CATTLE DRIVE
Paasche, family and friends cheered horses, cattle and a few floats passing by their spot along the cattle drive route through Marysville.
“It was really cool to be able to experience this with my son,” said Jennifer Paasche.
It was an evening built around family and connecting both cities to the Marysville Stampede.
“The cool thing is Kellie Geweke Sheeran helped us get all the local high school Future Farmers of America clubs involved,” said Reno Rosser, with the Flying U Rodeo. “We’re trying to connect both sides of the community to the Marysville Stampede.”
Sheeran rounded up people from five FFA clubs to build floats and convinced two bands to play – one in Yuba City and one in Marysville.
“We thought it would be good to connect the local ag community and the FFA clubs with the Marysville Stampede,” said Sheeran, who is a member of Friends of the Marysville Stampede. “It was fun to get the kids involved.”
Ellie Landers, the Wheatland Union High School FFA adviser, said her club wanted to showcase the area’s top crops and add some education for flavor.
“We wanted to make our float about ag, rodeo and the top commodities, with a little education,” she said. “We have facts about rice, pumpkins for Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm, walnuts and almonds.”
Justyne Lindley, 17, a Wheatland Union High senior and president of the FFA club, said it’s good to promote the area.
“It was exciting to create the float and to promote the FFA clubs in the area,” she said.
Erin Peters, the River Valley High School FFA adviser, said her club jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the cattle drive.
“Our kids really want to be involved in the community,” she said. “As soon as we were invited, they were super excited to be a part of the tradition.”
Rosser had been at rodeos in Monterey and Barstow before returning to Yuba-sutter for the Marysville Stampede.
“This is my dad’s favorite time of the year, because of the Marysville Stampede,” Rosser said, of his father and rodeo legend Cotton Rosser.