A cowboy tries to release his riding rope after being bucked off a bull during the bull riding competition. None of the professional bull riders were able to complete an eight second ride. The Pilot/Jef Hatch

A California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association (C.C.P.R.A.) sanctioned event, the rodeo brought cowboys from all over California and Oregon to show their skills in a number of timed events.

The rodeo opened with the sun shining as the national anthem was sung by Brookings’ Scott Perry after a flag presentation by the Crescent City drill team.

Toughness was the theme of the day with all but one of 19 bull riders losing their seat as the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

Crescent City resident Collin Sturdevant rode two bulls Saturday and was able to hold on to just one of them for the required eight seconds.

“It felt great,” Sturdevant said. “Home town, never won an event, it was great.”

Sturdevant felt like he had the ride nailed from the moment he left the gate, and it wasn’t until he heard the horn blow that he had some problems. 

Sturdevant came off the bull high and instead of landing on his feet like he wanted, he ended up landing hard on his backside. Uninjured, Sturdevant threw his helmet in the air and celebrated with the home crowd for a moment before returning the gates and the accolades of his family.

Sturdevant and his brothers, Hunter and Jordan are triplets; they competed against each other in both the junior bull riding and the professional bull riding competitions.

Sturdevant’s mother, Paula, has been taking her sons to bull and steer riding events since they were little.

“Our very first event was in Orick, a steer riding competition, and they told us they had everything we needed at the event,” she said. “When we got down there all they had was the rope.

“I didn’t want the boys to ride, but they weren’t going home without riding and we swept the event.”

The Sturdevants have been the reigning champions in Orick for the last four years in a row, according to Paula, but Saturday marked the first big event that Collin had won.

The Sturdevant triplets practice at home with a bucking machine and hope to attend a week-long seminar in Idaho to better their skills.

The toughness factor continued through the day with the saddle bronc riders and the bareback riders being spilled to the ground, and the roping and racing crowd pushing their horses to the extreme.

The stock for the rodeo was provided by the Four Star Rodeo Company. Entertainment between events was handled by Charlie “Too Tall” West, and J.T. Davis was the lone Cowboy Lifesaver in the arena.