Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016 by christine brown

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

We Welcome Our Special Guests & Entertainers!

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Randy Corley 2015 Rodeo Announcer of The Year

The smooth manner by which Randy Corley portrays the action taking place in the arena has made him one of the top announcers on the road today. His friendliness will make you feel as if he is sitting right next to you discussing the rodeo. His enthusiasm and excitement, as the level of competition rises, will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. All of these attributes have earned him numerous awards and honors over the past 36 years of announcing rodeos. At the top of these awards would be selected as the reining 2015 “Announcer of the Year” which he has also been awarded for a record- Dale Miller Photo setting twelve years. He has announced the Ram National Circuit Finals and the various Cup Finales and Playoff Series throughout the various formats of competition set forth by the PRCA. He has had the honor of announcing the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo fifteen times. Following each performance of the WNFR, he can be found on stage at the South Point Hotel, Casino, & Spa at the popular Montana Silversmith “Go Round Award Presentation”. Randy has three daughters and a son. His wife, Michelle travels with him , often working as a PRCA timer. Their free time will often find them golfing, traveling, or catching a Seattle Seahawk or Mariner game! funky country style second to none. Marc Chaires adds to the rowdy duo on bass and Tim Mattos brings it all together on the drums with a beat sure to make you get up and dance. Their onstage performances have established them as an all-around crowd favorite. You won't want to miss these "Backwoods Outlaws" when they take the stage."

Rodeo Dance 9:00pm Friday & Saturday Midnight Wine entertains all audiences with the best southern rock from all the top names in country and rock music. Jim Post and Jamie Brooke lead this four piece band with impressive harmonies and a

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

Rodeo time in Springville is accompanied by the everpopular parade through downtown Springville from 2-3 PM on Saturday, April 2nd. Cowboys, clowns, floats, music and more are part of the fun. Highway 190 is closed during the parade.

Rodeo Parade Announcer Brett Gill

Come join the fun and try riding a BULL Mechanical BULL that is !

Bert Davis "The Coppertown Clown" See Page 5 McMillian Family Trick Riders - See Page 6

photo by Dale Miller

www.Chute4U.com

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Bert Davis The Coppertown Clown " The Clown with All The Dogs " Sit yourself down, and prepare to be entertained! Bert Davis, the Coppertown Clown is here! He’s armed with a wacky sense of humor and a wonderfully trained group of dogs and performing in front of a large rodeo crowd is ‘old hat’ for this veteran entertainer, rodeo clown, barrelman and specialty act. His stage is a rodeo arena and his cast of players bark and howl; his quick wit, award winning comedy routines and ability to interact with a crowd offers up the promise of tear rolling laughter for his audiences. Bert Davis, often dubbed the “Clown with all the Dogs” reached the third round in the TV show: America’s Got Talent; they were the only animal act to make it to Las Vegas in 2010. Known as the “Muttley Crew” this act features

ten rescue dogs, adopted by Bert and his wife, Frannie, all of whom are superbly trained tricksters. His great dogs were recognized by National Geographic in 2002 in a television documentary titled: “Dogs with Jobs”, and Bert has appeared in numerous PBR telecasts and the CMT documentary: “Stomped and Gored”, plus a variety of other television features. Davis has been working in the rodeo business since 1974, beginning his career at age 16, as the youngest bullfighter in the nation; that was the start of a noteworthy career that has brought a long list of awards and honors for Davis. He has been selected three times to perform as the featured act at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas Nevada with his amazing dog Kelsey. They were the first comedy act to perform during a National

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

Finals Rodeo performance. Bert and Kelsey were nominated for the PRCA Comedy Act of the Year Award several times. Bert and the new garbage can dog, Kitty, were nominated in 2013 for the year end award. Bert has worked eight PRCA Circuit Finals in the last ten years as the Clown, Barrelman, and Specialty Act: Sierra, Columbia River, Prairie, Mountain States, Turquoise, California, and Badlands. Bert has been a PRCA Gold Card member since 1998. Bert and his dogs have been International Contract Acts Showcase Champions seven times. In 2012 they won every category they entered in the Showcase. That was the first time in Showcase history that anyone has won a trifecta, which earned them a spot as the featured act at IFR43. While Davis is a courageous and hilarious performer; it is his numerous dogs that truly endear him to the spectators. Those sidekicks, with their high energy antics make Bert, the

Coppertown Clown, one of the best and mosttraveled animal specialty acts in the industry. They have gained international notoriety by performing in five provinces of Canada, 43 different States and in Australia. Not much can throw a funnyman who has faced rampageous bulls on a daily basis for the past 41 years. What keeps this extremely courageous and hilariously talented performer going those thousands of miles, year in and year out? Well, it comes from the heart… Garth Brooks sings “It’s the roar of the Sunday crowd” in Rodeo. But for Bert Davis, the Coppertown Clown, it is the roar of any crowd. Follow Bert Davis, “The Coppertown Clown” and Davis’ Muttley Crew on Facebook. Website: www.coppertownclown.com.

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

McMillan Family trick riders

It’s rodeo season again . . . come and see the McMillan Family Trick Riders perform. The McMillan Family Trick Riders are unlike any specialty act you have seen in the rodeo arena. Five of the ten siblings come together to perform for you to give you a taste of what it is like to work hard and trust in your horse. They

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

absolutely love what they do. The McMillan Family, consisting of Dad and Mom and ten kids, are no strangers to the rodeo arena and ranching lifestyle. From their ranch in Soap Lake, Washington they run cattle and are stock contractors providing stock for rodeos throughout the Northwest. Each one of the kids is fully involved in the ranching and rodeo business and when they are not trick riding they compete in amateur and Jr rodeos throughout the summer. The McMillan Family Trick Riders have been performing at rodeos throughout the United States for the past four years in front of some massive crowds handling the

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pressure like the pros they are. It is hard to believe that this much talent can come from one family as they show off their dare-devil trick riding stunts. They strive to promote the foster system by setting a good example to other kids their own age. Giving all the glory to God and their strong work ethic keep these kids at the top of their game. The McMillan Family Trick Riders are an inspiration to us all. They are the difference between ordinary and extraordinary with their talent and personalities. Inside and outside of the arena, they are world changers.

The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Grand Marshal - 2016 Leila Hart Davenport

 Leila Hart Davenport was born in Eureka California May 16, 1931. No stranger to rodeos, Leila was a Queen contestant in the Springville Rodeo in 1948 at the age of 17. She was also active in barrel racing. Her parents were Bill and Grace Hart. Her family ran the Silver Fox Farm from 19321948. In 1936 they bought property on Harris Road where she still resides. She grew up in a one-room cabin, 12 feet by 24 feet with no electricity. Water had to be carried from a well. In the spring they moved their beds outside for coolness and more room. One of the early settlers of our area, Leila helped her father drive cattle to the high sierra for summer grazing. She remembers chasing bears and singing western songs at the tops of the mountains. Married in 1950, Leila has 4 children

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

and one adoptive daughter. They are Ben, Tom, Jimmy who is deceased, Lisa and Maria. She has 10 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She loved spending time with her family and was active as a domestic engineer (homemaker) for many years. She was District Secretary for Congressman Bob Mathias and retired from being coordinator of the tutorial center at the College of the Sequoias in 1992. Leila is currently active in the Springville Historical Society and often dresses up for museum events at Daunt sharing stories of Springville’s history with visitors. Leila is a member of the Lighthouse Chapel and a treasured member of the Springville Community. Springville Sierra Rodeo is honored to have Leila represent the “ Biggest Little Rodeo In The West” as the 2016 Grand Marshal.

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Prior Year Springville Sierra Rodeo Queens & Grand Marshals

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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 1986 Herb & Goldie Brown

Springville Sierra Rodeo Queens

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 2013 Leona Urmy 2014 Jay Eaton 2015 Janelle Stark Hass

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 1981 Kris Mims 1982 Tracy O’Leary

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Worship under God's great sky Cowboy Church Service

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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 2013 Jada Linegren 2014 Katie Hillen 2015 Emily Baeza

Sunday April 24th at 10:00 am Rodeo Arena Central Seating Area

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Western Trade Show is a Popular Feature of Springville Sierra Rodeo

Silver Dollar Dig 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 youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.springvillerodeo.com

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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 Bob Ruffa Electric where 300 or so silver dollar coins are scattered in the arena each day and kids 12 and under dig â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em up and keep their treasure. A favorite with the kids.

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

3 running for Springville rodeo queen

Mykah Mitchell

Megan Winkler

Hailey Ladrigan

Mykah is the daughter of Hilary Mitchell and lives in Strathmore. She attends Granite Hills High School. She is active in volleyball and softball where she was voted MVP. Her goal is to graduate from college and become a lawyer or a CHP officer. She is a member of the Sierra Jr Rodeo, Gymkhana and the CA JR Cowboys Association. She has won numbers buckles for her horseback skills. Mykah is 15. She would like to represent Springville Rodeo as their Queen because it has been one of her dreams.

Megan lives in Bakersfield and is the daughter of Myrna Winkler. Megan is 16. She attends Frontier High School. Active in FFA, Megan has won many awards and competes in barrel racing events and the Junior Rodeo. Her goal is to attend Oklahoma State University and become a Veterinarian. Megan has held the title of Glennville Rodeo Princess, Jr. Miss Rodeo Tehachapi and Glennville Jr. Queen. She would like to become Queen for Springville Rodeo because it was her favorite rodeo to attend. As Rodeo Queen she would work to represent Springville and the western way of life.

Hailey is the daughter of Julie Ladrigan and lives in Terra Bella. She attends Porterville High School. Hailey is active in FFA, Yearbook, Swimming and Volleyball. She plans to attend college and obtain a degree in beef production. She likes to work cattle and brand on her ranch and attend ropings with her mom. Hailey is 18. She would like to represent Springville Rodeo as their Queen because she has ties to the community. Hailey would be proud and honored to represent the Springville Rodeo as their Queen.

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

5 running for 2016 Springville rodeo queen Princess

Skyler Whittenburg

Morgan Baeza

Katie McCulley

Skyler is the daughter of Melinda Marcak. She lives in Springville and attends Springville School. Skyler enjoys sports and likes to ride horses. Her goal is to obtain good grades and rescue animals when she is older. Skylar would like to be a veterinarian. She is a member of the Tulare County Cowgirls Drill Team. Skyler is 12 years old. She would like to be Springville Rodeo Princess to show girls that anything is possible.

Morgan is the daughter of Michael and Jaime Baeza and lives in Porterville. She attends Porterville High School. Morgan is involved in sports and FFA. Her goal is to graduate from High School and attend college to become a veterinarian. She has competed in gymkhana, horse shows and 4-H shows. She has won numerous awards including Unity Farms Rider of the Year. Morgan is 15. She would like to become Springville Rodeo Princess to show her love and support for our local rodeo.

Katie is the daughter of Kelley Iversen. She lives in Porterville and attends Burton Middle School. Katie enjoys speech and debate. She is involved in 4H showing lambs. Her goal is to become a veterinarian and a horse trainer. She is a member of the Springville Sierra Rodeo Drill Team and the Junior Rodeo. She has won many awards in horsemanship. Katie is 13. Katie would like to become Springville Rodeo Princess to serve others and be a role model for young girls interested in rodeo.

Catherine lives in Visalia and attends St. Pauls School. She is involved in sports and a teacher's assistant. Her goal is to obtain good grades and attend Cal Poly to major in Ag Business. Catherine likes trail competitions and gathering and working cattle on her ranch. She is 12 years old. Catherine would like to become Springville Rodeo Princess to make a positive difference in the community. She states it would be an honor to represent Springville as their Princess.

Catherine Edwards Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

Hailey is the daughter of Hilary Mitchell and lives in Strathmore. She attends Granite Hills High School. She is involved in sports and pathways in the Digital Design and communication program. Her future goals are to attend New York Film Academy and become a photographer. She has participated in Jr. rodeos and won awards in barrel racing. Hailey is 14. She would like to become the Springville Rodeo Princess to show people she is not just a dare devil. She is riding her rescue horse and feels it is already a "princess horse".

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Hailey Mitchell The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

New Look at Springville Rodeo Grounds

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In February of 2016 the Springville Sierra Rodeo Association started on a new look at the rodeo grounds with the construction of a 9250 square foot shade cover over the center section of the spectator area. This massive cover was assembled under the supervision of Martin Pimentel of MidStar Builders & Services out of Tulare CA. 559471-9755. The project had to be scheduled as weather permitted especially the scheduling of the large crane that was needed in the arena to lift the sections of the cover into place over the grandstands Hopefully this new addition will bring some additional comfort and relief to the audience on those hot sunny days or when the weather is a little on the soggy side. But remember no matter what the weather is like the rodeo goes on. ÂŠ 2016 Christy Brown

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Healthy Stock Provided by Four Star Rodeo Company

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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

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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, 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 joined the PRCA to work the pro circuit.

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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!

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

In Remembrance

TheProfessional 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 held in Las Vegas, Nevada every December. The PRCA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO. Springville Sierra Rodeo has been a proud member of the PRCA since its origin. Being sanctioned by the PRCA is a big responsibility. The PRCA has enumerated many guidelines, rules and regulations that sanctioned Rodeos have to abide by.

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

well to Manny Mendoza who lost his life suddenly a few weeks ago. Manny truly loved the sport of Rodeo and the family traditions and values it promotes. The support of his company thru sponsorships and promotions has enabled Springville Sierra Rodeo to Manny Mendoza continue a great western tradition for all to enjoy. Manager Springville Sierra Rodeo Bueno Beverage Company and the thousands of fans (formally he touched salute his family Sequoia Beverage) and his life. He and his family will be in our thoughts and The Springville Sierra Ro- prayers. deo Board, Young Guns and He will be missed by all. the Springville Rodeo Foundation Board bid a sad fare-

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Welcome to the 68th Annual PRCA Springville Sierra Rodeo

Introducing our 2016 Rodeo Board Directors

 FRONT ROW: Bailey Walker, Kenny Walker-Treasure, Dianne Shew-Vice President, Donna Walker TOP ROW: Dennis Corzine-President, Frank Wittich, Jerry Clark, Tim Shew, Frank Schlitz, & Greg King Not Pictured: Steve Babish, Larry Young, & Robert Roman

Springville Sierra Rodeo Women’s Flag Drill Team

 Beautiful horses, pounding hooves, colorful flags and talented riders. Put them all together and you have exciting fast passed entertainment. What better way to honor the great sponsors of Springville Sierra Rodeo. With pageantry and precision, the Springville Sierra Rodeo Drill Team opens each performance displaying the logos and colors of the businesses and corporations that make the sport of rodeo possible. Under the guidance of Dianne Shew and the direction of Sonnie Shew, each member of the drill team donates their time and talent to enhance the presentation of our sponsor to the public. Their dedication and hard work results in fast paced maneuvers, precision turns and all around great rodeo entertainment. Hats off to the members of Springville Rodeo Drill Team ! Back Row: Sonnie Shew, Patsy Anderson, Amanda Long, Jolene Castle, Jamie Miller, Laura Grabowski, Kelly Iversen, Jennifer Steinhauer, Brandy Goss, Lasey Tucker

Women’s Flag Drill Team Sponsored by Springville Sierra Rodeo

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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Front Row: Melissa Boland, Andi White, Kaylee Lashnits, Katie McCaulley, Jade Bell, Kelsey Black

The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Farewell To Springville 2015 Emily Baeza 2015 Springville Sierra Rodeo Queen

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As my reign as the 2015 Springville Sierra Rodeo comes to an end I am reminiscing on the amazing and eventful past 5 years I have had with the town of Springville and the Springville Sierra Rodeo. I started my journey in 2010 running for the first ever princess competition, and even though I did not win my first time around I came back and won in 2011 and held the title for 2 years, in 2015 I had the opportunity to become Springville’s Queen and it has been amazing. Over the past 5 years I have attended countless rodeos and parades representing the best rodeo ever. Grand entries, talking to children, signing autographs, and being a role model for the younger generation to look up to. I served many pancakes and apple burritos during the Apple Festival. I have been by Kenny Walkers side making a few people very happy winning at the Last Draw Steak Dinner, and maybe sending some not so happy people home early, however it is all for a great cause raising money for the Rodeo Foundation and a way to give back to the great community of Springville. Through my High School years the Rodeo Board and the Rodeo Grounds have become my second family and home. I have spent many hours at the rodeo grounds running flags for Hot August Nights Bull Bash, mingling and

dancing with guest at the awesome dances, and attending practices and clean ups to get ready for the upcoming Rodeo. This rodeo has become a part of my life and hate to let it go, so this is not goodbye, as I hope to become a part of the Rodeo Foundation Board and continue to serve for the rodeo that I love. Without this rodeo I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet the wonderful people that I have, and who I otherwise would have never been in contact with. Being a part of this association I have refined my speaking, interview and publication skills. I hope to take all these attributes with me as I close my High School career this year as well and pursue a degree in Livestock Business Management and hopefully get the opportunity to come back to Porterville and become an Ag Teacher. So to close I want to say thank you again to my mom and dad, the Springville Sierra Rodeo Board, the Rodeo Foundation Board, and my huge Rodeo Family. I am going to miss all of this very much, but I am happy to walk away with the many friends, and skills I have learned to succeed in life and college. Thank you for all the help and wonderful support I have received over the past 5 years.

 Makayla Luchetta 2015 Springville Sierra Rodeo Princess Queen’s Contestants Sponsored by Generations Photography

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Cowboy Up to the Cause on Sunday, April 24th

 In 2004, Terry Wheatley, was looking forward to competing in the Wrangle National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery. Terry was no stranger to breast cancer as it had raised its ugly face to other members of her family. She was bent on making her sport aware of what was going on with competitors in her sport as well as

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

the entire nation. As Terry made strides in awareness, Karl Stressman, an executive with Wrangler became aware of what Terry was doing. It just so happened, Karl’s wife, Val, had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Well, that’s about all it took for everyone in the sport of rodeo to begin taking notice. The PRCA jumped in and offered their help.

Terry and Karl along with several other folks wanted to make a real statement about their passion of breast cancer awareness. They wanted to let everyone know about how the rodeo community was getting involved. Well, Terry came up with a great idea. She wanted to make a statement and have it memorized by introducing something at the National Finals. She came up with the idea of all the event competitors, spectators, and everyone else wearing a pink shirt on a specific day. The first thing that popped into her mind was “would all the male competitors wear pink”? Her son, who was a National Finals Team Roping competitor, told her, “ men ARE tough enough to wear pink”. Karl quickly ordered over 200 pink shirts from his company, Wrangler, and it was a perfect evening event at the Wrangler National Finals, with everyone wearing pink. Not only perfect, but the slogan within the world of rodeo started and to this day exists; “ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH TO WEAR PINK? In 2007, the Springville Rodeo Board became aware of TETWP (TOUGH ENOUGH TO WEAR

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PINK) and thought it was a cause they wanted to become involved with. We began advertising and actually selling TETWP merchandise at our booth. Since then, Sunday is our rodeo’s day for TETWP. In 2007 through our efforts in selling TETWP merchandise to our faithful rodeo fans we profited $883.00. We divided the profit and made a donation to Tulare County Link to Life and The Roger Goode Sierra View Cancer Treatment Center. In 2011 the Rodeo Board began a different approach by directing the funds toward local residents diagnosed with breast cancer. Since 2007 we have accumulated a grand total of $14,500.00. Would you like to know who has been our biggest contributor? You know those “tips” most of you have been making to our bartenders at the beer booth on the east side? Those men and women who tend that bar have been donating all those “tips” to TETWP. We tip our hats to those wonderful dedicated men and women as well as to YOU our rodeo fans for your support of this deserving and worthwhile fundraiser.

The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Mutton' Bustin'

In this event, a sheep is held still, either in a small chute or by an adult handler while a child is placed on top in a riding position. Once the child is seated atop the sheep, the sheep is released and usually starts to run in an attempt to get the child off. Often small

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

Let’s RIDE! The Mutton Bustin’ event is a crowd and kid favorite! The audience goes wild as these young rodeo contestants take a thrilling ride on the back of a sheep.

prizes or ribbons are given out to the children who can stay on the longest. There are no set rules for mutton busting, no national organization, and most events are organized at the local level. In our Muttin' Bustin' event we have children 2-7 years old and they cannot weigh over 60 pounds. The practice has been documented as having been introduced to the National Western Stock Show at least by the 1980s when an event was sponsored by Nancy Stockdale Cervi, a former rodeo queen. At that event, children ages five to seven who weighed less than 55 pounds could apply, and ultimately seven contestants were selected to each ride a sheep for six seconds.There are no statistics about the popularity of the sport, but anecdotal reports suggest thousands of children participate in such events every year in the U.S. Supporters consider the event both entertaining and a way to introduce young children to the adult rodeo "rough stock" riding events of bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback riding, and may liken its rough-and-tumble nature to the way youth sports such as football are played.

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Thrills & Spills at the "Biggest Little Rodeo in the West"

ÂŠ 2016 Christy Brown

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

ÂŠ 2016 Dale Miller

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Donnie Castle & Dave Murdoch Team up to Protect the Bull Riders The Dangerous Job of Bullfighting... The primary job of the bullfighter is to protect a fallen rider from the bull by distracting the bull and providing an alternative target for the bull to attack, whether the rider has been bucked off or has jumped off the animal. These individuals expose themselves to great danger in order to protect the cowboy. To this end, they wear bright, loose-fitting clothes that are designed to tear away, with protective gear fitted underneath. Rodeo clowns require speed, agility, and the ability to anticipate a bull's next move. Bull fighters work closely with very large, very powerful animals, It's a dangerous job! Rodeo clowns date to the beginnings of competitive rodeo in the early 1900s, when promoters hired cowboys to entertain the crowd between events or if the competition was delayed. These individuals began wearing oversized, baggy clothing and eventually developed more outlandish gear. When bull riding competition began to use ill-tempered Brahma bulls in the 1920s, the need for a person to distract the bull from fallen riders fell to the rodeo clown. The use of a barrel for protection began during the 1930s when a rodeo clown named Jasbo

ÂŠ 2016 Christy Brown

Fulkerson began to use a wooden barrel with a solid bottom. In the 1930s, with the introduction of aggressive Brahman bulls and Brahman crossbreds, the job became much more serious. In the late 20th century, acknowledging the great danger faced

by the profession, the term bullfighter began to replace the name rodeo clown in formal use. The comedy aspect of clown work, as opposed to protection of rodeo athletes, began to disappear in the USA by the late 1970s.

COWBOY UP AT THE "BIGGEST LITTLE RODEO IN THE WEST"

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016

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The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West!

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 todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 calfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neck and stretched across the open end

Springville Sierra Rodeo 2016