This morning at 10 a.m. is the slack portion (no grand entry) of the 25th annual JP Ranch Rodeo at Pauline Davis Pavilion, with all the events that are part of the rodeo. Then at 5:30 p.m. will be the Dummy Roping finals for children under 12 years of age, followed by the Ranch Rodeo Finals at 6 p.m. for the top 6 teams.
Among the 26 teams are: Bengard Ranch, Red Bluff with Jared Kerr, his son Tanner and Jonathon Villagrana; Kramer Ranch, Cottonwood with Caleb Heitman, Lance Root and Wyatt Spencer; Harman Ranch, Corning with Austin Whittle, Justin Niesen and Robert Staley; Double Horseshoe Ranch, Red Bluff with Danny and Wyatt Brown, and C. J. Cash; Hashtag Ranch, Red Bluff with Cody Stewart, Adam Fitze and Casey Moore. 76 Livestock, Gerber with Adam Nelms, Alex Torres and Roy Shannon.
Familiar teams from past years will be Spring Ranch, Shandon with Craig Giacomelli, Wyatt Bourdet and Frankie Martinez; Rice Sparrowk, Clements with Chance Machado, Rich and Daniel Rice; Sprague River Ranches, Beatty, OR with Brady Haigh, Eric Duarte and Troy Brooks; Nonella Livestock, Zalin Arritola, Mark Nonella and Ryan Gallagher; RCR Ranch, San Miguel with Will Centoni, Danny Leslie and Sterling Humphery; Buckhorn Ranch, Williams with Dalton Jim, Craig Boyd and Dan Holland; Topo Ranch, King City with Lee Whitney, Twyster and Hec Hurley; 7 Slash Cattle Co; Atwater with Junior Harney, J R Marshall and Christian Stremler; One Bar Cattle Co; Williams with Barry O’Leary, Taylor and Brecx Smith; Dee Bar Ranch, McDermitt, NV with Hyland Wilkinson, Tim Maher and Ross O’Sullivan; Cash Cow Hands, Bonanza, OR with Dalton Cash, Clay and Jacey Gorden; Ward Cattle Co; Chiloquin, OR with Gus King, Billy Ward and Jimmy Gallagher; York Horse and Cattle, Oroville with Leland McDonald, Todd York and Tanner Darst; ARR Ranch, Lincoln with Shawny Muncy, Andy Holcomb and Chant DeForest; O V Ranch, Fremont with Blake Cronin, Gerrett Roen and Dillon Almason.
A new team will be Rick Machado Livestock, Shandon with Cole Burton, Pat Boyle and John Chaves; S L Ranch, Alturas with Jake Trevort, Zack Hannah and Will Staggs; Cattlemen’s Livestock Market, Valley Home with Cameron Messier, Chance Caudle and Cody McNaney; Nalder Cattle, Standish with Lane Johnson, Adam Weigand and Nick Nalder; 1/3 Ranch, Oakdale with Cash Robinson, Clayton Edsall and Kent Hirdes.
The 2019 JP Ranch Rodeo Scholarship recipients were Tanner Darst, attending Feather River College, Emily Kramer attending Central Arizona College and Lauren Ferguson-Hilbert attending Feather River College. You will remember Tanner Darst and Emily Kramer as District 1 California High School Rodeo contestants in past years.
The 2019 Top Hand was Dan Holland, the Top Ranch Horse was Handy N Gotta Gun ridden by Flint Lee and the Top Team was RCR Ranch with Will Centoni, Sterling Humphrey and Danny Leslie.
…
Growing up in Red Bluff, by Melvin Todd Wells, part 2 from Tehama Memories 1990.
“During my childhood, Red Bluff was a very small town. It received its name from a curve in the Sacramento River that had left a high bluff or cliff exposed, and the dirt on the bluff was reddish color. It is understood that early Mexicans called it Barranco Colorado.
“All of the streets were graveled, with the usual dips, ruts and dust. Bands of sheep were herded through the residential sections, kicking up clouds of dust. In the summer, a large water wagon would sprinkle the streets to hold the dust down. Kids would have a ball following the water wagon, getting cooled by its spray. The sheep didn’t hesitate to eat anything green around our yard while they were passing through.
“Groceries, ice and fresh vegetables were delivered to our home. It was customary to charge all groceries and pay the bill the first of each month, with gold or silver coins, no paper. One-cent pieces were for postage, and to put into the Sunday School collection. Postage was two cents for a letter, and one cent for a postcard, and of course we had no air mail.
“Red Bluff was a railroad center, a place where steam locomotives would be changed or serviced, and it was the beginning or end of the line for railway crews. It was common for the railroad crossings to be blocked by freight cars for long periods of time. It was one such time that I broke my arm. Schools were on the west side of the track and we lived on the east side. If the way was blocked, I would go between cars. These freight cars had steel ladders on each end, high enough so that I could hold the ladders of opposing cars, jump up on the coupling, reach down to the ladders on the other side and jump to the ground. Of course I had done this many times, but this once as I was jumping off, my right hand slipped and my arm slipped in back of the ladder, halfway between my hand and elbow. There was a sudden crack, and I had what looked like two elbows. I walked home, but missed my lunch. My father took me to the doctor who, without anesthetic, straightened the arm by pulling it out and putting on a plaster cast. Six weeks later, the cast was removed, showing a shriveled arm with very little strength, but daily it became stronger.
Red Bluff was also a center for lumber, sheep and cattle. Even though it had a population of around 1,500, there were 21 saloons when the people of the county voted to close all of them. Drunks were common before the saloons were closed down. For example, sheepherders would draw their pay for a few months, come to town, get drunk, be taken to the back of the saloon while drunk, and relieved of all their money. When they sobered up, they would go back to work again to repeat this episode every few months.
It was no uncommon to see runaway horses dashing down the street, out of control, with their drivers frantic. Such things as trains and chugging autos would scare the horses and all they knew how to do was run. Even Main Street used to be dirt and gravel. When I was around twelve years old, the city had two blocks between Oak and Walnut Streets paved. To celebrate the occasion, there was a big street dance on the new pavement.
When I was quite young, cars in Red Bluff were quite rare. The main means of transportation was by walking, bicycle or horseback. Only people who were considered to be rich had cars. The first car that I rode in was a 1906 Reo with a one-cylinder engine. The lights were kerosene, which did not give much light, so night travel was rare. Street lights were arc lights, energized by electricity flowing through two opposing carbon rods, about a half inch in diameter. This gave a very brilliant light. All cars had to be cranked to start, first from the side and finally from the front.
To be continued.
Jean Barton has been writing her column in the Daily News since the early 1990s. She can be reached by e-mail at jbarton2013@gmail.com.
