LAKEPORT ? Ten Mexican-American riders and 10 ferocious bulls made onlookers wince and cheer as each pair in turn darted out of the chute and across the ring together. The crowd held its collective breath to see which would win, man or beast.
Calimex hosted Lake County”s first Mexican rodeo, called a jaripeo, at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Sunday. It drew a crowd of about 1,000 spectators, including children, to ogle as daring riders tested their metal and dancing horses pranced and trotted, showing off years of expensive training between bull rides.
Minuto de Yoricostio had both the shortest and the longest ride of the evening. His first bull, Tiburon (meaning shark), got out of the chute without him. True to his name, Minuto rode the last bull, Payaso (meaning clown), until he stopped bucking, which lasted at least a minute.
Aron Ortiz was the main attraction of the event, as he is well-known throughout Michoacan, Mexico for his riding style, according to Rosas. His nickname is Gallo de Oro, meaning golden rooster.
The smell of barbecued ribs and the upbeat sounds of traditional Mexican music by the band Sangre Azteca permeated the event as a Spanish-speaking announcer introduced each event. But even for those who didn”t speak Spanish, it wasn”t hard to tell when it was time for children to flock to the arena to see who could last the longest on the back of a lightning-quick sheep, or to chase one around the arena in order to emerge victorious with the bright yellow ribbon tied around its neck.
Jaime Rosas, on of the event”s organizers, said the day was a success. “I think it was better than what we were expecting,” said Rosas. When asked if Calimex would put on the rodeo next year, Rosas said, “definitely.”
Rosas” group of 10 men from Lake County and surrounding counties was aided in organizing the event by Supervisor Rob Brown. In addition to rounding up sponsors for the event to cover the cost of renting the Lakeport Speedway and insurance, he was on hand in a long-sleeved Calimex shirt and white cowboy hat to round up errant sheep and generally help out.
The bulls all came from Rancho de la Herradura, which means horseshoe in Spanish, in Esparto.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
