The Bulls pitched a shutout Saturday afternoon 8 a perfect game, no hitter for a smashing 7-0 victory over the Cowboys.

The Cowboys will try again today, but it doesn?t look good for them. After three days of action, the Bulls have pounded the Cowboys 22-3.

This isn?t some weird mismatch of the National Basketball Association?s Chicago Bulls against the National Football League?s Dallas Cowboys.

Nope.

This is big time professional rodeo. It?s the cowboys of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the cowgirls of the Women?s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) in town for the 64th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade at the Elks/Unocal Events Center.

The Bulls, in this case, are Born to Buck babies from Cotton Rosser?s Flying U Rodeo Ranch and the Rosser Ranch, both in Marysville, and John Growney?s Growney Brothers Ranch in Red Bluff.

Through three days of action, just three of the 25 cowboys in the Bull Riding competition have been able to survive for point-scoring, eight-second rides.

Ted Bert did it during Thursday night?s performance 8 pulling off a 76-point ride on Domino. J.C. Bean and Colin McTaggart accomplished this rare feat Friday night 8 Bean taking the overall lead with an 85-point ride aboard Hurricane and McTaggart moving into third place with a 71-pointer aboard Water Tower.

As many as 19 more cowboys will give it a shot during today?s 2 p.m. finale.

The bulls and brave bull riders always wow the audience but there is so much more to the rodeo.

Saturday provided exciting performances in Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronco Riding, Team Roping, Tie Down Roping, Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing and Team Bronc Riding on BTough Enough to Wear Pink DayC. The majority of the thousands of people in the arena 8 competitors, officials, volunteers and the crowd 8 wore pink to raise awareness of the need for more cancer research, especially breast cancer research.

The Team Ropers got the action underway with 8 three-man teams trying to catch a horse that?s never been saddled, then get a saddle on, then have one brave soul get on board and try to ride this bucking beauty across the finish line 8 and all in two minutes or less.

Three teams made it all the way 8 the Joe Applebaker team finished first, the Mike Royle team came in second and the Hector Uribe team third. The other five teams were left, quite literally, in the dust.

Switching over to the roping chutes, the local Elks Team Roping Open qualifying continued.

These local cowgirls and cowboys are competing for the Santa Maria Valley championship. The top six teams will go for the champion?s buckles during today?s performance. Saturday?s top qualifiers were the teams of (with Header listed first) Cody Mora and John Chaves with a time of 7.1-seconds, Marcey Teixeira and John Chaves (you can compete with more than one partner, so this is the same John Chaves who roped with Cody Mora) in 8.1-seconds, Dustin Noblitt and Mike Monighetti in 10.8 seconds and Pete Simmons and Rod Williams in 16.1-seconds.

The pros of the PRCA were up next. The duo of Chris Wooten and Jared Hixon had the fastest run of the day at 5.6-seconds. Kyle Lockett and Lance Brooks took over the overall lead with the day?s third best run of 6.5-seconds and a two-go time of 11.9-seconds.

Santa Margarita cowboy Justin Arnold moved into the money race with a 79-point ride aboard West Hills in the Saddle Bronc Riding.

BIt was a good ride, I was happy with it,C said Arnold. BIt took me a while to get myself seated right aboard that horse. I wanted to make sure I was set up right because I?ve ridden this horse twice before and I know he always likes to throw you off to his right side.C

Arnold had the day?s highest point ride in the Saddle Broncs to move into third place overall behind Rusty Allen (87) and Cody Wright (80) 8 both of those rides were completed on Thursday night.

BYou know, I don?t like roller coasters at all,C said Arnold. BYou could say that riding these bucking broncs is like that but it isn?t. This is such a thrill if you can get it right.C

Brandon Bias (75), Ben Londo (71), Sam Swan (69) and Dusty Otley (69) had the day?s other scoring rides in Bronc Busting.

The best Steer Wrestling run of the day was made by Stan Branco in 6.9-seconds. Eric Cozzitorto wrestled his steer to the ground in 8.0-seconds for the second-best run. Local favorite Casey Branquinho from Los Alamos had an 11.0-second run, good for third. He was followed by Rhett Kennedy (16.1) and another Los Alamos cowboy Ty Gonzalves (20.3), a former national high school All Around champion and a cousin to the famed Branquinho brothers (national college Coach of the Year Tony, former California State All Around champion Casey and world Steer Wrestling champion Luke).

Bo Bliel leads the second go-round with a time of 4.6-seconds. He?s followed by Ethan Thouvenal (4.8) and Joey Bell Jr. (5.3). For the overall, Wade Sumpter (11.6) leads, followed by Cash Myers (11.9) and Billy Bugenig (12.2) heading into today?s final runs.

Kyle Lockett had the afternoon?s quickest run in Tie Down Roping at 9.1-seconds. He was followed by Jimmy Shirley (10.6) and Chris Wooten (12.8).

Matt Shiozawa and Tim Pharr are tied for the lead of the second go-round with identical 8.5-second runs. Sterling Joe Lambert sits in third with an 8.7-second run.

Shiozawa leads the overall with a total of 17.1-seconds after two runs. Trent Creager is right behind him at 17.6 with Cade Swor third at 18.3 heading into today?s final action.

In Barrel Racing, Sarah Kieckhefer was quickest around the three barrel course Saturday with a 17.75-second race. Kristie Ann Jensen put up a 17.78-second run, good for second on the afternoon, with Vonnie Griva third at 17.92.

Rodeo Secretary and Flying U Rodeo Ranch rough stock provider Cindy Moreno, in her return to Barrel Racing after a four-year hiatus, put up a time of 18.63 and Arroyo Grande?s Kali Knight fell out of the championship chase after a 22.89 on her final go-round.

BI?m knocking some of the rust off,C said Moreno. BIt?s really about the timing 8 getting that timing back between me and my horse. You have to be in tune with your horse to do well. If you?re not 8 well, that just looks terrible. But I?m entering three rodeos in the next week. We might as well jump back in with all six feet.C

The champions in all events will be crowned this afternoon. The action gets underway at 2 p.m. at the Elks/Unocal Events Center.

q Sports Editor Elliott Stern can be reached at 739-2235 or by e-mail to elliottstern@santamariatimes.com