By Randy Pennebaker
Special To Ropers Sports News
Sanger, CA — A great roping benefiting an amazing hospital! The 11th Annual Rope For Kids roping, benefiting Children’s Hospital Central California, was held Nov. 2, 2013 at S Bar J Arena in Sanger, Calif. This year 401 teams competed for saddles, buckles, various other prizes and a lot of cash. With more than $7,227 raised this year, this brings the total donations to date to over $69,599. From #1 ropers to PRCA competitors, participants continue to come out year after year supporting this roping. Children’s Hospital Central California, located in Madera, Calif. serves the children of Central California and provides the very best of care to its patients and their families. In addition to the roping, the day included a great silent auction, dummy roping, gun raffle, 50/50 raffle, concessions, bake sale, and many private donations that helped make this such a successful fundraiser.
This event was started 11 years ago by Randy and Kelly Pennebaker, who continue to organize and coordinate the event each year, along with Steve Simons providing cattle and a first class facility. The inspiration for the event came about from a little girl named Samantha Chrisman who was five years old and a patient at Children’s Hospital. Samantha suffered from a cancerous brain tumor, and with help from Children’s Hospital she began to recover with a positive outlook. About three years passed and unfortunately her cancer came back in a more aggressive form and we lost Samantha in October of 2005. Samantha was an amazing little girl that didn’t feel sorry for herself, and instead thought of others first. She was wise beyond her years and taught all of us to appreciate each day. This year the emotional opening ceremonies started the day out right with a prayer led by Lynn Chrisman, grandmother of Samantha. Next came Riley Summers, a continuing patient at Children’s hospital, who sang the national anthem for the fourth year in a row as our star studded flag girls circled the arena carrying Old Glory. This goes to show how much this event has grown and how awesome the roping community is when it comes to supporting a worthy cause.
The Jones and Lauzon families along with Casey Aalto and her family, need a special thank you, for once again sponsoring the dummy roping and its prizes. In addition we thank them for their generous private donation. Another big thanks to Don Haynes and his crew for running the dummy roping. Brandon Summers and his family were also very crucial to the success of this event, contributing major sponsors and help. We appreciate Brandon’s help with the gun raffle and can’t thank Ammo Dogs of Fresno, Calif. enough for donating the gun. A very big thank you goes out to Steve Simons and his crew at S Bar J Arena for once again hosting this event and making it one of the best ropings around. Finally, thank you to everyone involved. Without your support this event wouldn’t be such a big success. It was an amazing day made even more meaningful as throughout the day stories too numerous to list were shared about how Children’s Hospital had helped families through difficult situations.
There were many generous sponsors and donations that went to the roping as well as many donations that were made directly to Children’s Hospital. Sponsors included: Steve Simons of S bar J Cattle Co., Circle N Stables, Randy and Kelly Pennebaker and the 4 Cent Ranch, Trent Breckenridge and family, Ropers Sports News, Donna and Susan Hacker, Gar Tootelian Ag Chemicals Inc., Arrowhead Cattle Company, Tim and Sheryl Sisil, Producers Livestock Market, Wells Fargo Bank, LeeAnn Hansen, Jeannie Cardoza, Wendy Stark, Toni Machado, Brandon Summers and family, Tarelton Drywall, Cowboy Classic Saddlery, Richard Binns, Galleria Gifts, Chuck Herrin, Bob Berg Buckles, Visalia Livestock Market, Casey Aalto and family, the Jones and Lauzon families, Lynn and John Chrisman, George Porter Farms, Paul and Beatriz Rutherford, Greg and Becky Dunbar, Ammo Dogs, Pat’s Garage, and the Allen family. A very big thank you goes out to all the sponsors and other individuals that helped make this roping such a great success.
Results of the ropings are as follows (payoffs are per roper):
Junior Dummy Roping: 1st. Wyatt Rose, 2nd. Tyler Jones, 3rd. Trent Jones, 4th. Rylee Summers, 5th. Kendell Patterson.
Senior Dummy Roping: 1st. Rebekah Sills, 2nd. Kayla Lundgren, 3rd. Caleb Sills, 4th. Gina Cope, 5th. Jo-leen Summers.
#4.5 Pick or Draw: 3 for $25, 119 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Josh Lynch and Joe Peters 6.25, $120. 2nd. Wayne Gaither and Jim Yarbrough, 8.42, $75. 3rd. Jason Dewey and Lance Ortega, 9.04, $50.
Average: 1st. Howard Christensen and Stan Gravance, 31.90, $470. 2nd. Chuck Tarbell and Bobby Adair, 36.76, $345. 3rd. Steve Lewis and Mark Balderama, 38.14, $275. 4th. Split: Nikkie Neal and Lance Ortega, Stan Sanders and Ron Dell, 38.62, $175.
#5.5 Pick or Draw: 3 for $25, 124 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Jason Sanders and Jeff Bargas, 6.76, $125. 2nd. Jeff Bargas and Manuel Enriquez, 7.10, $80. 3rd. Wayne Gaither and Steve Simons, 7.20, $50.
Average: 1st. Jason Sanders and Jeff Bargas, 29.27, $460. 2nd. Steve Lewis and Buster Berna, 30.56, $340. 3rd. Ernie Cardoza and Stan Gravance, 31.39, $260. 4th. Wayne Gaither and Jim Yarbrough, 31.53, $180. 5th. Ernie Nelson and Erik Johnston, 31.73, $145. 6th. Scott Ritchie and Tom Ledford, 32.18, $120.
#7 Hdcp. Pick & Draw: 3 for $30, 158 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Kyle Lockett and Tom Hardin Sr., 6.40, $220. 2nd. Kyle Lockett and Tyler Forsberg, 6.47, $130. 3rd. Sarah Jay and Jason Sanders, 6.71, $80.
Average: 1st. Flint Sweet and Tom Hardin Jr., 23.25, $750. 2nd. Howard Christensen and Ben Britten, 24.36, $580. 3rd. Howard Christensen and Tom Hardin Sr., 26.23, $460. 4th. Barbara Kenney and Mike Silviera, 26.34, $330. 5th. Landon Gill and Jason Sanders, 29.27, $260. 6th. Danny Mullins and Jason Sanders, 29.28, $200.
Riley Summers (in foreground) presenting awards to winners, (left to right): Randy Pennebaker (presenting), Jason Sanders, Kelly Pennebaker (presenting), Jeff Bargas, Flint Sweet, Stan Gravance, Howard Christensen, and Tommy Hardin.
2013 dummy ropers — future roping stars!
Children’s Hospital famlies enjoying the roping. On horseback Dana Clem with McKay Brekenridge (former and ongoing patient). Left to right: Sonia Breckenridge, Randy Pennebaker and Nicole Burke. In stroller: Juanita Burke, former “preemie” patient.
