PRORODEO Sports News - July 11, 2025

“I was probably 6 years old at my first Lakeside Rodeo,” Armstrong said. “I grew up right here in Lakeside and rodeo has always been part of our family.” Armstrong stressed that the Lakeside Rodeo solely exists for Lakeside, the town of just over 20,000 in the East County region of San Diego County. The dozens of vol unteers who manned the parking lots, concession stands, production room and bleachers shared his mindset. “Not too many people know what rodeo is about,” Arm strong said. “They think there might be somebody up on the hill who is taking proceeds or profits. But what we make literally goes back to the community. It’s a heritage sport. It’s been around for years and years. And we’re able to give back to our community directly off the sport of rodeo.” Community cooperation is palpable at the Springville Sierra Rodeo, from the club concession booths to the pa rade downtown to the passion of every individual pitching in to make the show go on. “Everybody looks forward to it and it’s the highlight of the spring in Springville,” Springville committee President Dennis Corzine said. “Everybody wants to go to the rodeo. We don’t draw from a large area. We’re in the last week end of the month and we’re probably in one of the poorest counties in the state. But (the stands) fill up.” Rain showers were present before the second perfor mance of the Springville Sierra Rodeo on April 26. But when the clouds cleared, a crowd of close to 3,500 packed the beautiful arena nestled amongst sprawling hills. Corzine has served as the president of the Springville Ro deo Association for the last three decades. But his roots in the town of less than 1,000 people in California’s Central Valley date back to the 1800s. Dianne Shew, the Springville Vice President, was born and raised on the other side of the country in Tennessee. But when she moved to the West Coast, she quickly found a home on the Springville rodeo committee. “We came out to run the pack station and this rodeo was here,” Shew said. “When I first came, before I was in volved, I saw that it’s such a community event and there are so many kids and it’s a wonderful thing. It makes you see the other side of California. Rodeo brings families together. That’s what we saw, and we wanted to be a part of it.” Mark Thompson first got involved with the Clovis Ro deo when he was 18 years old. Now, he’s a fixture on the rodeo’s board of directors. His first job at the Clovis Rodeo was driving in the parade. Thompson slowly picked up more responsibility at the

ensuring that their event goes off without a hitch. They handle all the marketing, financial details and logistics on the ground, while making sure contestants receive ade quate hospitality.

Tim Armstrong began serving as the president of the El Capitan Stadi um Association, which runs the Lakeside Rodeo, four years ago. He’s fully invested in the Lakeside Rodeo, and so is his fam ily. It’s an event he cares deeply for, and one that helped shape him from a young age.

The Springville Sierra Rodeo celebrated its 75th anniversary this year in front of of packed grandstands. PRCA photo by Brett Schneider

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