New Year's Eve score: Bulls 28, Cowboys 6

With approximately 1,000 in attendance at the Pauline Davis Pavilion in Red Bluff, 28 of the nation's finest bull riders turned out to show their stuff to a small town crowd.

Among the cowboys were three of Shasta County's finest, Jay Foscalina of Cottonwood, Billy Soksoda of Happy Valley and J.T. Davis of Redding.

This year the cowboys were great, but the bulls were proven to be better. Both Soksoda and Davis made it back into the short go round to ride for a large undisclosed jackpot. Davis placed third with an 80-point ride. In first place was Thomas Bert with an average high point of 163 points, and in third was Brady Williams with an 83-point ride. Bert took home a gold buckle worth $5,000 and $5,600 in winnings.

Among the more seasoned bull riders at the New Year's Eve National Bullriding Championships were the younger cowboys and cowgirls competing in mutton busting, calf riding, steer riding and junior bulls. The mutton busting event was dominated by quite a few young ladies from around the area dressed to the T with boots, chaps and hats. Hayden Spalti won the event.

In steer riding, Nathaniel Jenkins of Anderson placed second with 65 points. Jenkins is a fifth-grader at Anderson Heights Elementary and will be headed to the World Finals in August in Fort Worth, Tex. He earned his spot at the finals last season competing in the WRBRA (Western Regional Bull Riders Association) Series.

Casey Meroshnekoff of Red Bluff, formerly of Anderson, placed first in the junior bulls with a total of 77 points on one bull.

Another highlight of the evening was the Table Mountain Casino poker game in the middle of the arena with a wild and woolly bull wanting to go cowboy tipping. The unknown winner took home $500 and bragging rights until next year.

Bull fighters Aaron Hargo and Rick Moffatt were there to save and protect all of the nights contestants from harm. Barrelman Dancin' Dwayne Hargo was also present to entertain the crowd.

For the second year in a row, nurses from St. Elizabeth's Hospital passed around a pink cowboy boot to raise money for an alarm system in the Maternity Ward at the hospital.

The night was finished off with music played by a local band and the New Year was rung in cowboy style, with dancing in the arena.The New Year's Eve National Bullriding Championships were put on by Diamond W productions of Chico.