The Central Coast's best cowboys were back in action Saturday.

Under a bright sun - but far away from the glare of the spotlight - about 40 of the area's finest cowboys and cowgirls took the day off from ranching to gather for a day of roping at the Teixeira Arena in Sisquoc.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) may have moved on after the 65th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo that ended two weeks ago, but the locals are still here and are still eager to get into the action.

Many of the names are familiar - John Chaves, Cody Mora, Rob Donlon, Rhonda and Todd Ruffoni, Glenn and Adam Teixeira, Dustin Noblitt, Bill Wineman. They are regular entrants in the Elks Team Roping competition at the Elks Rodeo.

The Teixeira Arena jackpot is also an annual event - even if it is a bit far off the beaten path.

“The Branquinhos started it down at their ranch in Los Alamos,” said Marcey Teixeira, who now runs the day-long event. “They ran it for five or six years and then I took it over and moved it here to our ranch in Sisquoc last year.”

The competition is more than just a chance for old friends to get together to see who will win bragging rights until the next go-round.

Advertisement

“This is also a fundraiser for the Santa Barbara County Fair,” said Teixeira. “Last year we raised $2,000. We're hoping to do a little better today.”

The County Fair will also feature a rodeo performance - the Country Rodeo on July 11 featuring barrel racing, chute roping, calf bending and mutton bustin'.

On Saturday, the crowd of family and friends were treated to a full day - from 9 a.m. until just before 5 p.m. - of Team Roping and Steer Stopping.

The day began with Team Roping #8.

This is a handicapped event with each roper - the header and the heeler - being given a handicap. The higher the handicap, the higher the cowboy or cowgirl is rated. The total handicap for both riders cannot exceed eight.

The 37 ropers entered were allowed to combine with different partners to form nine separate teams and, in the end, 126 teams competed.

There were three go-rounds in which everyone competed. The top 11 finishers came back for a fourth go-round, the short go, and the team with the lowest total time through all four rounds went home with the Teixeira Arena championship.

“The winners also get tooled stirrups. The kids got buckles,” said Teixeira. “And, of course, the winners also pick up some money.”

“It's always a great day when you're out roping,” said Los Alamos rancher John Chaves who won the #8 Roping with Chance Johnson. “We got $600 a man for winning the event and another $210 for winning the second go. We just love roping. We like winning the jackpots better.”

Chaves and Johnson were in second place heading into the short go, trailing the team of Mike Leckler and Dustin Noblitt.

They popped a 7.09-second run to finish the four go rounds at 30.03 to win the title.

Lius Ramirez and Josh Wineman grabbed second place with a total time of 31.38.

Chaves and Rob Donlon had the fastest run in the finals, 4.95 seconds, to claim third in 32.80.

“John and I rope together at PRCA events,” said Johnson, who hails from Bishop. “We did some PRCA roping in Livermore and Turlock last week. John told me they were having a roping here today so, when with finished up with the PRCA, we came over here Thursday. I never turn down a roping event and this is the only game in town, so I'm here.”

“You have to give a lot of credit to our trusty steeds,” said Chaves. “They're Shaq and J Lo. Mine's Shaq. Chance's is J Lo. We couldn't do it without them.”

Then it was on to Steer Stopping.

Something you won't see at the Elks Rodeo, in Steer Stopping, one rider has to rope a steer. He pulls tight on the rope and get the steer to turn its head and stop.

This featured a long go with the top five ropers coming back for the short go finals.

Johnson picked up another winner's check with the fastest time in the short go (5.07-seconds) that catapulted him into first place at 10.63 seconds.

Los Alamos' John Machado (12.02 seconds) finished in second place, with Colin Burke (12.20 seconds) finishing third.

The day wrapped up with #7 Team Roping.

This would be two rounds of roping for all followed by a short go with the top 10 squaring off.

Cody Snow and Dan Fleming wrapped up this competition early.

With a total of 11.47-seconds for their first two runs, this team would be hard to beat.

Just about any clean, quick run would earn them the championship and the winner's money - $482 apiece.

With a run of 6.98-seconds in the final and a three go total of 20.45 seconds, they were never headed.

“We had two pretty good runs and had a good steer on that last one,” said Fleming, of Santa Maria. “Cody roped very well. That made my job easy.”

Jeff Smith and Glenn Teixeira (24.91 seconds) finished in second place, with John Solem and Ryan White (26.64) third and Snow and Derrek Hee (29.74) fourth.

June 15, 2008