‘Exciting’ and ‘really scary’

Local triplets ride at the fairgrounds

Collin Sturdevant embarks on his winning bull ride Saturday. For more photos from the rodeo and county fair, go to triplicate.com/photos The Daily Triplicate/Rick Postal

Collin Sturdevant rode a black and white bull during the rodeo at the Del Norte County Fair, managing to win a Montana silver buckle and the title of junior bull riding champion.

Paula Sturdevant, the triplets’ mother, said Collin was ecstatic about his junior bull riding win.

“He was stoked,” Sturdevant said. “I don’t think his head fit through the barn door.”

Sturdevant said her son was very excited to see a video of himself making the winning bull ride on The Daily Triplicate’s website, triplicate.com.

“He was like, ‘oh my gosh’ because he hadn’t seen it yet,” Sturdevant said. “We watched the video about 20 times.”

Collin and his brothers Hunter and Jordan all competed in both the junior bull riding and bull riding events. Nine boys competed in the junior category and 10 men competed in the standard event.

Two other Crescent City men, Chris Acosta and Donald Phillips, also competed in the standard bull riding event, in which no one placed.

A cowboy leaves the chute aboard a bucking bronco on Saturday at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds. Wescom News Service/Jef Hatch

“It’s exciting and it’s really scary,” Sturdevant said. “You don’t breathe for about eight seconds.”

Sturdevant said her sons have been bull riding since they were 10 or 11. They got started when the family attended a steer-riding event in Orick. Despite not having any gear, she said the boys tried out the steers.

“The boys rode anyway and one of them won,” Sturdevant said.

Since then, she said the boys have continued to compete in Orick, Fortuna and Crescent City. They are the four-year reigning champions in Orick and regularly practice at home on a mechanical bull.

On Saturday, the boys maintained their ability to stay fairly unhurt and not crucially injure themselves.

“We’ve had one trip to the hospital,” Sturdevant said about past experiences. “No broken bones yet.”

She said during Saturday’s rodeo, Collin’s foot got slammed in the chute that holds the bulls, Hunter’s knee got twisted and Jordan got stepped on by a bull.

Jordan landed on his hands and knees after falling to the ground from one of the bulls. Onlookers gasped when the bull then stepped on Jordan’s back, forcing him to his stomach.

“The bull’s foot went through his vest on the back,” Sturdevant said, adding that her son’s back is just a bit sore.

The boys plan to continue riding and Sturdevant said the goal is to someday send them to a bull-riding school in Idaho for a week-long seminar.

PRO RESULTS

California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association winners, Crescent City 2011

Calf Roping (12 contestants)

1st: J. Cody Jones

2nd: Jared Ferguson

3rd: Tyler Mitchell

4th: Blake Hirdes

n Steer Wrestling (18 contestants)

1st: Jared Ferguson

2nd: Billy Holland

3rd: Dillon Hushour

4th: Tyler Mitchell

Breakaway Roping (15 contestants)

1st: Suzanne Williams

2nd: Marla Zuber

3rd: Lacy Hook

4th: Linda Johnson

n Barrel Racing (17 contestants)

1st: Rainey Hatch

2nd: Ileah Roquemore

3rd: Suzanne Williams

4th: Angie Hardin

5th: Hailey Gibson

6th: Jenny Milsap Ferri

Team Roping (25 contestants)

1st: Tanner Patzke, Quade Patzke

2nd: Cole Hook, Grant Stein

3rd: Woody Clendenen, Preston Vandeburgh

4th: David Ramont, Wyatt Williams

Saddle Bronc (5 contestants)

1st: Justin Lawrence

2nd: Forrest Mallory

3rd/4th: Justin Lawrence, Forrest Mallory

n Bareback Riding (3 contestants)

1st: Cody Kiser

2nd: Casey Meroshnekoff

3rd: Jordan Spears

n Bull Riding (10 contestants)

No winner