Cowboys, cowgirls kick up dirt at Ranch Rodeo

David Witte/Independent Staff Writer Thursday, Apr. 24, 2008

Scott Jones spurred his horse Paint to close on a calf after his lasso fell short on his first attempt April 5.

"Hurry," the O'Neals cowboy said was the only thing going through his mind. "Don't miss again."

With the calf headed straight for the catch-pen, Jones tried again, and the Clovis Rodeo Grounds crowd of about 200 die-hard rodeo fans gasped as the rope hooked the calf's horns and Jones pulled him back, just short of the pen. If the calf had gone in, Jones and teammate Aaron Rouse would receive no score in the cowboy team roping.

Rouse lassoed the calf's back leg as the team completed its round in a time of just more than 17 seconds.

The Jones-Rouse combination was one of a number of moments of horsemanship and working skills at the eighth annual Ranch Rodeo. The event, the first of a month's activities leading up to the 94th annual Clovis Rodeo April 25 to 27, featured 19 teams of four, who came from as far away as Nevada to compete.

The team of Gene Roberts, Zeb Burroughs, Frank Heinrichs and Clayton Edsall took the top overall spot, winning new saddles. The saddles weren't presented April 5 because they were hung up in customs in Brazil, according to Ranch Rodeo organizer Mark Thompson, but other prizes awarded to event winners included folding knives, belt buckles, stirrups, spurs, whips, ropes, jackets and cattle feed.

The Booth Ranches team of Buddy Montes, Dale Cunning, Brandon Bias and Russell Bias was second in the overall standings, followed by the Gill Ranch team of David Gill, Ron Baker, Landon Gill and Bill Butler in third. The Travis Tweedy Riders -- Morgan Tweedy, Bubba Kelley, Butch Robinson and Travis Tweedy -- were fourth.

"These guys, they're real cowboys," said Montes, who brought his team from Orange Cove. "The same horse skills apply."

Montes added Brandon and Russell Bias to his team at the last minute, because his original teammates had ranch work to do.

"This is a team effort. If it clicks, it's right," Montes said. "I have a lot of confidence in these guys, and their ability to ride a horse."

The participants also had a little fun at the competition, with Thompson at the microphone. A little too much fun, maybe, as Tracy Kennedy-Smith reined her horse before her go at the sorting event and yelled, "I'm concentrating here. Stop it!"

"This worked out really good," said Kennedy-Smith, a Madera County tax collector who owns a ranch in Coarsegold. "Everybody goes home with something. At least dinner."

Other awards at the Ranch Rodeo included All-Around Horse (ridden by Bubba Kelley), Vaquero (All-Around Horse and Rider, Carl Gould) All-Around Cowboy (Mark Brum), Reserve All-Around Cowboy (Ty Burke), All-Around Cowgirl (Judy Cotta), Reserve All-Around Cowgirl (Shannon Anderson), Oldest Contestant (Bob Campbell, 72), Youngest Contestant (Jesse Estill, 11), Best Rope Horse (ridden by Landon Gill) and the Highest Scoring Girls Team (Fresno Kings County Cattlewomen -- Stacey Cook, Donna Rogers, Andrea Lee and Debbie Tweedy).

E-mail David Witte at dwitte@clovisindependent.com.