By Randy Pennebaker
Special To Ropers Sports News
CHOWCHILLA, CALIF. – On Dec. 4, Rope For Kids founders Randy and Kelly Pennebaker presented a check to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera for the amount of $11,379.50. This money was raised at our annual fundraiser that some called a “marathon” roping this year, with 751 teams competing in Chowchilla on October 31 - Halloween. Over $22,700 in prize money, three saddles, six buckles and various other awards were given out. There was also a great dummy roping for the kids, a silent auction, raffles, vendors, concessions, and many other donations.
Thank you to Reedley 4-H for donating the delicious desserts to the silent auction and to Sissy’s BBQ and more (Tim and Debbie Warkentin) for keeping us all well-fed late into the evening and donating their profits to the event.
This event was started 13 years ago by the Pennebakers, who continue to organize and coordinate the event each year. The inspiration for the event came about from a little girl named Samantha Chrisman who was 5 years old and a patient at Children’s Hospital. Samantha suffered from a cancerous brain tumor, and with help from Children’s Hospital she began to recover with a positive outlook. About three years passed and unfortunately her cancer came back in a more aggressive form and we lost Samantha in October of 2005. Samantha was an amazing little girl who didn’t feel sorry for herself, and instead thought of others first. This year’s donation is dedicated to another special girl named Riley Summers, who sang the national anthem this year and is a continuing patient at Children’s Hospital. She is doing well roping and riding thanks to this great facility.
The Jones and Lauzon families along with Casey Aalto and her family, deserve a special thank you, for once again sponsoring the dummy roping and all its prizes along with T-shirts for all the kids participating. Another big thanks to Don Haynes and Sara Summers for running the dummy roping. Brandon Summers and his family were also very crucial to the success of this event, contributing major sponsors and help. The Chowchilla Fair Board, George Porter, Habib Cattle Company, the American Cowboys Team Roping Association and many others donated so generously that Rope For Kids made almost $3,800 more than last year.
Brenda Robbins, Thelma Cardoza, Sheena Robbins and the others in the office and Billy Butler, Jeramy Kelton and Lee Legasey with the flagging, kept everything running smoothly and did a great job. Also a thank you goes out to the chute crew provided by George Porter and 4 Cent Ranch which included Bryant and Thomas Pennebaker, along with Adrianna Smith and Austin Thompson. Our Rope For Kids crew and secretaries put in about a 15-hour day this year. Finally, thank you to everyone who stayed until almost midnight and hung in there to rope and help out at this great roping for a wonderful cause. Without your support this event wouldn’t be such a big success. It was a fun day all around and the location in Chowchilla with their huge covered arena was fantastic. There were even some amazing 4-second runs on the cattle this year that made the roping even more memorable and exciting to watch than ever.
There were many generous sponsors and donations that went to the roping as well as many donations that were made directly to Children’s Hospital. Sponsors included: The Chowchilla Fair Board, Circle N Stables, Randy and Kelly Pennebaker & the 4 Cent Ranch, Trent Breckenridge and family, Ropers Sports News, Donna and Susan Hacker, Gar Tootelian Ag Chemicals Inc., 4 Flat Tack, David and Landon Gill, Producers Livestock Market, Wells Fargo Bank, Brandon Summers and family, Tarlton and Son Inc., Reedley 4-H, Sissy’s BBQ & More, Cowboy Classic Saddlery, Richard Binns, Galleria Gifts, Bob Berg Buckles, Visalia Livestock Market, Casey Aalto and family, the Jones and Lauzon families, Lynn and John Chrisman, George Porter and family, Greg and Becky Dunbar, Bill Oglesby, American Cowboys Team Roping Association, Habib Cattle Company, Lizzy Rose, Don Haynes, Harold’s Automotive, Redneck Cowboy, The Prewitt Family, Jeremy Kelton, Brenda Robbins, Billy Butler, Lee Legacy, Thelma Yeary, and Allied Building Products Corp. A very big thank you goes out to all the sponsors and other individuals that helped make this roping such a success.
Results of the ropings are as follows (payoffs are per roper)
#4.5 Pick or Draw: 3 for $25, 256 teams.
1st go: 1. Charlie Prewitt and Randy Pennebaker, 7.37, $275. 2. Julie Harvey and John Tisculari, 7.74, $200. 3. Jason Robbins and Jimmy Joe Yanez, 7.91, $150
Average: 1. Flint Sweet and Fabian Lemus, 27.45, $830. 2. Jason Robbins and Jimmy Joe Yanez, 30.13, $685. 3. Wyatt Adams and Caden Lehman, 31.16, $545. 4. Brittany Diaz and Justin Rupe, 33.13, $400. 5th. Doug Cockrell and Trent Breckenridge, 33.57, $260. 6. Autumn Matulich and Caden Lehman, 34.47, $140
#5.5 Pick or Draw: 3 for $25, 256 teams.
1st go: 1. Preston Burgess and Lane Wheeler, 6.68, $275. 2. Gene Gonzales and Lyle Harvey, 6.71, $200. 3. Ramiro Gonzales and Fabian Lemus, 6.91, $150.
Average: 1. Preston Burgess and Lane Wheeler, 24.30, $830. 2. Karen Dias and Randy Pennebaker, 25.49, $685. 3. Brad Butler and Jimmy Joe Yanez, 28.64, $545. 4. Nicholas Forzano and Luke Cardoza, 28.74, $400. 5. Ramiro Gonzales and Jose Pantoja, 29.19, $260. 6. Jerry Wooten and Justin Bruecker, 29.78, $140
#7 Handicap Pick and Draw: 3 for $30, 239 teams.
1st go: 1. Victor Ugalde and Logan Naillon, 4.93, $350. 2. Roy Branco and Seth Mielke, 5.27, $260. 3. Victor Ugalde and Cord Forzano, 5.48, $180
Averege: 1. Preston Burgess and Charlie Hagens, 21.01, $1,040. 2. Jeffrey Larson and Jake Harvey, 22.07, $860. 3/4. Tim Hansen and Bo Bacigalipi; Seth Mielke and Logan Naillon, 22.20, $590. 5. Johnny Mize and Mike C, 22.58, $325. 6. Jose Pantoja and Todd Hampton, 22.90, $180.
Buckle and saddle winners at Rope For Kids 2015 included: #2 & under saddle winner Lane Wheeler; #2-5-#3.5 saddle winner Jimmy Joe Yanez, and #4 & over saddle winner Preston Burgess.
Pictured are some of the dummy ropers with their prizes.