Ridin', ropin' in rain

Rain during the second half of Sunday's 75th annual Marysville Stampede didn't dampen the spirits of several hundred fans who stayed and were treated to the only two full 8-second rides in the bull riding competition.

Several thousand spectators lined the amphitheater at Cotton Rosser Arena in Beckwourth Riverfront Park at the start of the second day of the rodeo but by the time the second session of bull riding concluded the event, more than two-thirds of the crowd already had decided to find drier ground.

"It was a great show," said the rodeo's promoter and Hall of Fame cowboy Cotton Rosser, who took a parade lap at the conclusion, shaking hands and acknowledging the faithful who stayed for the entire show. "People are really tough here in Marysville."

The event attracted more than 100 cowboys from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, including 14 local competitors.

"I just wish we could get the whole town behind it," Rosser said.

Bull riding, as always, was the marquee event. After no one was able to stay on in the first session of the day, Scott Williamsen of Susanville and Josh Daries of Salinas did managed clean rides in the final event of the day.

Williamsen ended up the all-around winner with a score of 141, combining a score of 69 on Sunday with his 72 on Saturday, while Daries posted a two-day score of 124.

"The rain made them all buck a little better," Rosser said.

Live Oak's Jeremy Garner, who won Saturday's go-round in steer wrestling with a time of 5.4 seconds, had some bad luck Sunday when he broke the barrier early and was assessed a 10-second penalty, leaving him with a score of 14.6, good enough for third place in