Fallon team takes first place in Ranch Hand Rodeo

WINNEMUCCA - The Winnemucca special event season went off with a roar recently with the popular Ranch Hand Rodeo weekend.

Five fast-paced and fun events drew participants and spectators from numerous Western states and Canada from Feb. 28 through March 2. In all, more than 2,000 people packed the Winnemucca Events Complex.

The weekend included a Ranch, Rope and Performance Horse Sale, Stock Horse Challenge and Open Cow Dog Trial. A Western Trade Show got things started on Feb. 28, with over 60 vendors and plenty of fantastic buys.

The 19th annual Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo took place March 1 and 2. The action got underway Saturday morning with the traditional Calcutta auction of Ranch Hand teams.

This year drew 36 four-man/one-woman teams - 34 from outside the Winnemucca area - whose mission it was to outdo the competition in seven events, including saddle bronc riding, cow mugging, calf roping, team branding, team roping, ranch doctoring and women's breakaway. Each team competed in all the events; women had to compete in steer stopping and cow mugging.

Following fierce competition, it was Nevada Livestock Marketing, Inc., of Fallon that walked away with first-prize winnings of $6,615 along with Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo Championship jackets.

Second place went to the Mackenzie Ranch of Jordan Valley, Ore., with winnings of $5,103; the B Bar B Quarter Horses of Elko, Nev., captured third place and $3,591 in winnings; fourth place and $2,268 in winnings went to the Eiguren Ranch of Jordan Valley, Ore.; and fifth place went to the Flying M Ranch from Imlay, Nev., with $1,323 in winnings.

Darell Norcutt was the lucky winner of the Calcutta with $5,645. Second place went to Tim DeLong for his purchase of the Mackenzie Ranch Team; he walked away with $4,355. Richard Eiguren and Shadow Elordi bought the third-place B Bar B Quarter Horses Team as well as the fourth-place Eiguren Team. They won $3,064 and $1,935 respectively. Tim DeLong, who also bought the Flying M Ranch Team, took home fifth place and $1,129.

The competition was sponsored by the Agricultural District No. 3. Director Kim Petersen said this year's Ranch Hand Rodeo weekend was spectacular.

"We had our highest registration numbers ever," he said. "The Ranch Hand Rodeo continues to get stronger every year, and the addition of these other great events has made this a true event season opener."

The Ranch Hand Rodeo weekend used to round out the event season in September.

"Our move to March has made all the difference," said Petersen. "By March, folks are going stir-crazy; they're ready to get out and see some action."

Petersen said that kind of "action" would be impossible without the Winnemucca Event Center. "This rodeo is just one more good example of how that center is changing the way we do business," said Petersen.

"Before it was built, there was no way we could have enjoyed a show like this in early March, and our local businesses could not have enjoyed the extra influx of income."

Petersen, along with the entire rodeo committee, thanked the many volunteers and sponsors who helped make the Ranch Hand Rodeo weekend a success. Ranch Hand Rodeo results follow:

Ranch Hand Team Winners:

First Place: Nevada Livestock Marketing, Inc. (Fallon, NV) $6,615 Ð Darrel Norcutt, Jack Payne, Billy Finks, Buddy Blosser and Rosie Bliss. Points: 40

Second Place: Mackenzie Ranch (Jordan Valley, OR) $5,103 Ð Ryan Mackenzie, Sam Mackenzie, Josh Mackenzie, Josh Bruce and Lacey Matteson. Points: 32

Third Place: B Bar B Quarter Horses (Elko, NV) - $3,591 Ð Mark Eldridge, Marlow Eldridge, John Schutte, Hanes Holman and Audrey Eldridge. Points: 30.5

Fourth Place: Eiguren Ranch (Jordan Valley, OR) $2,268 - Richard Eiguren, Mike Eiguren, Jason Eiguren, Shawn Lequerica and Jane Eiguren. Points: 30

Fifth Place: Flying M Ranch (Imlay, NV) - $1,323 Ð Tim DeLong, T.J. Thompson, D.W. Fowler, Jess Eary and Rita Fowler. Points: 26



Winners of the Calcutta:

First Place: $5,645Ð Darrel Norcutt bought the Nevada Livestock Team.

Second Place: $4,355 Ð Tim DeLong bought the Mackenzie Ranch Team.

Third Place: $3,064 Ð Richard Eiguren and Shadow Elordi bought the B Bar B Quarter Horses Team.

Fourth Place: $1,935 Ð Richard Eiguren and Shadow Elordi bought the Eiguren Team.

Fifth Place: $1,129 - Tim DeLong bought the Flying M Ranch Team.

Individual Event Winners:

Top Hand Award: (Given in memory of John & Dutch Zaballa and present by Ray Zaballa) Jack Payne, Nevada Livestock Marketing, Inc. - 34 points

Team Roping: Nevada Livestock Marketing Inc. Ð Darrel Norcutt and Billy Finks Ð Faster Time: 7.22

Women's Steer Stopping: Kassi Venturacci, Venturacci Livestock - Time: 5.59

Saddle Bronc: Ryan Mackenzie, Mackenzie Ranch, Score 76

Calf Roping: Jeff Garijo, DeLong Ranches - Time: 15.60

Wild Mugging: B Bar B Quarter Horses Team - Time 40.03

Team Branding: B Bar B Quarter Horses Team - Time: 3:37:50

Ranch Doctoring: C Lazy L Ranch Ð Time: 43.91 (Nathan Kelly Sr., Nathan Kelly Jr., Robert Crutcher and Asher Freeman)



2008 Ranch Hand Rodeo Teams:

B Bar B Quarter Horses, Elko

B Team, Alturas, CA

Blossom Ranch, Owyhee

C 7 Ranch, Weiser, ID

C Lazy L Ranch, Owyhee

Coleman Cattle Co., Harper, OR

Dave Stix Livestock, Fallon

Dave Wood Ranches, Bridgeport

Davison Ranch, Caldwell, ID

DeLong Ranches, Winnemucca

Eiguren Ranch, Jordan Valley, OR

Eliason/Taylor Ranch, St. Anthony

Flying M Ranch, Imlay

GS Bar Ranch, Carlin

HS Ranch, Paradise Valley

J3T Inc., Gooding, ID

Lazy S Ranches, Yerington

Lee Ranches, Fallon

Lee Stock Horses & Livestock, Fallon

Mackenzie Ranch, Jordan Valley

Martinez Cowboys, Winnemucca

Nevada Livestock Marketing, Fallon

Nevada Star, Fallon

Quarter Circle CH, Winnemucca

R-Arrow, Round Mountain

Rocking R Team, Bruneau, ID

Slash Y Cattle Co., Wellington

Sligar Ranch Team, Spring Creek

Stewart Ranch, Haines, OR

Tanner Ranch, Rogerson, ID

The B Flat, Battle Mountain

Tulle Land & Lvstk, Wendle, CA

Van Norman Ranch, Tuscarora

Venturacci Livestock, Fallon

Villagrana Ranch, Vale, OR

Wolf & 6D Ranches, Fallon