Oakdale Rodeo Gets Down and Dirty

The Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo, which took place last weekend from April 12-14 in California, dodged the rain for Friday morning slack, but come Saturday and Sunday, the mud decided to stick around for the show.

Ryder Wright / Yfat Yossifor / San Angelo

The Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo is a highly anticipated event in the California Circuit that draws in top-notch competitors. With a substantial $120,000 in payouts spread across all the events this year, it's a must-stop for cowboys and cowgirls aiming to make their mark.

The action-packed week kicks off with local team roping on Tuesday, followed by the queen competition on Thursday, and a full day of rodeo slack on Friday, running from 8 a.m. until around 5 p.m. Saturday starts with a parade that sets the stage for the excitement of the rodeo. Saturday night offers a chance for fans and competitors alike to let loose, followed by a Sunday morning cowboy church service to recharge for the final rodeo performance that afternoon.

As the rain continued to pour down on the Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo Grounds, the contestants found themselves in a challenging situation. Despite the muddy conditions, over 400 participants put their skills to the test. Although the adverse weather conditions were less than desirable, the show went on.

Many contestants walked away with winnings, but none quite like Vinell Mariano, the only cowboy to cover his bull. He conquered Four Star Rodeo's Unforgiven, scoring 79 points and securing a hefty paycheck of $8,632. This was a successful start to the California run for the cowboy from Church Rock, New Mexico.

In the bareback riding, Clayton Biglow rode to victory atop Four Star Rodeo's High Roller, earning $1,923 for his efforts. The cowboy from Clements, California, aims to make his ninth appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2024.

Wrapping up the rough stock events, Ryder Wright, hailing from the famous Wright family in Beaver, Utah, clinched the saddle bronc riding title aboard Stella, another standout from Four Star Rodeo. His 84.5-point ride earned him $2,109.

The rodeo season in California is just heating up, with competitors gearing up for more action-packed events. Next on the list is the Red Bluff Round-Up, featuring over $185,000 in added money from April 25 to 28. Clovis follows from April 25 to 28, offering over $255,000 in added money alongside fierce competition. The Lakeside Rodeo will wrap up the same weekend, boasting a respectable $68,000 in added money.

Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo Results:

All-Around Cowboy: Brushton Minton, $2,878, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping.

Bareback Riding: 1. Clayton Biglow, 86.5 points on Four Star Rodeo's High Roller, $1,923; 2. Wyatt Denny, 86, $1,457; 3. Jaceklane Frost, 84, $1,049; 4. (tie) R.C. Landingham and Dean Thompson, 82, $554 each; 6. Luke Thrash, 81, $291.

Steer Wrestling:
First Round: 1. Eli Lord, 3.9 seconds, $1,231; 2. Payden McIntyre, 4.5, $1,018; 3. Ty Erickson, 4.9, $806; 4. Cole Fulton, 5.3, $594; 5. Jace Melvin, 5.4, $382; 6. Tucker Allen, 5.9, $212.
Second Round: 1. Ty Allred, 4.0 seconds, $1,231; 2. Sean Santucci, 4.2, $1,018; 3. Stan Branco, 4.6, $806; 4. Logan Lemmel, 5.0, $594; 5. Ty Erickson, 5.2, $382; 6. Clayton Hass, 5.4, $212.
Average: 1. Ty Erickson, 10.1 seconds on two head, $1,846; 2. Payden McIntyre, 10.5, $1,528; 3. (tie) Tucker Allen and Mason Couch, 12.6, $1,050 each; 5. Cole Fulton, 13.4, $573; 6. Clayton Hass, 13.5, $318.

Team Roping:
First Round: 1. Hayes Smith/Justin Davis, 6.4 seconds, $1,887 each; 2. Dan Williams Jr./Cody Stewart, 6.8, $1,641; 3. (tie) Tanner Kent/Layton Oswald and Tyler Tryan/Logan Moore, 7.4, $1,272 each; 5. Brye Crites/Tyler Worley, 7.5, $903; 6. Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor, 7.6, $656; 7. (tie) Casey Branquinho/Dean Sherbo and Bryor Minton/Dusty Bravos, 7.9, $287 each.
Second Round: 1. Blake Teixeira/Cord Forzano, 7.0 seconds, $1,887 each; 2. Brayden Schmidt/Kyle Lockett, 7.5, $1,641; 3. Trey Blackmore/Whip Peterson, 8.0, $1,395; 4. (tie) Lane Karney/Wyatt Hansen and Bryor Minton/Dusty Bravos, 8.2, $1,026 each; 6. Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor, 8.4, $656; 7. Choc Westcott/Clinton Groff, 8.7, $410; 8. Trevor Nowlin/Jacob Auza, 9.0, $164.
Average: 1. Jeff Flenniken/Jake Minor, 16.0 seconds on two head, $2,831 each; 2. Bryor Minton/Dusty Bravos, 16.1, $2,461; 3. Trey Blackmore/Whip Peterson, 16.7, $2,092; 4. Trevor Nowlin/Jacob Auza, 17.3, $1,723; 5. (tie) Riley Minor/Brady Minor and Choc Westcott/Clinton Groff, 17.4, $1,169 each; 7. (tie) Lane Karney/Wyatt Hansen and Devon McDaniel/Walt Woodard, 17.8, $431 each.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Ryder Wright, 84.5 points on Four Star Rodeo's Stella, $2,109; 2. Jake Clark, 83, $1,617; 3. Colt Gordon, 82, $1,195; 4. Lefty Holman, 81, $773; 5. Tucker Bourdet, 77.5, $492; 6. (tie) Sawyer Eirikson and Cameron Messier, 77, $316 each; 8. Jesse Kruse, 76, $211.

Tie-Down Roping:
First Round: 1. (tie) Spencer King and Preston Pederson, 8.9 seconds, $1,338 each; 3. Bo Pickett, 9.3, $959; 4. Brushton Minton, 9.4, $707; 5. Kolby Bravos, 9.9, $454; 6. Riley Mason Webb, 10.3, $252.
Second Round: 1. Tuf Case Cooper, 8.2 seconds, $1,464; 2. Riley Mason Webb, 8.9, $1,212; 3. Stetson Vest, 9.8, $959; 4. J. Cody Jones, 10.6, $707; 5. (tie) Colton Farquer and Brushton Minton, 10.9, $353 each.
Average: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 19.2 seconds on two head, $2,196; 2. Brushton Minton, 20.3, $1,818; 3. Colton Farquer, 21.4, $1,439; 4. Preston Pederson, 21.5, $1,060; 5. C.J. DeForest Jr., 25.9, $682; 6. J. Cody Jones, 27.2, $379.

Barrel Racing: 1. Molly Otto, 17.61 seconds, $2,429; 2. Grace Gardiner, 17.70, $2,065; 3. Fallon Taylor, 17.75, $1,700; 4. (tie) Jennifer Haile and Emily Harryman, 17.90, $1,336 each; 6. (tie) Sherrie Jones and Sheena Robbins, 17.94, $729 each; 8. Miley Bravos, 17.96, $486; 9. Codi Harman, 17.98, $425; 10. Lexie Goss, 18.00, $364; 11. Shelley Holman, 18.06, $304; 12. (tie) Darby Fox and Kayden Kaiser, 18.12, $121 each.

Bull Riding: * 1. Vinell Mariano, 79 points on Four Star Rodeo's Unforgiven, $8,632; no other qualified rides. *(all totals include ground money).

Breakaway Roping: 1. Bailey Patterson, 2.7 seconds, $2,704; 2. Josie Conner, 2.8, $2,318; 3. (tie) Whitlee Burgess, Calli Kaufman, Suzanne Williams and Paige Wiseman, 3.0, $1,481 each; 7. Taylor Murray, 3.1, $773; 8. Morgan Thompson, 3.2, $515; 9. Josie Pereira, 3.3, $386; 10. Callahan Otoupalik, 3.4, $258.