CHOWCHILLA, CALIF. – This year marks the 57th consecutive year of the Chowchilla Western Stampede and cattle drive.
In the 1950’s there was a group of cowboys that enjoyed getting together to do a little jackpot roping. They met and roped on Friday nights at the Chowchilla fairgrounds.
The Oakdale 10 steer had just kicked off and they wanted to produce a roping that would draw cowboys from all over the west. With the encouragement of Chowchilla Fair Manager Johnny Green they met and came up with the idea for the Chowchilla Western Stampede. The original committee members of the Stampede were Johnny Green, Dan Branco, Jim Looney, Paul Perry, Andy Olson, Al Gomes, Everett Rodriguez, Al Skelton, George and Doug Strathearn.
Paul Perry agreed to loan his cattle to be roped at the event. However there were a couple of major obstacles to overcome. The cattle were all on native grass pastures on the south side of the Fresno River about four miles from any paved road. There were no bridges within six miles of the cattle.
The cowboys, headed up by Dan Branco and George Strathearn, gathered up the cattle and drove them to Strathearn’s corrals. After getting all of the cattle settled in they drove them north toward the town of Chowchilla. They got as far north as the Fresno River which they found to be wide and swollen from the spring rains. They searched for a place to cross the cattle and found a wide spot they thought looked good. They drove the cattle into the water and found that it was not quite as shallow as it had looked. They ended up swimming the river, cattle, cowboys and horses. The few straggler steers that would not enter the river were roped and lead across.
They drove the cattle toward town when they reached the towns edge. They had to decide if they were going to drive the cattle down the railroad bed to the arena housed at the Chowchilla fairgrounds or bring ‘em right through town. When they got to Hwy 152 they decided that to get across they had to use the “rules of the range.” The rule simply states that “cattle have the right-of-way.” Two cowboys blocked the highway and they crossed heading for town.
When they got to town they drove the cattle right through the business district of town to the arena. Several of the steers broke from the herd and destroyed a man’s garden and strawberry patch. The man was enraged and demanded to know who was going to pay for his garden. Dan Branco told the man it was George Strathearn driving the cattle to town. The men confronted George and Strathearn pulled a $20 from his pocket and appeased the irate garden owner.
A spur of the moment thought by George Strathearn along with friend Dan Branco’s action started a 57-year tradition – the cattle drive down Robertson Blvd. that kicks off Stampede Week.
This year’s Stampede returned to the ACTRA numbering system. The signature event was the 8 Steer average and the winners this year were Darrel Johnson and Scott Gulley in the #7 Roping and Derrek Hee and Dalton Pearce in the #10.5 Roping.
Complete results follow:
MARCH 14
#5.5 PICK OR DRAW: 3 for $20, 78 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Jeff Bargas and Jeremy Kelton, 7.98, $75. 2nd. Mark Habib and Jeremy Kelton, 8.91, $60. 3rd. Jeff Adney and Joe Robinson, 9.42, $40.
Average: 1st. Christine Tidwell and D.J. Parker, 36.55, $265. 2nd. Tommy G. Martin and Dillon Almason, 36.95, $215. 3rd. George Evetts and Manuel Enrique, 39.59, $160. 4th. George Evetts and Stephanie Evetts, 43.43, $105. 5th. Mason Cowden and Bret Layne, 23.73 on 2, $55.
#7 PICK & DRAW: 3 for $20, 194 teams.
1st. go: 1st. Tanner Kent and Mike Christensen, 6.37, $180. 2nd. Tanner Kent and Jordan Wright, 6.58, $135. 3rd. Tanner Kent and Lance Harvey, 7.14, $90. 4th. Steve Branco and Wyatt Hansen, 7.46, $45.
Average: 1st. Greg Jones and Bret Layne, 27.05, $565. 2nd. Randy Rush and Mike Christensen, 29.82, $485. 3rd. Jeff Bargas and Jeremy Kelton, 32.52, $385. 4th. Bret Champlin and Bert Ferrasci, 33.72. 5th. Billy Hampton and Mike Jay, 33.95, $180. 6th. Dustie Rutherford and P.K. Kennedy, 34.69, $120.
MARCH 15
#7 4/8 steer:
1st. go: 1st. Randal Shepherd and Buster Berna, 7.75, $150.
First 4 steer average: 1st. Pete Corwin and Bret Layne, 45.16, $430. 2nd. Billy Hampton and Seth Mielke, 47.29, $290.
Second 4 steer: 1st. go: 1st. Tanner Kent and Wyatt Hansen, 6.69, $150.
Second 4 steer average: 1st. Marc Johnson and Derrek Hee, 36.71, $430. 2nd. Ernest Forsberg and Tyler Forsberg, 36.93, $290.
8 steer average: 1st. Darrell Johnson and Scott Gulley, 83.46, $3,000. 2nd. Billy Hampton and Seth Mielke, 65.83 on 6, $1,305. 3rd. Pete Corwin and Bret Layne, 45.16 on 4, $875. 4th. Blaine Lockett and Joe Robinson, 48.20 on 4, $435.
#10.5 4/8 steer:
1st. go: 1st. Ed Cohn and P.K. Kennedy, 6.46, $150
First 4 steer average: 1st. C.R. Wilken and Cord Forzano, 29.24, $500. 2nd. Mike Christensen and Jared Hixon, 29.78, $335.
Second 4 steer: 1st. go: 1st. Blake Teixeira and Jeffrey J. Larson, 6.07, $150.
Second 4 steer average: 1st. C.R. Wilken and Josh Wineman, 27.75, $500. 2nd. Cody Mora and Josh Wineman, 27.8, $335.
8 steer average: 1st. Derrek Hee and Dalton Pearce, 60.35, $3,265. 2nd. C.R. Wilken and Josh Wineman, 63.196, $1,510. 3rd. Jake Rodriguez and Dalton Pearce, 71.85, $1,010. 4th. Derrek Hee and Murton Stewart, 73.23, $505.
MARCH 16
#8 handicap:
1st. go: 1st. Steve Branco and Jake Rodriguez, 6.61, $115.
Average: 1st. Steve Branco and Mike Jay, 24.07, $255. 2nd. Jerry Wooten and David Gill, 24.73, $190. 3rd. Landon Gill and David Gill, 28.62, $130. 4th. Landon Gill and Chris Wooten, 28.388, $65.
Current Chowchilla Stampede board members are top row left to right: Tony Gaither, Ed Le Tourneau DVM, Leon Ragsdale, John Scurfield (CEO Chowchilla Fair and Event Center), Steve Branco, Don Myers. Front row left to right: Jerry Wooten, Sean Dill, Jerry Ruiz, Cory Mendes, Shane Barnes, Tommy Martin (Chairman), Chris Wooten.
Chowchilla Stampede Royalty consists of Little Miss Chowchilla Western Stampede Miss-Gracia Ellis, Stampede Queen-Shelby Elliott, Stampede Princess-Jordyn Semper. In the front row is Wee Miss Chowchilla Western Stampede-Analyse Alvara.
