High school bull riding finds its way to 44th annual Laton Lions Rodeo

Eight seconds is a lifetime to a 17-year-old student at Laton High School as he rides his bull in this year's inaugural high school bull riding competition at the 44th annual Laton Lions Rodeo and Professional Extreme Bull Riding event on April 5 and 6 in Laton.

Cody Tosti, who began his formal bull riding training with the Junior Christian Cowboy Association, decided in the middle of winter to purchase a black bull that he has named "Bucky" with the intentions of using his bull to help him "ride for the buckle."

"'Riding for the buckle' means riding to win," said Tosti at Ernie and Jeannette Cardoza's Flying C Ranch in Laton as he practiced for two hours on a Friday evening last week.

The sophomore, who has been bull riding for three years, sees it as an alternative to traditional high school sports.

"I don't like sports," Tosti said. "I like to rodeo."

Laton is one of the oldest rodeos in California and it's always the first rodeo of the season. It still boasts a lot of tradition, so you more than likely will find a few young cowboys soaking up the experience.

The owner of Flying C Ranch and Tosti's trainer sees high school bull riding as a bonding experience.

"I'm 56 and Cody is 17," Cardoza said. "It is really nice to be able to enjoy the same thing with a young guy like that and be able to share with him what I know and to have him be willing to learn it."

Cody has plans beyond being a bull rider. He has aspirations to get into the contracting business of owning stock, which is what prompted him to help get a junior bull riding division added to this year's Laton Lions Rodeo.

The talk started last year with Jason Thomas, another member at Flying C Ranch, as they discussed having some junior riders compete in a professional rodeo.

It may have been someone else's idea, but Tosti took it over as if it was his own brainchild.

"I'm providing stock for the riders," Tosti said. "I want people to see how some of these kids got started and how they go through high school being riders."

His trainer couldn't be more proud of Tosti's willingness to share and his entrepreneur spirit.

"Cody bought Bucky so he could practice and help other kids along with me," Cardoza said. "Cody enjoys helping other kids as this is a dream of his, too."

This marks the first time that Laton will have high school bull riding. About six high school teams plan to come out to ride bulls that will be approaching 2,000 pounds. And none of these bulls have any desire to be ridden or touched.

"Do not get the impression that these high school kids are coming out here for the first time," Randy Sheldon, president of Laton Lions Club, said. "They are experienced bull riders."

"There are a lot of junior associations that teach these kids how to ride," Sonia Borges, marketing coordinator for Laton Lions Club, said. "It is really popular right now, and kids love it."

Unlike Tosti who rides for the buckle, Ellis Sheldon -- a 16-year-old student at Hanford High -- rides for fun.

"I was nervous the first time that I rode," Ellis Sheldon said. "My brother and I ride as a team ... we've been around rodeo all his life so we wanted to try it."

Some high school students are curious about bull riding but not yet brave enough to tackle it.

"I just watch my cousins do it," Travis Myers, cousin of Ellis Sheldon, said. "I have a small desire to do it."

Taylor Yeary, an 8-year-old onlooker at last week's bull riding practice, sees dream potential at the rodeo.

"It is cool to see people ride and not be afraid of doing what they love to do," said Yeary.

This Laton Elementary student aspires to be a professional barrel racer when she grows up.

Another new event to this year's rodeo roster is Wild Cow Milking.

"We are shooting for three-man teams who will be milking 10 wild cows that don't want to be milked," said Sheldon. "These cows kick, they are mean, mad and they do not want to be touched."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2423.

(March 28, 2008)