The smell of hot dogs and hamburgers cooking on the grill,
individual campsites set up out on the park lawn and like a modern
day wagon train, horse trailers formed a circle.
The smell of hot dogs and hamburgers cooking on the grill, individual campsites set up out on the park lawn and like a modern day wagon train, horse trailers formed a circle.
“Rodeo people are good, earthy people. They have a wholesomeness that goes with rural family living,” said Fulton Picetti, 86, who has seen four generations of families compete at the 70th annual San Benito County Saddle Horse and Rodeo.
And that’s what this weekend at Bolado Park was all about, generations of families, and of course, newcomers, coming together to enjoy a uniquely San Benito County experience.
“We do this every year,” said Brandy Schmidt-Graza, who rides for fun nowadays and not competition.
“We were born into it,” Jamie Reed said.
And no doubt, it’s the loyal support of benefactors who keep the rodeo alive. Year after year supporters pay grandstand prices for their boxes.
“It’s the local people that put this together every year,” said Ed Stephenson, president of the Saddle Horse Show Association.
With pride, older generations of saddle horse and rodeo participants gazed at the new rising bronco stars carrying on a family tradition. A group of old cowboys stood underneath a tree next to the rodeo stands swapping stories and laughing, while a few rodeo-goers just needed to get out of the 90-degree heat.
“I’ll see you inside grandpa,” said a young woman.
The rodeo is an event that brings family and friends together, and in recent years Ann Strickland, office manager, has noticed there has been a wide mix of rodeo contestants that are mostly new children.
“We have a lot more younger kids signing up,” she said.
Picetti said, “We have some of the best up-and-coming riders in the nation, like Elliot French. He’s a two-time champion.”
French, 18, captured the silver buckle as the Senior All-Around Arena champion.
And it’s this spirit of San Benito County’s roots and the family tradition that attracts people from all walks of life to come witness the live rodeo and excitement of an earlier way of life.
“The hair belonged to my mother and my three sisters,” said John Hodges, who along with Larry Hodges was admiring their father’s handiwork of a rope made out of human hair at the rodeo museum. “Isn’t that something?”
The museum had a steady stream of visitors who stopped and read the history of the event on the walls through newspaper clippings and old photos dating back to the early days.
“This was my grandparent’s rodeo,” said Dawn Ricotti, proud that her family’s history is written on the rodeo Hall of Fame at Bolado Park.
“My family is real big into it,” she said.
