By Grace Swift
Hey there, rodeo fans!
On March 21-23, Challenge of Champions pitted all nine districts in California against each other for the ultimate showdown. With about 30 contestants from each district, adding up to a grand total of approximately 300 entries, the competition was a fight to the finish!
District 3’s Clayton Brum topped the Saddle Bronc championship with an average score of 147. Colby Demo took first in Bull Riding with an average score of 77. Molly Sparrowk narrowly missed first place in cutting with only five points to tie, but came in second with an average of 292.
District 3 wound up its April rodeo by featuring our annual Rodeo Queen contest. Shelby Clark was crowned the 2014-2015 District 3 queen. We held officer and event director elections, and to top it all off, our end-of-the-year awards presentation for the Jr. Division.
Things are really heating up for our high school contestants with only one more rodeo left in May to earn points and a possible state slot in the top five. Annie Houston won the senior girls breakaway for the first round and the average, with a 5.32 in the first go and a 2.72 in the second go. Also, Clayton Biglow and Clayton Brum broke their own record in the team roping with a 5.97! They won the second go and the average.
May 3-4 is the final rodeo for our senior contestants, and it ends our 2013-2014 rodeoseason. We hope to see all our high school contestants there for our final rodeo.
Until then, practice hard and God bless!
District 3 Rodeo Winners April 5-6
April 5
Junior Events
Barrel Racing: 1st. Hailey Wilbur. Pole Bending: 1st. Ava Evans. Girls Goat Tying: 1st. Hailey Wilbur. Girls Breakaway: 1st. Payton Schoeppach.Boys Breakaway: 1st. Colby Green. Boys Goat Tying: 1st.Colby Green. Junior Team Roping: 1st. Alleigh Warnke and Callie Bisby. Ribbon Roping: 1st. Kyle Mahon and Alleigh Warnke. Tie Down: George Becker.
APRIL 6
Junior Events
Barrel Racing: 1st. Payton Schoeppach. Pole Bending: 1st. Hunter Morgan. Girls Goat Tying: 1st. Corley Raper. Girls Breakaway: 1st. Corley Raper. Boys Breakaway: 1st. Colby Green. Boys Goat Tying: 1st. Colby Green. Team Roping: 1st. Davis Mardesich and Kyle Mahon. Ribbon Roping: 1st. Dave Mardeisch and Hailey Wilbur.
JUNIOR AWARD WINNERS:
All Around Cowboy, Kyle Mahon. All Around Reserve: Davis Mardesich. All Around Rooki: Kyle Mahon.
All Around Cowgirl: Payton Schoeppach. All Around Reserve: Allie Warnke. All Around Rookie: Corley Raper.
YEAR-END CHAMPIONS:
Barrel Racing: 1st. Payton Schoeppach. Pole Bending: 1st. Alleigh Warnke. Girls Goat Tying: 1st. Hailey Wilbur. Girls Breakaway: 1st. Payton Schoeppach. Boys Breakaway: 1st. Kruz Conway/Davis Mardesich. Boys Goat Tying: Colby Green. Team Roping Header: 1st. Davis Mardesich. Team Roping Heeler: 1st. Kyle Mahon. Ribbon Roping: 1st. Kyle Mahon and Alleigh Warnke. Tie Down Roping: 1st. George Becker. Chute Dogging: 1st. Davis Mardesich.
Senior Events 2-Day Average results
Girls Cutting: 1st. Molly Sparrowk. Boys Cutting: 1st. Clayton Biglow. Pole Bending: 1st. Alix Carpenter. Goat Tying: 1st. Molly Sparrowk. Saddle Bronc: 1st. Clayton Brum. Bareback Bronc: 1st. Clayton Biglow. Bull Riding: 1st. Colby Demo. Steer Wrestling: 1st. Drew Madden. Tie Down: 1st. Jesse Clark. Team Roping: 1st. Clayton Biglow and Clayton Brum. Senior Breakaway: 1st. Annie Houston. Barrel Racing: 1st. Naomi Pierucci.
Kyle Mahon and Payton Schoeppach were named the Junior Division All Around Cowboy and Cowgirl. (Photo by Kathy Prendergast)
Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., and Clayton Brum, Lockeford, Calif., set the arena record with this 5.97 run in the team roping. They are both 12th graders at Connecting Waters. (Photo by Kathy Prendergast)
Keegan Linke, a 7th grader from Twelve Bridges School in Lincoln, Calif., competing in the Jr. Barrel Racing. (Photo by Kathy Prendergast)