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Jack VanderLans won the steer wrestling at the Aug. 18-19 Tehachapi Mountain PRCA Rodeo.
The 2001 Fallbrook High School graduate had a time of 5.1 seconds on his Aug. 19 run to win the rodeo and the $1,104 first-place prize money. VanderLans also placed third in the tie-down roping with a time of 9.9 seconds, which added $830 to his earnings.
“Tehachapi was great,” VanderLans said. “I drew real well.”
Stock contractor Four Star Rodeo also supplied steers for the Sonoma County Fair Wine Country Rodeo, Aug. 5, in Santa Rosa, and Chowchilla’s Ty Mitchell won Santa Rosa with the steer VanderLans drew for Tehachapi.
“I knew I had a pretty good chance, I just had to make sure that I started well and did my job,” said VanderLans.
VanderLans rode Rudy, who is owned by Temecula’s Larry Rogers, for his steer wrestling run. Chowchilla cowboy Roy Branco, whose older brother is a past National Finals Rodeo qualifier, was VanderLans’ hazer who guided the steer.
“He really learned how to haze well,” VanderLans said of Branco. “Any situation he does a good job.”
The arena configuration at Tehachapi is a large arena with a deep box.
“The steers definitely had the advantage,” VanderLans said.
VanderLans won the steer wrestling by a full second. Josh Garner, who lives in the Sutter County town of Live Oak, had the second-place time of 6.1 seconds.
“I got a really good start,” VanderLans said. “It worked out kind of the way I thought and hoped.”
Most of the cowboys had competed before VanderLans made his run. He said that he didn’t worry about whether his winning time would hold up, since that was out of his control, so his focus was on doing his best.
“Usually that’s going to win you something,” he said.
The Tehachapi Mountain PRCA Rodeo paid six positions both in the steer wrestling and in the tie-down roping. VanderLans rode Tuffy for his tie-down roping run Aug. 19.
“I was really happy. The horse worked well, and I didn’t make any mistakes,” he said.
The tie-down roping cattle were also used in Santa Rosa, and VanderLans spoke with the cowboy who drew the calf in Santa Rosa that VanderLans drew in Tehachapi.
“I kind of had a game plan of what he was going to do. That kind of helped a little bit,” VanderLans said.
Tyler Forsberg of Fillmore and C.J. DeForest Jr. of Wheatland in Yuba County split first and second with identical times of 9.3 seconds.
“I was really excited to place third. There were some really good ropers up that night,” VanderLans said.
That included ropers who have qualified for the National Finals Rodeo or the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo.
“I think it really kind of elevates you,” VanderLans said.
DeForest’s younger brother, Chant, had the fourth-place time of 10.0 seconds.
Jack and Tawnie VanderLans now have two children. Their daughter, Lilly, will celebrate her fourth birthday, Sept. 13. Their son, Hank, was born June 23. Jack VanderLans noted that the support of his family, which also includes his parents, was a significant component of his rodeo success.
“I’m just really thankful,” he said.
VanderLans also appreciates the efforts of the rodeo committee.
“They do a really good job,” he said. “It was a really neat rodeo.”
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