LAKEPORT ? Lake County”s first Mexican rodeo, or jaripeo, will bring bucking bulls and brave riders to the track at the Lake County Fairgrounds this Sunday. There will be plenty of activities for the younger crowd. Prizes, competitions and a dancing horse show will be featured between rides.
The difference between a rodeo and a jaripeo is there isn”t a time limit, according to Kelseyville resident Jaime Rosas.
He is part of a group of 10 men ? from Lake County and surrounding counties ? who formed a non-profit group called Calimex, the event sponsors. The goal of the rider is to stay on the bull as long as possible, or until the bull stops bucking, Rosas said. This could take anywhere from a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes.
The two riders from Lake County are Aron Ortiz and “Minuto de Yuricosito,” a nickname that tells where he hails from in Mexico and names him the minute man, according to Rosas. “Hopefully, he will stay on a minute,” Rosas said.
Rider and bull come out of the chute riders are holding on with only their legs. No hands are allowed. Rosas said the riders dig spurs into a strap around the bull”s chest, called a cinch, for traction. Gates open at 2 p.m. Sunday with the Mexican band “Sangre Azteca” playing throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Events start at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20 pre-sale and $25 at the door, with children under 12 admitted free. Mexican food and beer vendors will be present.
Youth events include mutton bustin” where children test riding prowess on the backs of sheep. The longest ride wins a belt buckle. A new bicycle is the prize for the competition of catching a calf and removing a ribbon tied to the tail.
“I”ve got a feeling this is going to be a really good family event,” said county supervisor Rob Brown. He said he supports the concept of having the jaripeo in Lake County on a long-term basis and will sponsor it again next year if all goes well.
Brown and his wife are sponsoring the event and helped to coordinate it after a group of men who help out on his 300-acre Kelseyville ranch approached him with the idea. “Some of the guys who work for me at the ranch are very active in rodeo, and they”re just good, hardworking guys,” Brown said. He said he knows the men travel all over to surrounding counties for jaripeo events all summer long, and agreed that bringing the family event to Lake County had merit.
“There”s a huge Hispanic population here, and they need one more things to do,” said Brown. Brown said the men who help at his ranch just finished the pear harvest, are in the middle of the grape harvest and then the walnut harvest. “It”s a good time to take a day off and enjoy themselves,” Brown said.
Brown helped round-up a handful of Lake County sponsors to pay for the fairground rental, insurance and other expenses.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
