El Dorado County sheriff\u2019s deputies Brandon Leichd and Parker Hohman didn\u2019t quite know what they had signed up for when they volunteered for the Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Rodeo. It wasn\u2019t until they arrived that they learned they would be competing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found out about this about 30 seconds ago,\u201d Leichd said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe actually thought we were doing security,\u201d Hohman chimed in.<\/p>\n
They weren\u2019t the only deputies headed into the arena. Sheriff\u2019s 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\u2019s Stampede, where teams try to remove a ribbon from a bull\u2019s tail. For some, it would be a new experience.<\/p>\n
For some, it would be a new experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been to a rodeo a day in my life,\u201d Hohman said.<\/p>\n
But he wasn\u2019t worried about El Dorado County\u2019s chances.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey seem to forget we\u2019re a rural county, and we deal with it on a daily basis,\u201d Hohman said. \u201cWe\u2019re ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper launched the rodeo in 2024 as a fundraiser for the Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Foundation<\/a>. It\u2019s a nonprofit to support the Sheriff\u2019s Office and foster positive relationships between law enforcement and young people in Sacramento County.<\/p>\n Miciah Whelan of Carmichael hadn\u2019t planned on spending his Saturday night at a rodeo. But when his wife headed out for a girls\u2019 day, he was looking for something to do with his 5-year-old daughter, Eliana.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see the SWAT team steer wrestling, the team event,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of interesting. I\u2019d like to see what\u2019s going on with that.\u201d<\/p>\n ____________<\/p>\n \u00a92026 The Sacramento Bee.<\/p>\n Visit\u00a0sacbee.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n