El Dorado County sheriff’s deputies Brandon Leichd and Parker Hohman didn’t quite know what they had signed up for when they volunteered for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Rodeo. It wasn’t until they arrived that they learned they would be competing.
“I found out about this about 30 seconds ago,” Leichd said.
“He actually thought we were doing security,” Hohman chimed in.
They weren’t the only deputies headed into the arena. Sheriff’s offices from across California came to compete in the third annual event, which featured bull riding, mutton busting and roping alongside law enforcement-only competitions, including the Sheriff’s Stampede, where teams try to remove a ribbon from a bull’s tail. For some, it would be a new experience.
For some, it would be a new experience.
“I’ve never been to a rodeo a day in my life,” Hohman said.
But he wasn’t worried about El Dorado County’s chances.
“They seem to forget we’re a rural county, and we deal with it on a daily basis,” Hohman said. “We’re ready to go.”
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper launched the rodeo in 2024 as a fundraiser for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Foundation. It’s a nonprofit to support the Sheriff’s Office and foster positive relationships between law enforcement and young people in Sacramento County.
Miciah Whelan of Carmichael hadn’t planned on spending his Saturday night at a rodeo. But when his wife headed out for a girls’ day, he was looking for something to do with his 5-year-old daughter, Eliana.
Father and daughter are rodeo fans, and usually look forward to the bull riding. This time, Whelan was also curious about the deputies in the arena.
“We’ll see the SWAT team steer wrestling, the team event,” he said. “That’s kind of interesting. I’d like to see what’s going on with that.”
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