VanderLans wins bulldogging at San Dimas Western Days Rodeo

Jack VanderLans won the Steer Wrestling event at the San Dimas Western Days Rodeo.

The 2001 Fallbrook High School graduate had a time of 4.8 seconds to earn first place at the October 2-3 rodeo and win $1,159. Blaine Jones of Templeton, California, and Skylar Strassman of Bend, Oregon, split second and third with runs of 4.9 seconds.

"I was really excited to do well at San Dimas. It's pretty close to home," VanderLans said.

San Dimas is close enough that friends and family members were able to attend his performance. "Meant a lot that I could do well there," VanderLans said.

VanderLans, Strassman, and Ethan Thouvenell (whose mother lives in Fallbrook) traveled together for the weekend's rodeos in Bakersfield and San Dimas. They spent the night of October 1 at the Kern County Fair Rodeo in Bakersfield. Rhett Kennedy won the Steer Wrestling at the October 1-2 Bakersfield rodeo with a time of 6.2 seconds, but VanderLans' time of 6.4 seconds placed second and earned him $428, Strassman placed third with a run of 12.4 seconds, and Thouvenell's time of 15.3 seconds gave him fourth place and $143.

"We all ended up placing over there," VanderLans said. "We had a little momentum built after Bakersfield."

Other cowboys bulldogged in the Saturday performances, but the positions of the travelers in VanderLans' group held up. "We all felt pretty confident," VanderLans said. "I think that carried over to San Dimas."

Thouvenell would have won San Dimas had he not incurred a ten-second penalty for a broken barrier, giving him a time of 13.8 seconds.

VanderLans rode one of Strassman's horses for Steer Wrestling. "Skylar's got a nice horse," VanderLans said. "I was fortunate enough that I was able to ride Skylar's horse."

Thouvenell served as VanderLans' hazer while using VanderLans' horse Barry.

Growney Brothers was the stock contractor at San Dimas. "They've got quality bulldogging steers," VanderLans said.

The steers Growney Brothers provided at San Dimas will be used at the National Finals Rodeo in December.

Thouvenell, who has qualified for NFR based on unofficial results, recognized some of the steers from the Justin Boots Playoffs in Puyallup, Washington. "That also gave us an advantage. We kind of had a game plan of what they were and what we needed to do," VanderLans said.

VanderLans knew that his time would be the target of the cowboys in the two remaining performances. "There were still some good people to complete on Sunday," he said.

"I did the best I could," VanderLans said of the possibility of a later bulldogger taking him out of first place. "Can't worry about it after you make your run."

VanderLans is sponsored by Celadrin, a human joint supplement product. "I wouldn't be able to do any of this if I didn't have their support," VanderLans said.

For purposes of standings the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association season runs from October 1 to September 30, so the weekend's rodeos were the first for the 2011 season. The PRCA is divided into circuits, so his earnings at Bakersfield and San Dimas gave VanderLans the lead in the California Circuit's Steer Wrestling standings.

"It's nice to have a little momentum built up early," he said.