The Fresno State Bulldoggers club rodeo team will host the Fresno State College Rodeo Friday to Saturday, March 4 to 5, at the Clovis Rodeo Grounds (748 Rodeo Drive). The team’s only home event of the season starts with the opening round 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. Saturday’s slack round from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. will feature the remaining competitors in opening action in the 10 men’s and women’s events.
The top 10 combined qualifiers from the first two rounds will compete in the championship round 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is $10 for each Friday and Saturday evening session, $5 for Fresno State students with a campus ID, and free to youth ages 12 and younger.
Saturday morning’s slack session is free to the public.
Fresno State men’s and women’s teams rank second and third in the West Coast Region, respectively, and the men’s team also ranks 22nd nationally, after the fall season’s four events. Among the competition’s 11 other collegiate teams, the Feather River College men’s team ranks fifth nationally, and the Cal Poly women’s team ranks first nationally.
Four of Fresno State’s men’s competitors rank top 25 nationally: Mitchell Parham (10th, bareback), Reed Neely (14th, saddle bronc), Cole Dodds (17th, all-around; 22nd, tie down roping; 19th team roping heeler) and David Stark (15th, team roping heeler).
Parham, Neely and Dodds were all College National Finals Rodeo qualifiers last year and have scored top-15 national finishes in their career.
This year, Parham and Stark lead the region in bareback riding and team roping heeler standings, respectively, and Neely and Dodds rank second in the region in saddle bronc and team roping heeler categories, respectively.
Regionally for the Fresno State women this year, Maren Powers ranks second in barrel racing and Hailey Wilbur ranks fourth in breakaway roping.
For more information, visit the Fresno State Rodeo Team Bulldoggers Facebook page and collegiate national and regional rankings and results website.
