Cowboys keep eyes on prize during 94th annual event

Competitors say Clovis competition among the best on the West Coast

Shawn Shepherd, a cowboy from Utah, covers up under a 2000-pound bull during a previous Clovis Rodeo. Rodeo fans will be able to watch bull riding, steer wrestling and more at the 94th annual Clovis Rodeo April 25 to 27

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For Scott McCulloch, the Clovis Rodeo is something of a homecoming.

The Morro Bay saddle-maker spent about 21/2 years attending California State University, Fresno, and while he did, he lived about two blocks north of the Clovis Rodeo Grounds. Since he left to complete his education at Cal Poly, he's been back every year to compete in the Clovis Rodeo.

"This is one of the premier rodeos on the West Coast -- and the California circuit -- and it's always a lot of fun to come back," McCulloch said. "It's kind of like the old stomping grounds."

The 94th annual Clovis Rodeo kicked off this week with cowboys from across the nation competing for the chance to appear in the main rodeo April 25 to 27 in steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down events. The rodeo also includes saddle-bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding and barrel racing.

After the April 22 first go-round in the slack rodeo, which narrows a field of more than 500 cowboys to the top 36 in each event, McCulloch sat tied at No. 26 with an 11.1-second time in calf roping.

His odds in the team roping with partner Joe Clarot didn't look as promising. But even though he's a full-time saddle-maker and part-time rodeo cowboy, McCulloch's main goal is that $12,000 in prize money for each event.

"I do it because I enjoy it, but that's always the goal, is to win," he said. "It's kind of an expensive hobby to have if you can't pay your way."

Rodeos will take McCulloch away from his home and work for most of the summer, but that's not too much of an issue.

"It's kind of nice, because I work for myself, so I can make my own hours," he said. "It's good and bad. I kind of split my time between the two."

Each year when he returns, he said he notices changes in the area. While he was attending Fresno State, he worked on a ranch owned by the rodeo's arena director Vince Genco.

"Especially north of town here, [where] I used to work for Vince, it's changed a lot," he said. "There's been a lot of development there."

Things around town may have changed, but Genco continues to work every year to make sure the Clovis Rodeo stays mostly the same -- one of the top rodeos on the PRCA tour.

Only little things change, such as new roping chutes this year. Genco said the livestock for the timed events (team roping and tie-down events) were provided by local contractor Sam Habib, who leased them to the rodeo's usual contractor John Growning.

"I've already had two guys come up to me and say these are the best steers we've ever had here," Genco said. One other change that has made the cowboys happy is equal money for the team roping event -- both cowboys take home a grand prize, instead of splitting it.

And, as they have been for the last four years, Club Cleaners sits ready to take the cowboys' dirty laundry, which can get very dirty, according to Jim McDonough, whose son Bryan owns the business.

"If they've just come from the Red Bluff rodeo, they'll have a lot of that red clay in their clothes," he said. "Mostly, it's just dirt and dust. That's why they like the heavy starch, so they can just brush it off."

Competition begins at 5:30 p.m. April 25 at the Clovis Rodeo Grounds with a concert by country band Emerson Drive following the event. Rodeo festivities resume at 9:30 a.m. April 26 with the Clovis Rodeo Parade in Old Town, the crowning of the rodeo queen at 1 p.m. in the Clovis Rodeo Grounds and rodeo action starting at 2 p.m. The finals will be held 2 p.m. April 27.

Daily updates and results can be found on The Clovis Independent's Web site throughout the weekend at www.clovisindependent.com.

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