast Central Credit Union Fortuna ACE Hardware Hennessy Funds Hohman and Associates Sunbelt Rentals Tri Counties Bank Wild Souls Ranch
Gary Edgmon Memorial All Around Saddle • Edgmon Family • American Ag Credit • Sequoia Gas Company
Award Buckle Sponsors • Tom McWhorter All Around Cowboy: MCI Construction • Fred Barry Memorial Top Hand: Pat Barry • All Around Cowgirl: Jack Hurst Trucking
Baird Engineering Burgess Electric Cindy’s Styling Center Coldwell Banker Six Rivers Real Estate Demello, McCauley, McReynolds and Holland Double D Steakhouse Forbusco GHD Engineering Green’s Fortuna Pharmacy Grundmans Sporting Goods Humboldt Auction Yard Humboldt Auto Styling Humboldt Equity Realty Humboldt Redwood Johnny’s Flooring Landmark Realty Mel & Grace McLean Foundation Redwood Empire Roofing Redwood Glass and Windows Redwood Rural Health Reynolds RV Rocha Automotive Shotz Coffee Sport & Cycle
• Bull Riding: Bear River Casino and Resort • Saddle Bronc Riding: Humboldt Fence Company • Bareback Riding: US Bank • Tie Down Roping: Providence Health • Breakaway Roping: Eel River Brewing Company • Steer Wrestling: Wyckoff’s Plumbing • Barrel Racing: Edward Jones- Humboldt • Team Roping Heading: DCI Builders • Team Roping Heeler: The Playroom
Bucking Chute Sponsors • • • • • •
Double D Steakhouse Edward Jones Eel River Brewing Company Eureka Ready Mix Fortuna Grocery Outlet Windy Point Fencing
Schedule of Events Please Note
TICKETS for all Fortuna Rodeo events are available online. CASH ONLY will be accepted at the gate. ATMs will be on site. PETS: Fortuna Rodeo Week events are pet free. Please leave your pets at home. All childrens’ events are FREE.
Tuesday • July 13th
Saturday • July 17th
CARNIVAL Noon, Rohner Park. Wrist bands $25.
FORTUNA KIWANIS PANCAKE BREAKFAST 7 a.m., Rohner Park Cook Shack.
Wednesday • July 14th CARNIVAL Noon, Rohner Park. STREET GAMES ALL children’s events are free! 6-8:30 p.m., Main Street. Stick horse race, egg toss, kids’ bounce house, kids’ dummy roping, Tony Johnston Penny Scramble (age 3 and under with parents, 4-5 years, 6-7 years), face painting and more. Hamburgers and hot dogs provided by Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department’s Muster Team. JUNIOR RODEO 9 a.m., Rodeo Grounds in Rohner Park. All admissions are free this year. Breakaway Roping Jackpot following the Junior Rodeo. Sign up at site.
Thursday • July 15th JUNIOR RODEO 9 a.m., Rodeo Grounds in Rohner Park. All admissions are free this year. Breakaway Roping Jackpot following the Junior Rodeo. Sign up at site. CARNIVAL Noon, Rohner Park. FIREMAN’S GAMES Time: 6:30 p.m.
Friday • July 16th CARNIVAL Noon, Rohner Park. BULLFIGHTERS ONLY NIGHT Sponsored by Bear River Casino, Humboldt Fence Co., Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge and Mercer-Fraser Co. Gates open at 5 p.m., Rodeo Grounds in Rohner Park. Live music, Quadiators, Bullfighters Only Show. Quadiators sign-ups start at 5 p.m. at the Rodeo Grounds. Tickets: $25 adults, $15 under 12, $40 VIP arena seating. Get tickets and entry forms at fortunarodeo.com.
CARNIVAL Noon, Rohner Park. All day wrist bands available. PARADE 11 a.m., Main Street. Entry forms at fortunarodeo.com. This year’s theme is “History, Heritage & Honor 100 Years Strong.” RODEO Sponsored by Lithia Chrysler Dodge. 1:30 p.m., Rodeo Grounds. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 under 12. Get tickets at fortunarodeo.com. BULLS, BRONCS, BANDS & BREWS Sponsored by Whitchurch Engineering, Les Schwab Tires, Tom Herman-Attorney at Law, Grocery Outlet, Mercer-Fraser Co. At the rodeo grounds. Gates and music at 6 p.m. Mutton Bustin and Steer Riding signups at 6 p.m., event at 7 p.m. Bull and Bronc riding at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 adults, $5 under 12. Get tickets at fortunarodeo.com.
Sunday • July 18th BARBECUE Sponsored by Organic Eel River Grass-fed Beef. 11 a.m., Rohner Park. Live music. Tickets: $20. Get tickets at fortunarodeo.com. CARNIVAL Noon, Rohner Park. All day wrist bands available. RODEO Sponsored by Humboldt Beer Distributors. 1:30 p.m., Rodeo Grounds. Tickets: $10 adults $5 under 12. Get tickets at fortunarodeo.com. ✪
‘The Clown With All The Dogs’ Entertains During Rodeo Award-winning performer Bert Davis, The Coppertown Clown, along with his muttley crew of specially trained dogs will entertain during the rodeo on Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday.
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Grand Marshal Roy Curless 2021 By Meg Wall-Wild
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his is the Centennial Fortuna Rodeo Parade, a grand milestone celebration deserves a Grand Marshal with the right rodeo stuff. His name is Roy Curless. Curless’ love of Humboldt County is genetic. The Eel River Valley cast its charms over his family in the 1860s and has yet to let go. Curless grew up in Holmes Flat and, after serving in the Korean War, married Laurada Mudgett. They made their home in Fortuna in 1956, serving the community as they raised two children. Curless began his service to the Fortuna Rodeo Association in 1958. That is 63 years of hard work, countless board meetings and missed dinners, all to make sure the rodeo puts a smile on your face. Can you calculate 63 years in number of hoofprints (bovine and equine) left in the arena dirt? Millions? Billions? Over the years, his family served, too. Little Mary was 6 when she directed cowboys moving horses to the rodeo grounds to wait until after the parade floats had passed. His son John comes from Sacramento to collect salads all over town for the famous Sunday barbecue. Lauranda was at his side when they served as Co-Grand Marshals in 2011. This year, family will fly in from Massachusetts and Wisconsin to pitch in. If you Google “man with a plan,” it re-
ally should have Roy Curless as top result. After retirement from the Humboldt County Assessor’s Office, he served 20 years as Humboldt Bay Harbor’s District 2 Commissioner, working to improve and preserve Humboldt’s coast. (He was tickled when the Upland Dredge Disposal Site was renamed the Roy Curless Dump Site in his honor.) He found time to add Rotary and Fortuna Chamber duties to his calendar, too. Look around Fortuna and you’ll see the fruits of his labor everywhere. Curless is particularly proud that all Rodeo profits are spent on Rohner Park improvements like the rebuilt Cook Shack. The newly completed grandstand renovations ($200,000, including generous donations and materials) also increased ADA accessibility for community events and family gatherings. Rodeos being his favorite, of course. “I love it! Watching a good saddle bronc rider, his motion when the horse is bucking. A bareback rider, throwing himself over the rump. You look at the performance of a cowboy or girl, working with the horse calf roping. That horse backs up and keeps the rope tight. The reactions between cowboy and animal … it’s how the cowboy makes that ride or bulldogs that steer, how their horses are trained.” When asked about the most interesting changes in the rodeo over the years,
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Roy had a ready answer. “Nowadays the stock is better. Used to ride in a bunch of wild cows and bulls. West Coast Rodeos now breeds bucking stock, stallions and mares. Bulls are bred for bucking. It works out well.” He said one thing remains unchanged: “Cowboys are still just as tough as they were back in the old days. They get Roy Curless. broken up and they still Photo by Marnie’s Photography, courtesy of the Curless Family. keep riding.” He appreciates the brave rodeo clowns who jump in there to save those reliable when that angry bull turns around rowdy riders, too. with a hot glare. A cowpoke is made betHis spirit of cooperation is obvious in ter by the saddle that holds them, just as his lasting leadership of the Rodeo Asthe Fortuna Rodeo Association is better sociation — 34 of his 63 years of service for Curless’ contributions. were as president. He was surprised it was “This is our 100th year. We hope to be that long. Curless will be the first to tell here in another 100 years. We will have you he is not alone in his dedication. He a great show. Bull Fighters Only is back! says many hands pitch in to plan and run Everyone come out to Fortuna for the the Fortuna Rodeo. “Having a good time Rodeo!” and a good bunch of people working with Curless’ six decades of dedication to you. It’s fun to do things like that.” But the Fortuna Rodeo deserves a massive Curless is like a beloved saddle — if he will round of applause, so let him know as he forgive the comparison — not Gucci but passes by! Fred M. Stern, not flashy but well made, ✪
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Friday Night Bullfighters Only and Quadiators Excitment begins Friday at 7 p.m. By Meg Wall-Wild
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rab your Hooey hat and get ready for Bull Fighters Only! The elite professional squad brings heart-pounding danger, crazy bravery and acrobatics with a mad bull thrown in for fun. Who runs full tilt to stomp him into the dirt? And then flips over it, horns and all? These 12 riders competing for the Sequoia Cup! Watch three-time BFO World Champion Weston Rutkowski dodge, weave and … was that a back reverse fake? Buy tickets at the gate or online, $25 adults, $15 under 12, for $40 your ticket gets you VIP arena seating, access to a private bar and the thrill of angry bull just feet away. Quadiators pits man against man against quad! Drivers race after each other as riders defend their helmet balloons
FRIDAY
Bullfighters Only and Motorsports Night at the Rodeo Doors at 5 p.m, action starts at 7 p.m. $25 adults, $15 under 12 $40 VIP Arena Seating
against full out assaults. With a roar, chaos takes over, arms and bats flailing. What do they have to lose? A $500 prize is all ($40 entry per team). If you want to compete, text your name and number to (707) 4966038. Sign up on Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Find the forms online (fortunarodeo.com/ quadiators-entries). Those about to ride, we salute you! After the last bullfighter has firmly landed, and the battered Quadiators have left the field, live music will soothe the savage beast (human and hooved). Christopher Robin plays a mix of rock, reggae and bluegrass he calls “rock grass.” This man knows his stuff, playing with the likes of Gregg Allman, BB King and Jessie Coulter. What a way to rock out the night! ✪
See the Bullfighters Only show on Friday night. Facebook
Bullfighters Only
12 Bullfighters compete against each other and Spanish fighting bulls. Sponsored by Mercer-Fraser Co.
Quadiators! Music!
Quadiators battle with bats and balloons. Photo by Carol Niles Photography
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fortuna chamber presents
Memorial: David Nicholson
T
his year, the Fortuna Rodeo Association Board of Directors lost one of our own. Longtime board member David Nicholson unexpectedly passed away on April 24. Dave served on the board for 16 years and was an integral member of the rodeo barbecue committee. If you knew Dave, you would agree that he was always full of energy and could get a smile out of you. Whether he was giving the ladies a big hug or cracking a sometimes too-colorful joke, it was never a dull moment around Dave.
Dave was a very dedicated director and once the barbecue pits were lit on Saturday evening, he didn’t stop going until the last piece of meat was served on Sunday afternoon. This year definitely won’t be the same without that joyful voice saying, “Sorry, we’re all out of foil for leftovers.” (If you know, you know.) We hope that everyone who enjoys this year’s rodeo barbecue takes a moment to remember that good ol’ HUMDINGER Dave Nicholson. He truly was one of a kind. ✪
Fo r t u n a Ro d e o . c o m
For Tickets, Full Schedule, Sponsors, Winners and More!
RESTAURANT PA S S P O R T See back for details!
Eat Chili • Collect Stamps • Win Prizes CELEBRATE RODEO WEEK J U LY 1 1 - 1 8 , 2 0 2 1
sponsored by:
Fortuna Chamber of Commerce
FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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fortuna chamber chili cook-off restaurant passport Mosey into any of these restaurants during Rodeo Week and order their special Chili Cook-off item. Collect a stamp from each restaurant you dine at. Each stamp will give you one entry into a drawing for $50. Twelve winners will be drawn. Return your completed passport to: Fortuna Chamber, PO Box 797, Fortuna, CA, 95540. Deadline for submitting your passport is July 31. Drawings to be held first week in August. Winners will be contacted via email/phone. (see below)
AZTEC GRILL
DOUBLE D STEAK
EEL RIVER BREWING
HOT DELI
REDWOOD CAFE
ROUND TABLE PIZZA
SMOKIN’ BARRELS
STARBUCKS
TACO LOCO
FRESH ON MAIN ST
SHOTZ COFFEE
TRISH’S OUT OF THE WAY CAFE
Y O U R FAV O R I T E D I S H
2021 Dedication: Mike Mora
M
ike was born on August 19, 1953, in Scotia, CA. He was taken home to Holmes Flat until the 1955 flood moved the family to Newburg, where he grew up. This is where Mike and his two brothers Lee and Randy learned to ride, fish, hunt, and ranch. The family ran sheep at the Newburg Ranch (now Buena Vista and Newburg Park). The family purchased Humboldt Auction Yard in 1968, where Mike learned the cattle business. He graduated from auctioneer school in 1975. He loved to sell at local schools and benefit auctions. One of his favorite sales was the Junior Livestock Auction at the Humboldt County Fair for over 30 years. Mike was extremely proud that his three sons were continuing the Mora
family tradition of ranching, becoming the fifth generation of Mora’s to ranch in California-with the sixth generation following in their boot steps. In 1996 Mike and long-time friend Lou Bugenig started the West Coast Rodeo Company. They produced many rodeos throughout California and were known to have some of the best stock on the west coast. Mike loved traveling to rodeos and making a bunch of lifetime friends along the way. One of his proudest moments in the rodeo company was when they got to take bulls to the Professional Bull Riders events. His favorite rodeo was Fortuna Rodeo because it was his hometown rodeo. He took great pride in putting on a good performance for the Fortuna Rodeo. ✪
Y O U R N A M E (please print)
E M A I L or P H O N E N O .
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Fo r t u n a Ro d e o . c o m
Fortuna’s Centennial Chuck Wagon By Meg Wall-Wild
F
ortuna Rodeo Week provides the grub, pot rustlers and bean masters. The Fortuna Chamber’s week-long Chili Cook-Off invites you to search participating Fortuna restaurants for the best chili-slinging in town. This year, not all offerings come in a bowl. Curious? Read on. Fortuna’s nonprofits show there is a reason that Cookie was second only to the trail boss, making sure all hands get a rib stickin’ meal. Saturday is your chance to fill up on Kiwanis pancakes. Sunday’s famous barbecue has 2 tons of beef and sides, measured by the gallon. This year, Humboldt Beer Distributing was tapped to serve up cold suds. Its selection of 805, Eel River and Lost Coast Brewery brews will satisfy that powerful thirst. Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Eel River’s Clarity hard sparkling water will soothe when you want to change it up. The rodeo cooks know cowpokes work up a powerful appetite and they won’t let you go hungry. No need to stampede! Sunday July 11 to Sunday July 18 One hundred years of bulls and broncos inspires more than the usual fare. The Fortuna Chamber of Commerce reimagined its annual Chili Cook-Off to mark the centennial. Local restaurants compete for your vote! Each participating restaurant has a chili-themed dish to tempt you. Even Starbucks and Shotz are throwing hats into the ring, hoping to win the coveted trophy and $150 cash award (courtesy of Redwood Capital Bank). And most importantly, the bragging rights. Finally, your chili obsession can bring its own rewards. Grab your Chili CookOff Restaurant Passport (find it in this guide!) and taste the delights of Fortuna’s contenders. Eat and vote as many times as you like at more than 10 participating restaurants (check www.fortunachamber. com/chili2021 for up-to-date list). Present your passport to be stamped and earn a chance in one of 10 random drawings
The Deep Pit BBQ is Sunday monring. Left: The pit crew hauls up the barbecued beef on Sunday morning. Above: The pit crew in action on Saturday night. File photos worth $50 each. You can also pick up a passport at the Fortuna Chamber of Commerce office (735 14th St.). Spit out the bit and chomp on the Chili Cook-Off all week long! Friday, July 16 to Sunday, July 18 - Strap on the feedbag and enjoy the Fortuna Rodeo with a stoked belly. Fortuna’s community organizations will not disappoint! The Fire Ladies Auxiliary will feed you hearty hamburgers and hot dogs with a smile. The Humboldt County CattleWomen rustle up a tri-tip that will knock those Tony Lamas right off. The Fortuna Boosters give a nod to surf and turf with oysters and burritos. Refreshments are ready to wet that whistle, too. Later, the 4-H waits with scoops in hand for when you need an ice cream cool-down. What’s missing? Just you and your appetite. Lasso up your victuals at the Rodeo Grounds on Friday night (Bull Fighters Only/Quadiators), Saturday night (Bulls, Broncs, Bands & Brews) and all weekend during the rodeo. Beer starts to flow on Friday night when the gates open at 6 p.m. for Bull Fighters Only! Grab a beer starting at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Enjoy Eel River Brewing Co.’s new premium Climax 100, a beer for those in need of light heat relief. Pace yourself. The hometown brewery’s IPA will be waiting for you at Bulls, Broncs, Bands
& Brews. Sunday is Humboldt Beer Distributing Day at the Rodeo. Thank them for keeping your thirst at bay! Saturday, July 17th - The road to the Centennial Fortuna Rodeo is paved with pancakes. Imagine the kids, covered in sticky syrup, full bellies, smiling faces — and you don’t have to clean the kitchen! Rub the sleep out of your eyes and head down to the Rohner Park Cook Shack. The early risers of the Fortuna Kiwanis Club start serving stacks at 7 a.m. It’s a steal of a meal deal at $7 or $5 for children under 7. Need a great excuse to enjoy sausage and eggs? How about helping a local teen with a scholarship funded by breakfast? Every pancake sold supports children’s activities in Humboldt County. Leave with a fed family and a bad dad pun preloaded: “Orange juice glad you helped make kids happy?” Cowpokes start their day with a stack and a strong cup of joe (or cold milk for younger range riders). Hit the chowline early as the griddle shuts down at 11 a.m. before watching the parade, then hit the seats to watch those cowboys and cowgirls in action! Your stomach and the Kiwanis will thank you. Sunday, July 18 - Pop the car hood in your driveway and neighbors come out to help. Light up a barbecue pit and the
whole town comes out! The Fortuna Rodeo Deep Pit BBQ starts at the Fortuna Fire Hall at 7 a.m. on Saturday, when the Seasoning Crew sprinkles its secret blend of spices over the meat. A fire big enough to cook 4,000 pounds of beef demands constant attention. The Fire Crew sets it to flame at 4 p.m., tending it throughout the night and adding fuel every hour. Coals must be just the right temperature before the beef is laid in the pit around 1 a.m. The dedication! The meat emerges transformed between 10 and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Can you smell it? Is 80 gallons of potato salad enough? Will the coveted bean recipe remain safe? Will 1,800 rolls stand up to plate swipings? The Serving Crew will sling your sides and the Meat Crew will accept your “ooohs” and “ahhhs” as they pile your plate. The hungry will be fed at the Fortuna Rodeo Grounds from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., or earlier if the meat runs out. Do NOT be the first person to walk away empty handed. Get there early! The $20 heaping plate will fill up your stomach’s most remote corners. Buy your tickets online at www.fortunarodeo.com/tickets. Thanks to Pacific Pastures and Eel River Organic Beef for their sponsorship of the Fortuna Rodeo BBQ, for the legends of summer are not ballplayers but pitmasters.✪ FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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Wednesday at the Main Street Games: Tony Johnston Penny Scramble. Photo by Carol Niles Photography
For the Kids By Meg Wall-Wild Carnival A child’s summertime joy is incomplete without a carnival. Flashy colors, zippy rides and cotton candy make every kid grin (and some adults, too). Find that enchantment beginning Tuesday, July 13 at the Fortuna Rodeo Carnival. The convenient $25 all-day wristband will stop tugs on your sleeve as a small voice asks for “Just one more ride? Please?” Don’t forget to play some games and win a prize! The fun starts at noon daily and stops at 11 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday, and at midnight Friday-Sunday.
rope a dummy (hopefully a skill not practiced on siblings). Kids compete in three age groups (3 and under with parent, 4-5, 6-7) so the littlest wranglers can participate. The Tony Johnson Penny Scramble is back, too, along with face painting to get the glow on. The hilarious egg toss is a crowd pleaser, held at the end for yolky reasons. Street Games run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and all activities are free! You might want to wait until after the bounce house to buy the tykes a hamburger or hot dog from the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department’s Muster Team, though. Just sayin’.
Street Games
Parade
Being small should not keep you from rodeo glory! Riders have been in training all year for the big stick horse race Wednesday, July 14. Novice cowpokes can
A centennial only happens once! On Saturday, July 17, Main Street provides the route and the kids provide the cheers. Line
Tires • Auto • Trucks • Tractors Brakes • Alignments Wendy Hummel / Lisa Hummel
continued on page 19
OWNERS 260 S. Fortuna Blvd. • 725-4120
WWW.HUMMELTIRE.COM FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
For the Kids continued from page 17
1-800-575-0229 (8-5) 707-725-3307 (8-5) 770 S. Fortuna Blvd., Fortuna CA 95540 bponci@yahoo.com
Saturday’s Rodeo Parade starts downtown at 11 a.m. Photo by Carol Niles Photography
the streets and wave at Grand Marshal Roy Curless as he leads the 100th annual Fortuna Rodeo Week Parade. This year’s parade celebrates History, Heritage & Honor, 100 Years Strong! Rodeo folks are going all out to bring flash to their rigs, polishing saddles and silver. You may
northcoasttickets.com
Local tickets. One place.
even spot royalty! (Will and Kate, eat your hearts out.) The parade starts downtown at 11 a.m. and finds its end at Fortuna Boulevard at Smith Lane. Bring a bag for the candy toss! Or enter to parade in regular or horse divisions. ✪
Our platform is free to event creators. Work with the team you trust, who cares about your business or organization and the success of the Humboldt county area. Contact Melissa Sanderson at 707-498-8370 or melissa@northcoastjournal.com
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Ray’s
Build to edge of the document Margins are just a safe area
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
2019 Rodeo Winners CALF ROPING
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
1. John McGill .....................11.2 .................$733.20 2. Sterling Humphrey .... 13.4 ................. $439.92 3. Brandon Green-R .......15.4 ................ $293.28
STEER WRESTLING
1. Karson Mebane-R .........7.1 ................. $932.48 2. Wade Brown .................6.9 ................ $699.36 3. Ad Bugenig.....................6.8 ................$466.24 4/5. Sterling Humphrey 6.7................... $116.56 4/5. Jesse Williams ..........6.7................... $116.56
1. Sterling Humphrey ......4.9................. $622.28 2. Taite Stickler .................6.4 ................. $466.71 3. James Banister ..............9.5.....................$311.14 4. J. Cody Jones ................ 11.8 ..................$155.57
BAREBACK BRONC RIDING
BREAK-AWAY ROPING
No results
1. Jennifer Renner .............2.7................. $979.48 2. Patricia Rincon..............2.9...................$734.61 3. Lacy Moore....................3.6..................$489.74 4. Masey Minton ..............4.3................. $244.87
BULL RIDING
BARREL RACING 1. Hailey Finnegan...........16.86 ..............$604.28 2. Lea Osburn ..................16.95............... $525.46 3. Shanna Gayski.............16.97...............$446.64 4. Cathy Vallerga ...............17...................$367.82 5. Jennifer Renner ..........17.05 ...............$289.00 6. Cathy Cagliari ...............17.1................... $210.18 7. Ileah Roquemore ........17.13...................$131.37 8. Blair Brown ................... 17.2 ...................$52.55
1. Ray Mayo-R ....................6.6 ................$695.60 Ground Split ...........................................$1,043.40
TEAM ROPING 1. Bryor Minton Clayton Moore .................. 7 ...................$729.44
1. Cole Buntin Dusty Bravos ......................7.3 ..................$729.44 2. Ben McWhorter Quinten McWhorter.....14.6 .................$547.08 3. J. Cody Jones Carson Williams .............. 17.9 .................$367.42 4. Connie Withers ...........21.1.................. $182.36
Submitted
2. Casey Minton Mike George ......................7.6..................$547.08 3. Cole Bunting Dusty Bravos .....................12.5 .................$364.72 4. Jeremy Simonich-R Anival Guerrero ...............16.3 ................. $182.36
TEAM ROPING
2019 All Around Saddle winner Jennifer Renner, second from left.
A Century of Local Rodeo
BAREBACK BRONC RIDING No results
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
BULL RIDING
1. Karson Mebane-R ........8.2 ................$893.00 2. Luke White ....................7.7 ..................$699.75 3. Sterling Humphrey .....7.5 .................$446.50 4. Jesse Williams ...............7.3 ..................$223.25
1. Cody Russell...................8.3..................$814.04 2. Logan Gulden ...............7.8.................. $610.55 3. DJ Stoneburner-R ........6.9 ................ $407.02 Ground Split ...............................................$203.51
Beginning on page 40, read an updated and expanded history of the Rodeo, learn how to reserve your copy of the new book In and Around the Arena: The 100 Year History of the Fortuna Rodeo and brush up on the legacy of local saddle and buckle awards.
We Support the
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Providing Insurance & Financial Services 1016 West Ave., Eureka, CA 95501 On the corner of Myrtle & West www.lisasfagent.com Office • 707.268.0911 Cell • 707.407.8878
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GREAT TIME! A VE A H
Welcome Rodeo Fans!
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
Proud Sponsor of the Fortuna Jr. Rodeo
Cover Artist
2021 Cover Artist Michael Zontos
Robert & Mary Johnson 1058 Main Street, Fortuna, CA
725-4431
www.greensfortuna.com
By Meg Wall-Wild
Y
ou use your phone camera without a moment’s hesitation. A quick click and you catch that bronco in mid-buck, Instagram likes guaranteed. Or that fish on the grandkid’s rod and reel, snapped and posted so Auntie Mary in Shelter Cove can respond with five heart eye emojis. This easy power to save a moment is at your disposal, yet some like Michael Zontos have a superpower. He can capture that second of pure movement using only colored and graphite pencils (charge cord not required). Drawing as an art form demands complete attention to detail. A fisheries biologist by trade, Zontos uses an eye trained by field experience to capture wildlife at its best. He fell in love with it in his native Santa Cruz, fishing clear mountain streams and diving off the coast, drawing wildlife for enjoyment. His passions led to a fisheries management degree from Humboldt State University and his current work with Northern California’s salmon and trout. Along the way, his love of drawing began to reassert itself. Michael found himself picking up the pencils whenever possible. The result is an artist reclaiming his talent. His subtle use of colors is a delight, the blending delicate. You almost reach out to filet that California king laid out on a grained board. Any artist is happy to have a commission to avoid the starving part of their endeavors. Zontos said he is not only happy, but highly honored to provide the bespoke poster for the Centennial Fortuna Rodeo. He was eager to take the bull by the horns. Zontos said the Fortuna Rodeo com-
Wishing the RODEO a Grand & Happy 100th Anniversary!
Every Dream That Ever Came True Started With a Wish
(707) 362-2808
1387 9th St Fortuna, Ca 95540
WISHING WELL PLANTERS
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Michael Zontos. Courtesy of the artist
mission offered him a challenge. His usual aquatic models are easily handled, providing time to study the teeniest details. (Ornery fish will not stomp on an artist.) The piece was inspired where the science of biology intersects with art. He said the biologist in him loved the research and the artist in him loved the study (artsy term meaning draft drawings) of different bulls. Zontos wanted to catch the essence of wild animal still lurking within. He nailed it. “The Centennial Bull” stares out at you, ready for the fight. The challenge hangs in the air. Messing with him will lead to regret. You can take the bull up on his challenge. Zontos’s original poster art will be auctioned off between 7 and 8 p.m. during the Saturday, July 17 Bulls, Broncs, Bands & Brews. Admit it. You already see that bull hanging on your wall. ✪
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
Bulls, Broncs, Bands & Brews By Meg Wall-Wild
Y
our ears prick up as you wait for the gate to open at 6 p.m. Is that Lone Star Junction warming up? The outlaw country band fronted by James McBride and his Telecaster kicks off a smashing lineup of Saturday night fun July 17! Grab a brew from Humboldt Beer Distributors and watch the kids rodeo out with Mutton Bustin’ (ages 6-9 with adult) and Steer Ridin’ (ages 10-13 with adult). Both events are free but participants must have their own helmet and vest (rigging too, steer riders). The action starts at 7 p.m. Make sure the phone is charged to catch the family mutton buster in action! Cheer on those future circuit steer riders (they all start somewhere) and have a blast. Next, the Rescue Barrel Race gets that adrenaline pumping. A $200 purse is up for grabs! Horse and rider lean around a barrel and the crowd leans too. All clear and sprint continued on page 27»
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
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C RYS TA L L E W I S
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Jeanny Grunert
“Sure Shot Sellin’ Jeanny”
W T
ic e M a r t
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
“The Out Numbered Real Estate Cowboy”
Bulls, Broncs, Bands & Brews continued from page 25
to the line! Free to enter, the competition is open to horseback only. Leave the llama at home. “The Centennial Bull,” the original poster art by Michael Zontos commemorating 100 years of Fortuna Rodeos, will be auctioned off between 7 and 8 p.m. Will you ride the bull to the buzzer? He will look darn good hanging in your man cave or she shed! Bull and Bronc Riding is the main meat of the night. Do you have a cool Eel River California Blonde Ale in the stands with you? The crowd murmur builds. You hear indignant animals and clanging metal. The moment is near. Then the gate bursts open in a flurry of hooves, hide and Stetson. Root for that brave soul who took on almost a ton of angry steer! Stand and scream for that bronc rider who beat the buzzer! Tickets are available online or at the gate for a family friendly price of $10 adults, $5 kids. If you are competing in events, sign up at the south end of the arena starting at 6 p.m. (hurry, the roster fills up quick). Bring an adult if required and all contestants must sign a waiver. Good luck riders! ✪
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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CE LE
Y! AR
A RODEO 100 YE N U T R AR A FO E H T NN G IVE IN T A RS R B
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
Rodeo Events
History, Heritage & Honor, 100 Years Strong!
W
elcome to the 100th annual Fortuna Rodeo, the centerpiece of the Friendly City’s weeklong summer celebration! Fortuna is proud to offer the largest rodeo in the region, giving cowboys up and down the state a chance to show off the skills that built the American West. In addition to competing in the individual events, which are described in the following pages, each cowboy’s individual scores are totaled together to make them eligible for three all-around cowboy prizes — the rodeo’s top honors. They are:
Tom McWhorter Memorial All-Around Cowboy Award given to the cowboy who has won the most money overall across all events of the rodeo. Sponsor: Mobley Construction (MCI)
The Fred Barry Memorial Silver Buckle Award for the Law Offices of Patrick J. Barry Humboldt County Top Hand. Given to the Humboldt County-based cowboy with the highest overall standings in all events of the rodeo. Sponsor: Law Offices of Patrick J. Barry
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
Fortuna Rodeo Local All-Around Cowboy Gary Edgmon Memorial Saddle. Awarded to the top cowboy from Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity or Del Norte County. Sponsors: The Edgmon Family, American Ag Credit, and Sequoia Gas Company continued on page 31 » FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
Rodeo Events continued from page 29
Bull Riding Maybe the most popular event and probably the most dangerous, bull riding is a battle of wits and brute strength between a cowboy and the most dangerous of ranch animals. The cowboy attempts to ride for eight seconds, strapped to a bucking, whirling 1-ton bull, holding on with only one hand. This is a judged competition: Points are awarded for the cowboy’s form and for the difficulty of the ride. But if the rider is bucked off, or if he touches the bull with his free hand, he is disqualified. Photo by Carol Niles Photography
Sponsor: Bear River Casino Pump and Play
continued on next page »
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Welcome Rodeo Fans!
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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WELCOME RODEO FANS!
Rodeo Events continued from previous page
Saddle Bronc Bronc riding comes from the essential cowboy skill of taming (or “breaking”) a horse for use. As in bull riding, a contestant must stay atop the wild animal for eight seconds using only one hand. But the bronc rider has additional considerations — he is also judged on how well he spurs the horse to action with his boots, and he must keep his feet in the stirrups at all times. Bronc riders come out of the chute with their legs over the horse’s shoulders in order to give the animal the initial advantage.
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Bareback Riding
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
Like the saddle bronc event in many ways — but more slippery. In the bareback event, the bronc rider goes into action with one hand in a simple rigging and nothing at all between him and the horse except a pair of blue jeans. Once again, the contest is judged on the skill and form of the rider as well as the liveliness of the animal. Contestants must stay on for eight seconds to qualify for a score. Sponsor: US Bank
continued on next page »
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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Rodeo Events continued from previous page
Steer Wrestling
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
Steer wrestling (or “bulldogging”) tests the cowboy’s strength as well as his skill at handling both horse and cattle. In this timed event, the steer leaves the chute at a run, tailed by one horseman (“the hazer”) who keeps the animal running in a straight line. After a head start, the barrier holding back the mounted contestant is tripped, and the steer wrestler races after his quarry. When he catches up, he dismounts his horse at a run and transfers his weight to the steer, which he then wrestles to the ground. Quickest time wins, but as with all timed events the contestant gets a 10-second penalty if he leaves the chute too early. Sponsor: Wyckoff’s Plumbing
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Photo by Carol Niles Photography
Tie Down Roping Tie-down roping — also called calf roping — introduces another element into the mix. Not only must the cowboy rope the animal, as in breakaway roping, he must also bring it to a full stop and immobilize it. After the animal is lassoed, the cowboy dismounts and runs to the calf carrying a small rope in his teeth. He then throws the calf to the ground and binds three of its legs, after which he signals to thenames judges make the doctors likeand old time ad, notisso big andThe not all capitalized, mainthough focus should called. event isn’t over, be if north logo good luck to all — thecoast calf vet kicks offand the rope participants on its legs within six seconds, the contestant is disqualified. Sponsor: Providence Health
continued on next page »
Good luck to all participants!
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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Rodeo Events continued from previous page
Team Roping
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
The only team event in the rodeo, team roping features two different styles of lasso work. A steer leaves the chute running. After a short head start, two cowboys follow on horseback. The first must rope the animal’s head or horns to stop its forward progress, moving it into a turn. Then the second — the “heeler” — attempts to lasso the animal’s rear legs. A five-second penalty is assessed if he manages to rope only one leg. The clock is stopped when the steer is fully roped and the contestants’ two horses face one another. Sponsors: The Playroom and DCI Builders
Welcome Fortuna Rodeo Fans! THE ROOT TO YOUR SUCCESS STARTS HERE
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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Breakaway Roping
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
This fast-paced event is the purest test of a cowgirl’s lasso skills. As in steer wrestling, a calf leaves the chute at a run and after a head start trips the barrier holding back the cowgirl. The contestant then gives chase and attempts to lasso the calf’s head. She has the rope tied to her saddle horn with a string and halts her horse. Time is called when the calf, which is still running, breaks the string. Sponsor: Eel River Brewing Co.
continued on next page »
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Rodeo Events continued from previous page
Photo by Carol Niles Photography
Barrel Racing The premier women’s event in the rodeo, barrel racing is the ultimate test of speed and agility. Riders attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around the three barrels in the fastest time possible. The quickness of the clockwise and counterclockwise pivots around the barrels are crucial, as is the final sprint back to the starting line. Riders are penalized five seconds if they tip over a barrel. Sponsor: Humboldt County Edward Jones J
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FORTUNA RODEO 2021
2019 Fun Run Results 5K TOP 50 RESULTS
One hundred and forty racers participated in the 2019 race. For all results and more photos, visit www.6rrc.com.
Fortuna Rodeo Fun Run 2021
Aaron Campbell was first to cross the finish line at 16:54.
Photos courtesy of Six Rivers Running Club
P
ut on your racing boots and get to the starting line. It’s time to kick off the 100th annual Fortuna Rodeo week with the 2021 Fun Run. This Unites States Track and Field certified 5K race is hosted by the Six Rivers Running Club and is one of the flattest and straightest SRRC races around our part of the Pacific Northwest. Race directors say this means participants can expect to clock faster times and that the track is great for beginners. SRRC
members, runners under the age of 18 and high school students run free, and general racers only need $5 to sign up. The race starts Saturday July 11 at 9 a.m., but participating runners should arrive 30 minutes early to the Redwood Café parking lot at 12th and Main streets, where the race will start and end. Racers to beat are Tami Beall, who last year lead the women’s group clocking in at 21:04, and Aaron Campbell, who finished first in the men’s, clocking in at 16:54 at the 2019 race. ✪
Tami Beall was the fastest woman in last year’s race with a time of 21:04.
Place/Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G/Age 1 Aaron Campbell . . . . . . . . . . .M/26 2 Jasper Severn . . . . . . . . . . . . .M/24 3 Ian Bennett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/16 4 Dillon Wyant . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/35 5 Josh Quintal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/43 6 Optimus Prime . . . . . . . . . . .M/38 7 Thomas Becannon . . . . . . . . . M/16 8 Chris Schinke . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/47 9 Christopher Christianson . . M/42 10 Tami Beall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F/51 11 Kevin Eckhart . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/32 12 Melanie Wehan . . . . . . . . . . F/35 13 Infallible Asenbauer . . . . . . M/17 14 Rachel Cardoza . . . . . . . . . . .F/31 15 Thomas Henry . . . . . . . . . . M/152 16 Doug Hartling . . . . . . . . . . . . M/35 17 Bill Bustin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/61 18 Lanore Bergenske . . . . . . . . F/612 19 Angelica Aubrey . . . . . . . . . F/27 20 Byron Nottingham . . . . . . .M/56 21 Maggie Stacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . F/16 22 Ed Coppini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/52 23 Gillermo Diaz . . . . . . . . . . . . M/15 24 Joe McManus . . . . . . . . . . . .M/56 25 Nick Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/12 26 Jasper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M/22 27 Perlita Kilinski . . . . . . . . . . . . F/45 28 Candee Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . . F/56 29 Randy Emenaker . . . . . . . . .M/68 30 Michaele Whiteley . . . . . . . F/59 31 Luisa Angon . . . . . . . . . . . . . F/34 32 Marlene Allen . . . . . . . . . . . F/63 33 Lexy Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . . .F/17 34 Enrique Ulloa . . . . . . . . . . . .M/36 35 Ocean Goodrich-Brinkhaus M/11 36 Claudia Velasco . . . . . . . . . . F/27 37 Pedro Yanez . . . . . . . . . . . . .M/49 38 Chris Hamer . . . . . . . . . . . . . F/63 39 Jorge Matias . . . . . . . . . . . . . M/52 40 Alex Alvarado . . . . . . . . . . . F/28 41 Tyler Ramirez . . . . . . . . . . . . M/23 42 Tricia Bagnell . . . . . . . . . . . . F/49 43 Haydee Maloney . . . . . . . . . .F/51 44 Coral Ciarabellini . . . . . . . . . .F/17 45 Ben Jacobsen . . . . . . . . . . . . M/42 46 Sherry Myers . . . . . . . . . . . . F/63 47 Sarah Sullens . . . . . . . . . . . . F/39 48 Pamela Judge . . . . . . . . . . . . F/62 49 Bonnie Hrdina . . . . . . . . . . . F/60 50 Bo Stacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M/07
Time 16:54 18:02 18:50 18:51 19:09 19:17 19:28 19:56 20:09 21:04 21:37 21:42 21:43 21:58 2:39 23:01 23:18 3:29 23:33 23:56 24:29 24:32 24:58 25:58 26:13 26:14 26:30 26: 26:49 26:54 27:04 27:07 27:17 27:29 27:54 27:58 28:25 29:03 29:35 29:40 29:59 30:03 30:33 30:42 30:43 30:46 30:48 31:03 31:25 31:26
Welcomes You To the Rodeo FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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One Hundred Years of Fortuna Rodeo Firsts By Susan J.P. O’Hara and Alex Service
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uring the long history of the Fortuna Rodeo, many “firsts” have marked new ideas and new ways of building community involvement. Some of these firsts became treasured annual events; others lasted only a few years. Some became Fortuna Rodeo lore, preserving the memory of past rodeo heroes and setting standards for present competitors to achieve or surpass. Chief among all “Fortuna Rodeo firsts” is the first Fortuna Rodeo itself, held at the newly-created Rohner Park on August 27 and 28, 1921. It was sponsored by the Humboldt County Stockmen’s Association as entertainment for their annual picnic. Cowboys put on riding exhibitions to thrill the audience as well as some actual contests with local cowboys riding alongside Ty Stokes and Jesse Stahl, two well-known African American riders who were among the best rodeoers of the 1920s. Jesse Stahl was posthumously recognized for his abilities in 1979 when he was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and he was the first of the many future Hall of Famers who rode at the Fortuna Rodeo. By 1925, the local businessmen became involved in the rodeo, ensuring its position as one of Fortuna’s summer festivities. In 1927, the businessmen created the first Fortuna Rodeo parade, described at the time as a “historical pageant.” The parade featured an ox cart, a covered wagon and a stagecoach, with parade participants dressed as figures from California’s past such as padres and aristocrats from Spanish California, gold miners and pioneers. Members of the Hupa Tribe performed their White Deerskin Dance in what is believed to be the first time since 1879 that the dance was performed in public. Another first from 1927 was the first Fortuna Rodeo queen contest, won by Maxine Gould. The first rodeo sponsored solely by the Fortuna Businessmen’s Association was held in 1930. The stockmen felt they could no longer support the rodeo financially,
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due to the stock market crash of 1929. The Fortuna Rodeo made it through the first years of the Great Depression, but ultimately was cancelled due to the economic hard times in 1934 and 1935. However, the rodeo returned with renewed vigor in 1936. At this time the “penny scramble” became a feature of Rodeo Week. This event is now for children only, but when it began, it was open to everyone (thanks to the Depression, most people could use a bit of extra pocket money). Also in the late 1930s, the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department became involved with the rodeo, sponsoring the traditional Saturday night dance. The rodeo returned to its preeminence on the Professional Rodeo circuit, with riders such as Hall of Famer and National Champion Johnnie Schneider riding and roping at the event. The year 1941 marked a Fortuna Rodeo high point when renowned rodeo photographer DeVere Helfrich attended and captured the action, his photographs chronicling national competitors as well as regional riders such as local favorite Clarence Bugenig. In 1942, the Fortuna Businessmen decided to cancel the rodeo in order to focus on the war effort. However, that year a one-day amateur rodeo was sponsored by the Fortuna unit of the Women’s Ambulance and Defense Corps. The women used the money raised at this rodeo for purchasing an ambulance for local use during World War II. In 1943, the Armed Forces requested that the rodeo not be held, since if an emergency caused the highway to be closed, rodeo attendees would be stranded. Also, many of the local businessmen, as well as the cowboys themselves, were serving in the Armed Forces. With the end of the war, the rodeo resumed in 1946. Many favorite events returned, such as the penny scramble (which had now become a kids-only event), a carnival, dances and a large parade. A major first for the Fortuna Rodeo came in 1951, when the Fortuna Rodeo Association was formed, with a board
Photo courtesy of the Depot Museum
made up of equal numbers from the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department and the Fortuna Chamber of Commerce. The by-laws developed by the Association, which are still followed today, state that once expenses are paid, all funds raised by the rodeo will be used to maintain and improve facilities at Rohner Park. The 1953 rodeo was the official celebration of the City of Fortuna’s “Diamond Jubilee” 75th anniversary. This year may also have been the first to feature a grand marshal for the Fortuna Rodeo parade. In 1953 the parade’s marshal was Captain Leroy Gates, who served as an air force pilot in both WWII and the Korean War and was one of the founders of the Rohnerville Airport. A rodeo tradition begun in 1953 was a pancake breakfast during Rodeo Weekend. This event was first sponsored by the women’s service organization the Quota Club, then by the Business and Professional Women’s Association from 1959 onward, and then from 1997 by the Fortuna chapter of the Kiwanis Club. In 1954, Clarence Bugenig won the local champion saddle. The year 1954 also saw the final professional rodeo held in Fortuna. In 1955, the Rodeo Association decided the Fortuna Rodeo would become an amateurs-only event. They hired Dick Hemsted to provide the stock animals, which Hemsted Rodeos continued to do into the 1990s. The 1950s also saw the return of the deep-pit rodeo barbecue
and the queen contest. The first Fortuna Rodeos back in the 1920s had featured free barbecues, with stockmen donating the animals, but now the Rodeo Association charged a small admission fee for the ever-popular meal created by a team of volunteers led by “Super-Chef” Nat Evans, inventor of a secret blend of meatseasoning spices. To this day, the beloved tradition of the Fortuna Rodeo barbecue continues, made possible by dedicated volunteers and featuring a closely-guarded secret recipe. In 1964, Al Cooper won the first of his four local champion saddles and in 1965, Charlie Rodriquez won the first of his five local championships. These two men would remain the competitors with the highest number of local champion wins at the Fortuna Rodeo until Casey Minton achieved an astounding nine local champion saddles in the early 2000s. Popular Rodeo Week events in downtown Fortuna in the 1960s included street dances, a greased pole climbing contest, greased pig contest and an orange crate race, first sponsored by the Fortuna Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees) in 1966. In the late 1960s, the tradition began of the Volunteer Fire Department hosting a Firemen’s Games event on Main Street during Rodeo Week. For three years in the 1970s, Rodeo Week festivities included a children’s parade. Youngsters from the Strehl and Ryles families were among the
frequent winners of children’s parade awards for entries like their “Five Little Ducks” in the 1974 “Disneyland of the West” kiddies’ parade. In 1975, a horseshoe-pitching competition became part of the Rodeo Week lineup, and around this same time, bicycle races were added to the week’s activities. Also for the first time in 1975, a volunteer Fortuna Rodeo Band was created to take part in the rodeo parade, composed of students from the local schools along with other community members. In 1976, the year of the United States’ Bicentennial celebrations, the Jaycees sponsored their first Fortuna Rodeo Tennis Tournament, which would be part of the annual events until the early 1990s. The Rodeo Association declared that 1979’s event would be the 50th anniversary rodeo, although later re-calculation led to the conclusion that this milestone was actually a few years off. (Matters were complicated by the several years without a Fortuna Rodeo during the Great Depression and World War II, and by disagreement about which events had been official Fortuna Rodeos.) As part of the official celebrations of the rodeo’s first 50 years, a Friday night fireworks display became part of Rodeo Week, remaining a highlight of the festivities until 1986. In 1980, for the first time, Outhouse Races were added to the Rodeo Week fun. This rip-roaring event continued until 1985 and later was re-introduced for several more years in the early 2000s. Early in the 1980s, the merchants of the new Redwood Village Mall began sponsoring Rodeo Week entertainments, and during this decade, Redwood Village would become the location for the kids’ activities on the Tuesday of Rodeo Week. A major milestone took place in 1984: for the first time, the winner of the local all-around champion saddle was a woman. Suzi Fusi captured the honor only one year after riding in her first rodeo (at the Fortuna Rodeo in 1983). Fusi also won the Pro Rodeo California Cowboys Association’s 1984 award for Rookie of the Year. In the first 100 years of the Fortuna Rodeo, two other competitors have joined Suzi Fusi in the ranks of women who have been Fortuna’s local all-around champions: Sherry Luman in 1988 and Jennifer Renner in 2019. Foot races through town had joined the Rodeo Week lineup in or around 1980, and by 1984, the annual Fortuna Rodeo Fun Run was sponsored by the Six Rivers
Running Club. Two beloved Fortuna Rodeo traditions came into being in 1986: the “kidnapped tourists” trial and the chili cook-off. The first tourists to be “kidnapped” and treated to a free weekend of rodeothemed hospitality were Al and Raylene Key, a honeymooning couple from Vermont. Tourists continued to be “kidnapped” as part of the Rodeo Week shindigs until the final abduction of a vacationing family during the rodeo celebrations in 2016. The first chili cook-off took place in the parking lot of Del’s Liquors and Deli on Fortuna Boulevard; in later years the event would move to its current downtown location on Main Street. A major difference between the early chili cook-offs and the event we know today was a lack of beans: the “Fortuna Rodeo Chili Society” declared that “true chili” consists of “any kind of meat, or combinations of meats, cooked with chili peppers, various other spices and other ingredients, with the exception of items such as beans or spaghetti which are strictly forbidden.” Also in 1986, the Rodeo Association unveiled the first annual Country Music Showdown at the rodeo grounds. For several years, the showdown would be a highlight of Friday night’s events. An “ugly dog contest” was introduced in Rodeo Week 1988, and took place for several years. Cyrus Comer’s Dalmatian/ English bulldog mix Jeremiah was the first pooch to be proclaimed Fortuna’s ugliest dog; in subsequent years Charlie Washburn’s scruffy little canine Rambo would be Jeremiah’s biggest rival for the title. The biggest Fortuna Rodeo first of the 1990s was the creation in 1994 of a junior rodeo, the Fortuna Junior Round-Up. The event would grow to become one of the biggest and most popular junior rodeos in the northwest. In the late 1990s, Fortuna’s own West Coast Rodeo Co. inherited the mantle of the Hemsted Rodeo Company, becoming the stock contractor for the
Photo courtesy of the Depot Museum
Fortuna Rodeo. In the year 2000, the Rodeo Association decided to change the way past rodeos were counted. Things had gotten confusing over the years, with disagreements about the number of years in which no Fortuna Rodeo took place. From 2000 onward, the rodeos have been reckoned by the number of years since 1921’s first Fortuna Rodeo. This change created what might seem to be a case of time travel: 1999’s Fortuna Rodeo was advertised as the 70th annual rodeo, and 2000’s was the 79th. In 2002, the Association introduced “Family Night” at the rodeo grounds as a highlight of Rodeo Week’s Friday, with kid-focused activities such as piñatas and an “animal scramble.” Over the next few years, Friday’s activities morphed into the wild competition known as the Quadiators, and Friday became Motorsports Night at the Fortuna Rodeo. The year 2006 brought another Fortuna first: the tradition of commissioning an original artwork each year to illustrate the rodeo’s posters and program. Don Brown, who was then the Rodeo Association member in charge of advertising, brought the idea to Fortuna. The first Fortuna Rodeo painting, by Arcata artist Forest Stearns, shows Ben McWhorter bullriding, with Roy Curless and Tom McWhorter among the spectators. In 2013, a new event joined Saturday night’s lineup: Bands, Bulls and Brews (another b-word, Broncs, would later be added to the title). That first Bands, Bulls and Brews also featured a game of
“cowboy poker,” pitting card-players in the arena against a bull: the last player to leave the table, after the bull had chased all the other players away, was the winner. Among the most recent Fortuna Rodeo firsts, in 2017, the elite bullfighting cadre Bullfighters Only, based in San Antonio, Texas, became the central attraction during Friday night’s festivities. Some Fortuna Rodeo firsts are far less welcome than others. In 2020, due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, what would have been the 99th anniversary Fortuna Rodeo instead became the first Fortuna Rodeo to be cancelled since the end of World War II. Since almost the very beginnings of the Fortuna Rodeo, it has been traditional for rodeo organizers to declare that the next year’s rodeo will be “bigger and better” than the one before. In 2021, for the 100th anniversary rodeo, a bigger and better rodeo again takes its rightful place as one of the greatest annual celebrations of life in the Friendly City of Fortuna. ✪ Historians Susan J.P. O’Hara and Alex Service are the authors of In and Around the Arena: The 100 Year History of the Fortuna Rodeo. The book, featuring over 800 photographs from the collections of local community members and museums, will be published later in 2021. Be sure to stop by the authors’ table at the rodeo this year, for more information on the book and to add your name to the pre-order list for In and Around the Arena. FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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Annual Membership $85/household
Photo courtesy of the Depot Museum
Call Jennifer Hart 530-510-2915
New Book Chronicles Fortuna Rodeo History
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oming Soon to a store near you! The Fortuna Rodeo Association is excited to announce the upcoming publication of In and Around the Arena: The 100 Year History of the Fortuna Rodeo by local historians Susan O’Hara and Alex Service of the Fortuna Depot Museum. This book covers in detail every Fortuna Rodeo held, describing both the rodeos themselves and the community activities leading up to the big event. The book is also a history of Fortuna over the past 100 years, as seen through the lens of the annual rodeo. The authors have gathered more than 800 images to illustrate the story. Highlights include images of the rodeo in the 1920s and a series of images taken by rodeo photographer DeVere Helfrich of the Fortuna Rodeo in 1941. Helfrich was known as the “Dean of Rodeo Photography” and his images capture the excitement and drama of the events as well as the beauty of the rodeo in the redwoods. Helfrich’s images are also used to illustrate the famous cowboys of the 1930s, 40s and 50s who competed in Fortuna. Many national champions were competitors at the Fortuna Rodeo including Clay Carr, Johnnie Schneider and Sonny Tureman. During this
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time, the rodeo was a both a professional and amateur event. Local riders such as Clarence Bugenig were also captured by Helfrich’s camera. In 1955, the Fortuna Rodeo Association made the decision to become a strictly amateur rodeo, and fortunately for the creation of the book, local photographer Rudy Gillard began photo-documenting the rodeo, a tradition he continued into the 1980s. In addition, more than 50 community members contributed photos from their family collections to help tell the Fortuna Rodeo story. Other local image sources include the Fortuna Depot Museum, the Humboldt County Historical Society, the Clarke Historical Museum and Humboldt State University Library. The authors also used the Humboldt Beacon searchable digital archive at the Fortuna Depot Museum to research and describe Fortuna’s 100 years of rodeo. Be sure to stop by the authors’ table at the rodeo this year for more information on the book and to add your name to the pre-order list for In and Around the Arena: The 100 Year History of the Fortuna Rodeo. ✪
Saddle & Silver
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here are plenty of reasons to mount up for rodeo competition, practice for countless hours and risk injury in the dusty arena. But long after the cheering has subsided and the purse is spent, the trophies taken home by champion cowboys shine on. Here are the the storied prizes riders are shooting for at the Fortuna Rodeo.
Gary Edgmon Memorial Saddle The Gary Edgmon Memorial Saddle is awarded to the top local all-around cowboy. Competitors must reside in Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity or Mendocino counties to qualify for this award. Edgmon was the owner of Ferndale Meat Co. and a member of the Fortuna Rodeo Board for many years. He was in charge of the rodeo’s deep pit barbecue while on the board and he served up a great meal. Edgmon passed away in 1998 and a memorial saddle has been given in his name ever since. He was a lifetime Fortuna resident known for his lighthearted humor and giving personality. American AgCredit and Sequoia Gas Co. are proud to sponsor this award.
Fred Barry Memorial Buckle The Fred Barry Memorial Buckle, named after one of the larger figures in Fortuna Rodeo lore, is awarded yearly to the Humboldt County top hand. Born and raised in Humboldt County, Barry was a cowboy and rancher. He won the all-around cowboy award at the 1941 Fortuna Rodeo and would later go on to have a successful rodeo career on the national circuit, competing in many of the big rodeos, including the Cheyenne Frontier Days, Pendelton Roundup and the Calgary Stampede. After retiring from rodeo, Fred ran a successful cattle ranching operation in Loleta and continued to be a big supporter of the Fortuna Rodeo. The
2019 Winners are Featured on Page 21.
Fred Barry Memorial Buckle carries on his spirit, sponsored by his son Patrick Barry.
Tom McWhorter Memorial All-Around Buckle This buckle is presented to the Fortuna Rodeo’s all-around cowboy. Mobley Construction proudly sponsors this award. Rodeo has always been a McWhorter family tradition. For 54 years, Tom McWhorter served on the Fortuna Rodeo Board, enjoying the sport and camaraderie that are part of the cowboy way of life. From 2005 until 2012, Tom’s family granted the Tom McWhorter Rodeo Scholarship to local high school rodeo participants in the California High School Rodeo Association. Tom grew up on a ranch in Yager Creek and always enjoyed going to the high school rodeos, watching the young people develop their skills and grow into world-class athletes. “District Two has had a number of state and college champions who started in the local high school rodeo circuit,” said McWhorter’s son Ted, who continues the family’s rodeo tradition working for West Coast Rodeo Co. “We have an excellent reputation for outstanding competitors from our district.” ✪
Welcome Fortuna R odeo Fans
Celebrating 100 Years! • Home • Life & HEALTH • Auto • Commercial 210 12th St. Fortuna, CA 95540
707-725-3316 LIC#0510019 FORTUNA RODEO 2021
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