Saddle Horse Association takes over Memorial Roping
It’s hard to say good-bye.
For the families of some of San Benito County’s favorite cowboys
who have since left the arena, June can be a difficult month. As
the Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo draws near, it brings home the
sense of loss all over again.
In order to keep the memories of lost friends alive, the Saddle
Horse Show Association had taken over sponsorship of the county’s
Memorial Roping event, put on in the past by the families of Richie
Fehlman, Kenny Vierra and Tommy Carreiro. The association, by
putting the event under its umbrella, is hoping to expand the
memorial to include any and all men and women who have died, said
Mark Skow, association second vice-president.
Saddle Horse Association takes over Memorial Roping
It’s hard to say good-bye.
For the families of some of San Benito County’s favorite cowboys who have since left the arena, June can be a difficult month. As the Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo draws near, it brings home the sense of loss all over again.
In order to keep the memories of lost friends alive, the Saddle Horse Show Association had taken over sponsorship of the county’s Memorial Roping event, put on in the past by the families of Richie Fehlman, Kenny Vierra and Tommy Carreiro. The association, by putting the event under its umbrella, is hoping to expand the memorial to include any and all men and women who have died, said Mark Skow, association second vice-president.
“We’re trying to get away from actually naming specific people,” Skow said. “In the future, we are not going to advertise it as for individuals but rather for everybody who we have lost.”
The first Memorial Roping, featuring simply a figure 8 roping contest, was held in June 1995, shortly after the death of Richie Fehlman, a long-time local rodeo competitor who excelled at figure 8 roping, Skow said.
“His family put it together, and it was held at a private ranch,” he said. “They chose the figure 8 since Richie had been pretty successful at it, and for the next few years, that’s how it went.”
In 1999, the families of Kenny Vierra and Tommy Carreiro, two other local cowboys who competed in the rodeo, joined the Fehlman family in sponsoring the Memorial Roping. They added two new events – the Ken Vierra Calf Branding contest and the Tommy Carreiro Part and Catch. The event continued to be held on private ranches in the county, and the three families split the cost of putting on the event and purchasing the trophies.
Over the years, the cost of putting on the event has become too much for the families, and Skow said interest in the event had dimmed as well.
“People were starting to lose interest,” he said. “It’s sad, but as time goes on, people forget about things.”
Skow, along with Saddle Horse Association board member J.W. Brewen, went to the board last month and suggested taking over sponsorship of the event. Their idea was to expand the event to honor all past board members and/or competitors.
“The Saddle Horse Association has been very careful not to name any of its events after people, because there have been so many deaths in the past,” he said. “There are probably 100 people I could name who deserve to have something done in their name.”
Removing specific names from the event, Skow said, allows the association to honor anyone who has died while broadening the event for the entire community.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say ‘well, how come so-and-so isn’t named’ and that’s hard to hear,” he said. “This way, a general memorial blankets everybody.”
This year’s event will be held at the San Benito County Fairgrounds arena on Saturday, June 21 beginning with the figure 8 roping contest at 8 a.m. The event is free and open to the public, and Skow said it could be a great way for the initiated to see what rodeo is all about before the Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo opens the following weekend.
“The show does have a figure 8 contest, so that would be the same as what they would see if they came out to the rodeo,” he said. “The other events are similar, but a little unique. But it’s a good way to get a feel for what it’s like.”
On Sunday, June 22, the figure 8 roping eliminations and the jackpot roping event begin at 8 a.m., followed by the association barbecue at 1:30 p.m. Information on the barbecue can be found at www.sanbenitocountyfair.com.
Skow said future plans for the Memorial Roping include removing the names of Fehlman, Vierra and Carreiro and adding new events to the roping’s line-up.
“We found out so late this year that the families weren’t going to be able to do this that we were too pressed for time to make any changes,” he said. “But in the past it’s been a good event and well-attended. We hope to bring that back.”
