Sandhill Cattle Co. – They’re Lucky and Good!

AMARILLO, Texas – In 2004, when Sandhill Cattle Co. of Earth, Texas, won the World Championship Ranch Rodeo title, team captain Tripp Townsend attributed it to luck. This year, when his team repeated the feat, he said the same thing: “Just luck.”

But let there be no doubt about it: These team members aren’t just lucky; they’re also good.

In a hard-fought battle against several ranch teams hot on their heels, the Sandhill cowboys won two individual events – team doctoring and ranch bronc riding – and also performed well in the other events.

But it’s not all about the competition. This team also puts a lot of importance on something WRCA itself holds near and dear – the youngsters who will be the ranch cowboys and cowgirls of tomorrow. Sandhill Cattle Co. has qualified for six World Championship Ranch Rodeos, and the team typically includes a youngster. Tripp’s oldest daughter, Summer, has been a member, as has day worker Jesse Valdez’s son Spur. This year, the honors went to Tripp’s 11-year-old daughter Autumn.

“They help us all the time anyway,” Tripp says of the kids. “They don’t lay around in bed on Saturdays. It’s just something we can do for them, to keep them interested. … They can feel like they’re part of our team – and they are.”

Like the other youngsters, Autumn manned the branding iron in the team branding event, stamping calves with a flour “brand” as they were dragged to her.

So what does this sixth-grader do at home to help out?

“A lot,” she says, and Dad backs her up on that one. “Whatever I need,” Tripp said.

Other team members included Efrain Corrales, who has worked for Sandhill Cattle Co. for 10 years, and day workers Tyler Rice and Jesse Valdez.

Tyler came in handy in the bronc riding.

“He’s a heck of a bronc rider,” Efrain said. And the audience was pulling for Tyler as well, thanks to an anecdote told by announcer Hadley Barrett. Tyler’s mentor, Clint Cline, was injured at a ranch rodeo in October. When his team needed a replacement bronc rider, Tyler stepped in and helped the team win the $50,000 purse.

“I gave (Clint) my part because he was in the hospital, and I don’t think he had insurance,” Tyler said. It amounted to about $10,000.

He was pleased with the quality of the WCRR bucking horses, provided by top pro-rodeo stock contractor Harry Vold.

“They’d sure buck,” Tyler said, which helped him to scores of 80 and 81 in the rodeo’s two go-rounds.

Tripp was equally proud of his other team members. Jesse, he said, is “the ropingest guy around, and Efrain is good at everything.”

There’s no need for this team to practice the ranch rodeo events. The Sandhill cowboys run about 1,500 head of cattle in the summers in Lamb County, Texas. During the winters, the numbers are closer to 3,000 head of wheat-pasture cattle. Sandhill also owns 200 head of momma cows and a 2,000-head pre-conditioning lot.

Especially with the doctoring, “I guess it’s one of our everyday deals,” Efrain said. “We doctor a lot of cattle outside. Head and heel ’em and give ’em a shot.”

Jesse, who heeled in doctoring and roped calves in team branding, said that even though he has been on a world championship team before, “I get real nervous. Whenever we’re riding down that tunnel getting ready to go in, my mouth’s so dang dry I can’t even talk.”

But like a true champ, “When we trot in there, I forget about it.”

He said the team members have been hoping for a repeat victory in the years since their 2004 win, but “it’s tough. It’s anybody’s deal when you get up here.”

Tripp, shaking hands of congratulatory passersby, agreed, telling one well-wisher: “We barely squeaked it out, but we’ll take ’er!”