ProRodeo Sports News - April 17, 2020

on them,” DiDio laughed. “It’s a different life to see these guys in gold buckles help everyone look quote-unquote, ‘as purdy as possible.’” DiDio was handed the reins for the Wild Ride from her friend Maryanne Montandon. Now, DiDio and some of her friends help cowboys prepare behind the chutes and provide costumes for those who don’t bring their own. “If you want to see a grown man have a light in their eyes, put a can of silly string in their hands,” DiDio laughed. “It’s so much fun, and I’m honored to be part of it.” In addition to several tubs full of costumes, DiDio also brings 120 cans of silly string and 20 bottles of baby powder. “Within 5 minutes all of it’s gone,” DiDio said. “It’s a complete party.” Preparing for the Wild Ride is a yearlong process for DiDio. “I ask myself, ‘What do I want to see a grown man dressed up as coming out of a bucking chute?’” DiDio said. “Things are always changing, so if I did it right now, we would have the Tiger King.” The winner of the Wild Ride isn’t determined by the ride itself. The overall performance, costume and creativity are taken into account. Basically, the wildest one wins. “These guys are like, ‘If I’m going to do it, then let’s do it,’” DiDio said. “I talked Jake Wright into being Bruce Jenner and we had a Caitlyn Jenner, and I had the songs picked out for them to buck out to. For instance, Bruce Jenner had ‘Dude Looks Like A Lady.’ It has a half-million views online.” A wave of baby powder and silly string make coming out of the bucking chutes more difficult for the cowboy and more fun for the crowd. “It’s definitely one of the most popular things,” Miller said. “When the Wrangler Network streams it, they get half a million views just of the Wild Ride, and people come from far and wide just to see the craziness of it.” Although the Wild Ride isn’t part of the official competition, there’s still plenty of incentive to participate, with the winner taking home $1,500 and a new Cactus saddle worth more than $4,000. Second place earns $1,200, third gets $750 and fourth takes $500. “You’ll get some guys in crazy costumes and then when they get off the horse, they’ll do a little show, like some do a dance to get the crowd going,” Miller said. If the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t caused the 2020 Red Bluff Round-Up to cancel, this year’s musician, Chancey Williams, was slated to compete in the Wild Ride. The Wyoming musician was a PRCA saddle bronc rider in the mid-2000s. The 2020Wild Ride was also set to have a new feature that would allow fans to vote for the winner, but that will wait until next year when Red Bluff celebrates its centennial in 2021. “It’s going to grow more, and we want it to get bigger and better,” Miller said. “We’re going to start planning for 2021 and will continue it as our centennial anniversary. We’ll come back bigger, better and stronger.”

Rodeo Marvel Wild Ride Highlights Red Bluff Experience

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ProRodeo Sports News 4/17/2020

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