High school rodeo rides in Red Bluff

With trips to the Challenge of Champions Rodeo in Plymouth up for grabs, the riders and ropers from District 1 gave it their all in the California High School Rodeo Association (CHSRA) Inter-District Rodeo held Feb. 17-19 at the Tehama District Fairgrounds in Red Bluff.

Only the top three in each event are invited to the Challenge of Champions, scheduled for March 23-25, so all participants did their best to rise to the top.

Casey Meroshnekoff of Red Bluff was the Reserve All-Around, after his showing that included a win in bareback riding with 133 points, and a tie for second and third place in cutting, with a score of 132.

Jordan Sparrowk from District 3 was the winner with 142.

Also on the boys side, Red Bluff's Pierce McClelland was third in saddle bronc, scoring 64 points in the short go.

Little Valley's Quincy Crum took top honors with 127.

Wyatt Brown of Red Bluff claimed sixth place in tie-down roping, with a time of 55.47 seconds. Taking the event was C.J. Cash of Grenada, with a winning time of 26.87. Brown also teamed with Red Bluff's Chelsey Bushnell for ninth in team roping, at 43.62 seconds.

Cole Robinson, also from Red Bluff, placed third wrestling the steers, with 7.84 seconds in the short go. Kelly O'Day from District 2 set the time to beat at 24.92.

Chase Alvernaz from Williams finished seventh in cutting, with 63 points.

Corning's Wyatt Spencer paired with Los Molinos' Jesse Brewer and the duo was the team to beat in team roping, coming together in 19.39 seconds.

In the girls events, Macy Cox from Arbuckle recorded a time of 19.90 in goat tying, good for sixth place behind winner Kay Cochran from District 3 (17.28).

Along with her ninth-place showing in team roping, Bushnell added a 43.99 to finish seventh in pole bending.

Finishing in the top three in their respective events, or being named an alternate (alternates are called up when districts have few or no competitors in an event) for the Challenge of Champions were Bushnell and Grace Bertelsen of Los Molinos, who were first and third, respectively, in pole bending.

Cox and Lily Bertelsen of Los Molinos were second and third in goat tying, while Bushnell and Lily Bertelsen were second and third in breakaway roping.

Grace Bertelsen was the top girls cutter, with Lily Bertelsen being named an alternate, and Bushnell was third as a team roping header.

For the boys, Meroshnekoff and Alvernaz finished second and third in boys cutting, with Meroshnekoff also leading the field in bareback and bulls. Ty Troberg of Los Molinos came in second riding bulls.

Red Bluff's Cole Robinson and Logan Robinson ran 1-2 in steer wrestling, and McClelland finished second in saddle bronc.