Red Bluff Round-Up ropes in champions
Apr. 20—Another Red Bluff Round-Up Rodeo is in the books with professional cowboys and cowgirls going home with wins and losses, but a good time all around.
The 101st annual rodeo, held at the Tehama District Fairgrounds, took place April 15-17 and was well attended even with spring showers giving a cold and cloudy backdrop.
Nine pro rodeo cowboys and cowgirls added to their world rankings and padded their bank accounts with gold-buckle wins and first place finishes in Red Bluff.
Among those crowned as a 2022 Round-Up champion was an Oregon cowboy, Dalton Massey, of Hermiston, who turfed four steers in 19.8 seconds to win the gold buckle in steer wrestling.
Massey didn't have a great start to his Round-Up week, but it got better. In the first round, he had a time of six seconds, which wasn't fast enough to win a check.
"Shoot, I told my dad (Kurt) I was going to get faster every day, and I'd be in contention come Sunday (for the finals.) I drew good enough and that's exactly what happened," he said.
His times got progressively faster, going from six seconds to 4.8 seconds in the second round, 4.4 in the third round, and 3.7 in Sunday's round to win the title.
Massey rode a borrowed horse, a mare named Sassy who is owned by fellow steer wrestler Mike McGinn. She's been his mount all winter. McGinn and another steer wrestler, Justin Kimsey, also rode the mare in Red Bluff.
A win of over $7,400 will help him get down the road, paying for fuel and entry fees, and hopefully be momentum enough to get him towards his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification, after finishing nineteenth in the world last year.
The Red Bluff Round-Up is a favorite rodeo for the 2022 Round-Up barrel racing champion's horse.
In fact, the duo, Stevi Hillman and her mount Truck, won the rodeo twice — this year, and in 2017.
Truck, whose registered name is Cuatro Fame, carried his rider for a time of 34.42 seconds in two runs for the win.
"Truck loves Red Bluff, and so do I," Hillman said. "It's one of our favorite rodeos. We're outside, the sun is shining, and it's Easter. I just couldn't be any more thankful today."
Hillman has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo six times.
In the tie-down roping, a Kansas-turned-Texas roper won the Red Bluff title.
Cooper Martin, a native of Alma, Kan., but now residing in Salado, Texas, was reserve tie-down Round-Up champ in 2018, but this year took the top honor with a time of 41.7 seconds on four runs.
A three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, he's coming off an injury that sidelined him for six months last year.
He rides a gray gelding named Gru (from the movie Despicable Me), who is an excellent tie-down horse.
"He's consistent, and consistency is the key. If he's consistent, I'm consistent. I've sure been blessed to have him. He's had a huge impact on my career," Martin added.
The rodeo's bareback bronc champion title went to Bodee Lammers, Tolar, Texas, with 88 points. Saddle bronc title was won by Wyatt Casper with 88 points.
It was Cory Kidd V, of North Carolina and Lane Mitchell, of Tennessee who won the team roping event with 31.7 seconds on four runs.
Breakaway roping champion was Lari Dee Guy, Abilene, Texas, with 6.5 seconds on two head.
The winner of bull riding was JR Stratford, Byers, Kan., with 90 points during Sunday's finals on Big Stone Rodeo's War Cry.
During Sunday's finals rodeo, which was the annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink event, a Pendleton Oregon Roundup "Let 'Er Buck" package was auctioned off and won with a winning $23,000 bid by Jan Sutherland, owner of Taco Bell in Corning and Red Bluff. The package includes four VIP tickets to the Round-Up, round trip airfare for four, lodging, and more. Monies raised during the Round-Up's "pink" campaign help fund breast cancer services at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital.
For more information on the rodeo, visit RedBluffRoundup.com.
