Lake County Rodeo Association….. explore our history.
1830
Annual rodeos were held by Salvador Vallejo on his ranch, which covered Batchelor, Scotts and Big Valleys, as well as Upper Lake.
1900
South Lower Lake ~ Billie Clayton Ranch Middletown area south toward Pope Valley ~ Ink Ranch included community roundup/rodeo, free barbecue, bronc busting, calf roping along with marking and branding. Those corrals were in use until about 1920.
1915
Clearlake Highlands, John Garner Ranch for three years.
1919
South of Cache Creek, just east of Old Highway, Warren Reynold held one Rodeo.
1920
Early 1920’s ~ two-day events at Austin ballpark, successful and for the next two years, rodeos were held at Herrick Field, northeast of Lower Lake.
1922-1924
Upper Lake High School one year and then two years at the old sawmill site.
1925
Once again the Rodeo was held at Herrick Field in Lower Lake.
1926-1927
There were small rodeos held in Lucerne these years in the flat area below the Lucerne Hotel.
1929
Successive rodeos began in Lakeport, over Labor Day, by the newly established Lake County Rodeo Association. The rodeo was held at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Local riders as well as riders from Sacramento, Fortuna, and Chowchilla participated.
1946
July 13&14 - Lakeport Rodeo at Lupyoma Park, purses given for bronc riding, calf roping, bull riding, and bareback riding. Participating in the rode were members of the Clear Lake Horsemen’s Association.
Aug 31st to Sept 2nd - Rodeo Horse Show sponsored by the Clear Lake Horsemen’s Association. On Saturday, 8/31 Main Street closed to traffic and free street dance held in front of the courthouse. This was the first dance held since the war. A parade through Lakeport to be held each day before the rodeo starts. The horse show included classes for: Trail horse and color events, a stake race and an event for children under 12. In addition to the horse show, a full-fledged rodeo was held on each of the three days and a special event was held for local riding talent.
1947 - 1950
These were the last years the Rodeo was held in Herrick Field in Lower Lake and the last times it was held in South Lake County.
1993 - 2009
Research compiled by John R. Fulton with assistance from Bob Kesling (circa 1993), indicated that the rodeo in July 1993, was the 64th Annual rodeo sponsored by the organization now known as the Lake County Rodeo Association.
Still existing as an all volunteer organization and comprised of local residents who love rodeo and work hard each and every year to continue this Lake County tradition. The Clear Lake Jr. Horsemen continue to perform each year with youngsters from Lake County practicing for their appearance each night in the Grand Entry! Imagine the stories they will tell in thirty years.
Rodeo Roundups
Rodeo is the only sport that had its origin in a major industry, that of raising cattle. Rodeo is a Spanish word meaning, “Roundup”. It is indeed a sport as those engaged pay for the privilege of contesting for prize money. The payment is in the form of entry fees and it really means that the cowboy/cowgirl bets that amount that he/she can win against the other contestants in the same event. Such is the spirit of true sportsmanship.
Before Fences
In the old days before fences, twice a year (Spring & Fall), roundups were held. Cowboys from the various ranches formed a large crew and ‘worked’ the range. All the animals that could be found were rounded up and separated to the different ranches, determined by the brands they had. Unbranded calves were branded with the brand wore by the cows they were following, thus establishing ownership by the ranch.
Ranch Contests
At the roundups, cowboys of one ranch would matched one of their own against a cowboy from another ranch in roping or bronc riding. Later these contests became rodeos, with other events being added. The first know contests where cash prizes were paid was at Pecos, TX in 1835. That contest was to settle a dispute of long standing as to who was the best rider and best roper in a large area.
Stock Contractors
A Rodeo is normally produced by a local committee or association and is attended by the cowboys and cowgirls who come from near and far to compete against one another as well as the animals they are pitted against. Furnishing the stock for rodeos has become a big business unto itself. Stock contractors have thousands of dollars invested in rearing, bucking, and twisting animals to rent them to the rodeo management teams for their show.
A Dangerous Sport
Rodeo is a dangerous sport, with the cowboys pitting their strength and trickiness against that of the animals they work with in the arena. Many times the animal wins, and it is hard to find a cowboy who is not an exhibit of a doctors or surgeons skill in patching up injuries (more or less serious). These same competitors are soon back in the arena, even before they have their doctors’ consent. Despite the danger element of this sport there are relatively few fatal injuries.
Rodeo Associations
A big step ahead in the history of rodeo was made in 1929 when a large number of the rodeo managements organized the Rodeo Association of America. The second large step in standardizing the sport came in 1936, when the cowboys organized themselves into the Cowboys Turtle Association, this became the Rodeo Cowboys Association and in Lake County our Rodeo is now held under the auspices of the California Cowboy Professional Rodeo Association (CCPRA).
Spectator Sport
Prescott, AZ holds the distinction of hosting the first contest where spectators were charged admission. That event took place on July 4th, 1888. Since then, several rodeos have celebrated their Golden Anniversaries: Cheyenne Frontier Days and Lander Pioneer Days, both in Wyoming. Over the past plus, rodeos have grown steadily in popularity and ranks as one of the top spectator sports throughout the United States as well as in Canada and Australia, where the sport is known as a ‘Stampede’.
Main Events
Originating as it did in the business of cattle raising, rodeo features four main events in which cowboys became proficient in their daily work on ranches: saddle bronc riding, calf roping, team tying, and single steer tying. Other events have been added for show purposes, which are spectacular although not practical in ranch work: bareback riding, bull riding, wild cow milking, and barrel racing.