VanderLans wins

Jack VanderLans won the Men’s All-Around at the Poly Royal college rodeo April 15-16 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The 2001 Fallbrook High School graduate also won the average in both Tie-Down Roping and Steer Wrestling.

“It’s a really cool deal,” VanderLans said.

This year’s Poly Royal commemorated the 65th anniversary of that rodeo. “It’s prestigious,” VanderLans said. “It’s kind of a tradition for them.”

VanderLans won a buckle for each of his events won and a saddle for winning the All-Around. “That rodeo’s really neat,” he said.

The competitors with the top ten times or scores in the first go-round of each event compete in the short go, and the scores or times of the first go-round and the short go are combined for the average.

VanderLans, who competes for the University of Nevada Las Vegas, had a time in the first Tie-Down Roping go-round of 11.1 seconds, splitting second and third in that go-round with Temecula’s Clint Cooper, who is now at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In the short go VanderLans had a time of 9.8 seconds, which was fast enough to win that performance.

“I drew a really good calf,” VanderLans said of winning the short go. “I knew I had an advantage, and it was just getting it done.”

Cooper was not able to rope his calf in the short go, and the winner of the first go-round, Clint Miller of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, had trouble with his second calf and settled for a two-head average of 35.5 seconds.

VanderLans rode Brownie for his Tie-Down Roping competition.

VanderLans was fourth in the first Steer Wrestling go-round but also won the short go in that event with a time of 4.3 seconds. VanderLans once again noted the impact of the draw for animals. “He’s a really good steer,” he said.

VanderLans rode White Meat for the Steer Wrestling event. Cooper was the hazer who guided the steer. “Clint hazed for me and gave me a great haze,” VanderLans said.

VanderLans’ average of 10.4 seconds won the Steer Wrestling event. VanderLans also competed in Team Roping both with Cooper and with Charlie Martin of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, although he did not place with either team in that event.

VanderLans ended the rodeo with a total of 205 All-Around points, giving him the top All-Around score of any competitor.

VanderLans had previously won event averages in college rodeo, although the Poly Royal rodeo was the first of the 2004-05 season in which he won the Steer Wrestling average. He had never previously won the All-Around in his four-year college rodeo career. VanderLans notes that coach Rick Griffith has been instrumental in helping him to improve. “He’s been kind of my mentor for years now, so he played a big role,” VanderLans said.

“My coach and Clint are the big two reasons I think I did so well,” VanderLans said, “and my horses.”