Susanville Ranch Rodeo kicks up dust for fair crowd
Kerston Fletcher parades the American Flag around the arena while the national anthem plays prior to the rodeo’s start. Photo by Ashley GroganThe 2017 Susanville Ranch Rodeo was a hit at the Lassen County Fair as cowboys and cowgirls overtook the main arena on Saturday, July 22 to entertain more than 100 visitors.
The rodeo saw 24 teams take on the four main events, and 10 bronc riders who finished the evening with a wild show.
After lining up the horses in the arena for the national anthem, the rodeo started off with team and mixed branding.
Once the 17 branding teams finished off in the arena, the annual Calcutta auction took the stage. Teams and bronc riders were auctioned off to the highest bidding sponsor before taking on the next three events of the rodeo.
After the Calcutta, teams took on the Muley roping, doctori
ng and big loop events. At the end of the rodeo, the ranch bronc riding event left observers satisfied.
The first-place team for the mixed branding event was Ryan Wemple, Katie Wemple and Bill McDonald. The remaining results for the mixed branding event were not available at press time.
The winning bronc rider was Terry Hodder. While the remaining results of the ranch bronc riding event were not available at press time, other riders for the event included Barry O’Leary, Mike Gribble, Bodie Robbins, Ty Panos, Micheal Casey, JT Viagrana, Zack Hastie, Adam Nelms and Tucker White.
TJ McCulley tightens the rope around the calf’s neck during the team branding event with teammates Bill Finks and Travis Stewart. Photo by Ashley GroganColt Shields received the Too Hand Award. The award was presented as a Henry’s 357 rifle.
When a full day of team competition came to an end, the first-place team included riders Shields, Richie Musichia and Rob Pyle. The men finished with a total of 32 points from their top-10 finish in all four team events.
The second-place finishers for the rodeo as a whole were Bill Finks, Pyle and Bud Blosser with a total point count of 25. The three men earned their points from finishing in the top 10 in three of the four available team events.
Another three-event team earned third place overall; Finks, TJ McCulley and Travis Stewart finished with 22 points on the record.
Andy Lopex, Benji Lopez and Brandon Lowery earned fourth place with a point total of 21 from their top-10 finish in all four events.
Fifth was granted to Victor Madrigal, Jimmy Gallagher and Taylor Smith after finishing in the top 10 in two events and earning a total of 15 points.
Shields, Blosser and McCulley finished sixth with three top-10 finishes and a total of 13 points.
Roy Shannon readies the rope to lasso the back legs of the calf during the ranch rodeo team branding event on July 26. Photo by Ashley GroganHezi McGarva, Casey and Viagrana finished seventh with 12 points earned between two events finished in the top 10 teams.
Eighth place was earned by the team consisting of Roy Bridges, Sam Bown and Panos after placing first in the big loop event and earning a total of 10 points for the day.
Finishing in ninth place was Scott Wolf, Roy Shannon and Damien McGarva with a total of eight points accrued from one top-10 finish during the rodeo.
Haley Pennington, Scott Wolf and Viagranna finished in 10th place after earning seven points from one of four team events at the rodeo.
The team results for each event are as followed:
Branding:
1. Finks, McCulley and Travis Stewart, 3:34.87, 10 points; 2. Finks, Pyle and Blosser, 2:49.25, 9 points; 3. Hezi McGarva, Casey, Viagrana, 3:00.15; 4. Shields, Musichia and Pyle, 3:00.19, 7 points; 5. Madrigal, Gallagher and Taylor Smith, 3:08.82, 6 points; 6. Travis Stewart, Cody Stewart and Bud Price, 3:08.97, 5 points; 7. Walt Brown,
Carley Cahill rushes to the calf to lay it on its side for the branding event. Photo by Ashley GroganDanny Brown and Wyatt Brown, 3:13.03, 4 points; 8. Gallagher, Brian Darst and Madrigal, 3:17.16, 3 points; 9. Panos, Darst and Terry Hodder, 3:28.47, 2 points.
10. Andy Lopez, Bengi Lopez and Lowrey, 3:29.84, 1 point; 11. Barry O’Learey, Lou Ness and Greg Stokes, 3:31.88, 0 points; 12. Bridges, Bown and Panos, 3:34.87, 0 points; 13. Shields, Blosser and McCulley, 3:44.31, 0 points; 14. Ryan Wemple, Logan Nuttall and McDonald, 3:56.13, 0 points; 15. Wolf, Shannon and Damien McGarva, 4:20.31, 0 points; 16. Clayton Brown, Nick Nalder and Spencer Anderson, 4:56.53, 0 points; 17. Duncan Cameron, Gordon Powers and Bridges, 5:04.03, 0 points.
Muley roping:
Ryan Wemple, left, Bill McDonald and Katie Wemple were the quickest to complete the mixed branding event and were thus awarded cinches on July 26. Photo by Ashley Grogan1. Finks, Pyle and Blosser, 8.07 seconds, 10 points; 2. Shields, Musichia and Pyle, 8.43 seconds, 9 points; 3. Wolf, Shannon and McGarva, 11.05 seconds, 8 points; 4. Pennington, Wolf and Viagrana, 12.47 seconds, 7 points; 5. O’Learey, Ness and Stokes, 12.82 seconds, 6 points; 6. Andy Lopez, Benji Lopez and Lowery, 14.47 seconds; 7. Hezi McGarva, Casey and Viagrana, 14.5 seconds; 8. Dave Ward, Lackey and Bodie Robbins, 15.37 seconds, 3 points; 9. Finks, McCulley and Travis Stewart, 15.87 seconds, 2 points.
10. Shields, Blosser and McCulley, 17.81 seconds, 1 second; 11. Bridges, Bown and Panos, 18.31 seconds, 0 points; 12. Hezi McGarva, Carley Cahill and Shannon, 20.15 seconds, 0 points; 13. Gallagher, Darst and Madrigal, 25.56 seconds, 0 points; 14. Cameron, Powers and Bridges, 33.81 seconds; 0 points.
Doctoring:
1. Finks, McCulley and Travis Stewart, 33.87 seconds, 10 points; 2. Madrigal, Gallagher and Taylor Smith, 40.66 seconds, 9 points; 3. Andy Lopez, Benji Lopez and Lowery, 42.09, 8 points; 4. Shields, Musichia nad Pyle, 44.66 seconds; 7 points; 5. Finks, Pyle and Blosser, 47.5 seconds, 6 points; 6. Ryan Wemple, Nuttall and McDonald,
The winning 2017 Ranch Rodeo team included Rich Musachia, left, Colt Shields and Rob Pyle. Photo submitted48.22, 5 points; 7. Shields, Blosser and McCulley, 49.57 seconds, 4 points; 8. Ward, Lackey and Robbins, 52.5 seconds, 3 points; 9. Travis Stewart, Cody Stewart and Price, 57 seconds, 2 points.
10. Gallagher, Darst and Madrigal, 57.5 seconds, 1 point; 11. Hezi McGarva, Casey and Viagrana, 1:01.43, 0 points; 12. Bridges, Bown and Panos, 1:04.06, 0 points; 13. Nalder, Myles Hastie and Kurt Hamman, 1:07.75, 0 points; 14. Cameron, Powers and Bridges, 1:14.21, 0 points; 15. Pennington, Wolf and Viagrana, 1:26.31, 0 points; 16. Brown, Nalder and Anderson, 1:31.63, 0 points; 17. Panos, Darst and Hodder, 1:50.62, 0 points.
Big Loop:
1. Bridges, Bown and Panos, 32.5 seconds, 10 points; 2. Shields, Musichia and Pyle, 52.82 seconds, 9 points; 3. Shields, Blosser and McCulley, 53.97 seconds, 8 points; 4. Andy Lopez, Benji Lopez and Lowery, 56.72 seconds, 7 points; 5. Hezi McGarva, Cahill and Shannon, 1:03.75, 6 points.
