By Fernando Real
Special To Ropers Sports News
The first Agua Dulce 6-Steer Invitational was held Sept. 27-28, 2012, with the scheduled warm-up roping starting precisely at 7 p.m. in the beautiful evening weather. Forty-three teams entered the #11 Handicapped Roping. At the end of the 3-steer roping, Ryan Readman and Shawn Howell roped their steers and went away with $1,032 per man and some beautiful buckles.
We have lived in Agua Dulce for 22 years and have loved every day spent in this secretly guarded community of Southern California. This morning started warm but with a slight breeze that indicated we were going to have a great day for roping. With the arena groomed, the cattle wrapped and everyone awaiting the start of the first Agua Dulce 6-Steer Invitational, Darin Readman called for two steers to be burnt and the roping commenced as advertised at 11 a.m. Readman brought a herd of 60 beautiful Mexican steers that were picked out especially for the #9 6-Steer Invitational. A few of the faster and mismatch steers were pulled out from the night before, thus giving us the perfect set of steers.
It is always difficult for a producer to know were he will stand at the end of a roping. We had expected the roping to be filled at 50 teams, but only 18 teams entered the event. The format of the roping was set up to give a roper the opportunity to get six different looks at making some fast time money and staying in the roping for day money and average. In your normal format, you miss your steer and you can call it a day. In the 6-Steer format, there was one team that was going into the final round having caught all of their first five steers, missed their last steer and ended out of the money all told. The winning team of Barry Blagg and Mark Thompson had caught four steers to the final round – having a no-time for their third steer – stayed in the average and roped their fifth steer for a total of 54.38 in the roping to pay $1,736 per man – some gorgeous Jeff Smith saddles plus all the bragging rights (at least for that day).
The roping, in the opinion of this humble servant, went very well – but the most important happening of the day were of all the new friendships that were made. The team of Mark Harris and Troy Galloway from Yosemite were a good solid team and wound up the roping catching five out of six bovine and landing 2nd in the average with a time of 58.93 taking home $1,041 per man and glimmering Bob Berg buckles.
There were a few young guns that entered the roping, but Ryan Eaton Jr. (16 years old) along with his uncle Rich Eaton from Tehachapi out-gunned the group not only by winning the 5th round with a time of 7.21, but placing 3rd by also roping five out of six steers in 60.61 and each heading back home with $941 per man and the reflection of new Bob Berg buckles attached to their Wranglers.
There was a young couple, Christy (the only girl) and Curtis Goins from Laton, Calif., who roped well but just had no luck at the pay window – my only comment is that Christy rides a good gray head horse and Curtis, beware, they are already lined up to rope with your pretty wife.
Besides a lot of the local ropers – Walter Scott, Mike Castner, Butch Lee, Dean Rappa, John Richardson and Rod McHugh – there were teams from Tehachapi: Oral Block, Clint Bryant and Tyler Thompson from Pahrump, Nev. – great friend & trainer of horses Clayton Lutes, Rod Ayer and Luis Huerta from Lone Pine, Mitch Wright and Jeremy Unfried from Bakersfield and Las Vegas brought us the team of Clint Ryan and Dave Smith.
I am hoping to make this an annual event at our Rancho 6 Reales and also to have more than one roping and classification. I would like to thank everyone involved – Gentry Winters for her handling of the books and moving the roping right along, Darin Readman for providing a great herd and also flagging the event, Fernando SanPedro and his crew, who pushed the steers right through, and my buddy Mike Castner for giving me a helping hand all week long. I would like to thank all the participants for their support – without you guys it would not have been a great day.
Results are as follows:
- Round 1: Clayton Lutes and Butch Lee, 7.91, $250.
- Round 2: Clint Ryan and Dave Smith, 7.81, $250.
- Round 3: Fernando Real and Butch Lee, 9.55, $250.
- Round 4: Rod Ayers and Luis Huerta, 6.45, $250.
- Round 5: Rich Eaton and Ryan Eaton Jr., 7.21, $250.
- Round 6: Dean Rappa and Jeremy Unfried, 7.07, $250.
- Average: 1st. Barry Blagg and Mark Thompson, 54.38 on 5, $3,472. 2nd. Mark Harris and Troy Gallaway, 58.93 on 5, $2,082. 3rd. Rich Eaton and Ryan Eaton Jr., 60.61 on 5, $1,882.
