For Angry Heifer Zorb Ball, teams of volunteers from the crowd entered red or blue inflated plastic balls, raced across the arena to a barrel and then competed to kick a soccer ball across the goal line, all while steers were turned loose in the arena to wreak havoc. Credit: Photo by Mark Larson
The Fortuna Rodeo’s Full Throttle Friday, as photographer Mark Larson discovered this week, is a very different vibe from old-fashioned riding and roping. Things start off low to the ground with Mutton Busting, in which youngsters take a traditional one-handed rodeo ride on a sheep.
The introduction of motors and wheels amps things up significantly, like barrel racing with four-wheel ATVs. Dragging someone behind your ATV doesn’t sound like good teammate behavior, but it’s standard in the two-person Four Wheeler Hide race. Quadiators, for the uninitiated, involve a driver peeling around the track while their partner uses a plastic bat to pop the balloons atop other passengers’ helmets while evading the bats of competitors. Are you not entertained?
There were still bovine elements with junior bull riding and the new-to-Fortuna event Angry Heifer Zorb Ball. For the latter, people wiggle into enormous inflatable balls that hopefully break their fall when the cows start to bully them around the ring. For more of Mark Larson’s photos of the day, visit northcoastjournal.com.
Erin Grant, of Hydesville, stopped by the merch table before Friday’s Mutton Busting event at the Fortuna Rodeo to buy her daughter Dakota this t-shirt – it was going to be Dakota’s third time to do mutton busting. Erin’s son Daxon was out with a cast on his arm, broken recently while riding a calf. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonRodeo Committee member Todd Fulton was busy organizing the young participants in the Mutton Busting event that opened the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads day at the Fortuna Rodeo. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe Mutton Busting event is a timed rodeo tradition of seeing how long the child can hang on and ride a lively sheep after it bursts out of the chute. Six-year-old Kevin Garcia, of Fortuna, held on tightly and won the event. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonSix-year-old Kevin Garcia, of Fortuna, displayed a tenancious grip on the sheep to win the timed Mutton Busting event at the rodeo on Friday. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonSix-year-old Kevin Garcia, of Fortuna, displayed his shiny belt buckle for winning the Mutton Busting event at the 105th annual Fortuna Rodeo on Friday Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe 105th annual Fortuna Rodeo opened on Friday with a long parade of Sport and Ranch quad riders holding banners for the many sponsors, followed by a line up of Rodeo Committee members carrying U.S. flags and then the singing of the national anthem by Annabelle Sheffield. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe 105th annual Fortuna Rodeo opened on Friday with a long parade of Sport and Ranch quad riders holding banners for the many sponsors, followed by a line up of Rodeo Committee members carrying U.S. flags and then the singing of the national anthem by Annabelle Sheffield. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe Four Wheeler Barrel Racing (Ranch Division) timed-race event followed the Grand Entry at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo. The goal – drive your quad through the fastest clover-leaf route around three barrels on your way down and back to the starting time. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe Four Wheeler Barrel Racing (Ranch Division) timed-race event followed the Grand Entry at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo. The goal – drive your quad through the fastest clover-leaf route around three barrels on your way down and back to the starting time. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe Four Wheeler Barrel Racing (Ranch Division) timed-race event followed the Grand Entry at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo. The goal – don’t tip over as you drive your quad through the fastest clover-leaf route around three barrels on your way down and back to the starting time. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe Four Wheeler Barrel Racing (Sport Division) timed-race event followed the Grand Entry at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo. The goal – drive your quad through the clover-leaf route around three barrels on your way down the arena and back to the starting time. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe Four Wheeler Barrel Racing (Sport Division) timed-race event followed the Grand Entry at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo. The goal – drive your quad through the clover-leaf route around three barrels on your way down the arena and back to the starting time….and not tip over while doing the sharp turns around the barrels. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonTruman Elmore, of Hydesville, ended his route to the finish line with a long wheelie for “style” points and fun in the Four Wheeler Barrel Racing (Sport Division) timed-race event that followed the Grand Entry at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo. The goal – drive your quad through the clover-leaf route around three barrels on your way down the arena and back to the starting time. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonBrent Freitas, of Scotia, and his son Wyett entered the Four-Wheeler Hide Race event at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo. The timed-race goal – Brent drove a Sport quad towing a hide to the end of the arena and circled around a barrel where Wyett was waiting to leap onto the hide. As they returned quickly to the starting line, Wyett ate dust and held onto the hide to the finish line. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonParticipants in the Four-Wheeler Hide Race timed event at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo drove a Sport quad towing a hide the length of the arena and circled a barrel where a team member was waiting ro leap onto the hide and then returned quickly to the starting line….with the team member eating dust and still holding onto the hide. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonParticipants in the Four-Wheeler Hide Race event at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night at the Fortuna Rodeo drove a Sport quad towing a hide the length of the arena and circled a barrel where a team member was waiting ro leap onto the hide and then returned quickly to the starting line….only this team member missed the hide, ate dust and held onto the tow rope to the finish line. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonCatching a lot of air, the bull won – none of the young cowboys managed to stay on the back of these bucking, spinning bulls for 8 seconds in the Junior Bull Riding event while holding on with only one hand (the rider is disqualified if he touches the bull with his free hand). Judges total up the rider’s score based on the rider’s form and difficulty of the ride. At the end of the ride, bull fighters move in to distract the bull from the fallen rider to give him time to escape. Hunter Maxwell was declared the eventual Junior Bull Ridimg winner. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonCatching a lot of air, the bull won – none of the young cowboys managed to stay on the back of these bucking, spinning bulls for 8 seconds in the Junior Bull Riding event while holding on with only one hand (the rider is disqualified if he touches the bull with his free hand). Judges total up the rider’s score based on the rider’s form and difficulty of the ride. At the end of the ride, bull fighters move in to distract the bull from the fallen rider to give him time to escape. Hunter Maxwell was declared the eventual Junior Bull Riding winner. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe bulls won – none of the young cowboys managed to stay on the back of these bucking, spinning bulls for 8 seconds in the Junior Bull Riding event while holding on with only one hand (the rider is disqualified if he touches the bull with his free hand). Judges total up the rider’s score based on the rider’s form and difficulty of the ride. At the end of the ride, bull fighters move in to distract the bull from the fallen rider to give him time to escape. Hunter Maxwell was declared the eventual Junior Bull Riding winner. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThis young bull rider faced a predicament – his hand was still caught in the gear after he was thrown from this bull, but he quickly escaped to safety. None of the young cowboys managed to stay on the back of these bucking, spinning bulls for 8 seconds in the Junior Bull Riding event while holding on with only one hand (the rider is disqualified if he touches the bull with his free hand). Judges total up the rider’s score based on the rider’s form and difficulty of the ride. At the end of the ride, bull fighters move in to distract the bull from the fallen rider to give him time to escape. Hunter Maxwell was declared the eventual Junior Bull Riding winner. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonA young cowboy hangs onto a bucking, spinning bull as it catches air in the Junior Bull Riding. Judges total the rider’s score based on their form and difficulty of the ride. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe bulls won – none of the young cowboys managed to stay on the back of these bucking, spinning bulls for 8 seconds in the Junior Bull Riding event while holding on with only one hand (the rider is disqualified if he touches the bull with his free hand). Judges total up the rider’s score based on the rider’s form and difficulty of the ride. At the end of the ride, bull fighters move in to distract the bull from the fallen rider to give him time to escape. Hunter Maxwell was declared the eventual winner. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe bulls won – none of the young cowboys managed to stay on the back of these bucking, spinning bulls for 8 seconds in the Junior Bull Riding event while holding on with only one hand (the rider is disqualified if he touches the bull with his free hand). Judges total up the rider’s score based on the rider’s form and difficulty of the ride. At the end of the ride, bull fighters move in to distract the bull from the fallen rider to give him time to escape. Hunter Maxwell was declared the eventual winner. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonZorb balls have legs! The penultimate event at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads at the Fortuna Rodeo featured the Angry Heifer Zorb Ball soccer game. Two teams of volunteers from the crowd entered the red or blue inflated plastic balls, raced across the arena to a barrel and then competed to kick a soccer ball across the goal line…and meanwhile, these aggressive steers were turned loose in the arena to cause havoc. Eventually someone kicked the soccer ball across the goal line to win the prize…a Yeti cooler. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonFor Angry Heifer Zorb Ball, teams of volunteers from the crowd entered red or blue inflated plastic balls, raced across the arena to a barrel and then competed to kick a soccer ball across the goal line, all while steers were turned loose in the arena to wreak havoc. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonA soccer game between teams of Zorb balls! The penultimate event at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads featured the Angry Heifer Zorb Ball event. Two teams of volunteers from the crowd entered the red or blue inflated plastic balls, raced across the arena to a barrel and then competed to kick a soccer ball across the goal line…with the rodeo clown not helping by playing defense. Meanwhile, aggressive steers were turned loose in the arena to cause havoc. Eventually someone kicked the soccer ball across the goal line to win the prize…a Yeti cooler. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonZorb balls have legs! The penultimate event at the Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads at the Fortuna Rodeo featured the Angry Heifer Zorb Ball soccer game. Two teams of volunteers from the crowd entered the red or blue inflated plastic balls, raced across the arena to a barrel and then competed to kick a soccer ball across the goal line…and meanwhile, these aggressive steers were turned loose in the arena to cause havoc. Eventually someone kicked the soccer ball across the goal line to win the prize…a Yeti cooler. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night ended with Quadiator teams battling it out with their plastic bats in a tight circle at the Fortuna Rodeo. The goal – use your bat to explode all the balloons filled with a white powder taped to other competitors’ helmets while racing around the circle on a quad. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonQuadiator teams battling it out with their plastic bats in a tight circle. The goal: Use your bat to explode the balloons filled with a white powder and taped to your competitors’ helmets. Credit: Photo by Mark LarsonThe Full Throttle Friday – Bulls and Quads night ended with Quadiator teams battling it out with their plastic bats in a tight circle at the Fortuna Rodeo. The goal – use your bat to explode all the balloons filled with a white powder taped to other competitors’ helmets while racing around the circle on a quad. Credit: Photo by Mark Larson
