Cottonwood cowboy's dreams coming true

PREPARING TO RIDE:
Danny Webb of Cottonwood tapes up his riding hand as he gets ready to ride his bareback horse at the California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Associations State Finals Rodeo in September.

Danny Webb, a 21-year-old from Cottonwood, has recently qualified for his second trip to the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming in the bareback riding event.

Webb is ranked number two in the nation going into the National Finals Rodeo. Webb missed being ranked number one by five points. This year he and other bareback riders have been trading positions in the event with each rodeo they compete in.

The young cowboy clenched his spot in the College National Finals Rodeo when he won the North Western Regional Finals a few weeks ago in Las Vegas. He will be leaving next week to travel to compete in the College National Finals Rodeo, which will take place on June 15 through June 20. He will be traveling with his cousin and fellow bareback rider Steven Peebles of Redmond, Oregon.

Webb began riding bareback horses while attending West Valley High School. He is currently attending Feather River College in Quincy on a rodeo scholarship.

In addition riding bareback at the college level, Webb is also riding in the California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association, where he is ranked second in the event. There are three and a half months left in this season before the state finals which will be held in Redding. Webb is also competing in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeos.

"A cowboy is exactly what Danny is," said his father Bob. "When he is not in school he is working out riding bucking horses, spending time in the gym, doing class work, competing in rodeos, eating and working on a ranch. Danny also enjoys going to see youth that are in the hospital to make their day a bit brighter. He is a true cowboy."

Webb began riding bareback horses when he was a sophomore in high school and has been at it ever since. In his career he has competed at the state and national levels in high school, spent the past two years competing at the college level. This will be his second time attending the College National Finals Rodeo. Webb has also competed at the California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association Finals. He has attended college thus far since high school on rodeo scholarships from Western Texas College, Blue Mountain College in Pendleton, Oregon and Feather River College. His major is Agricultural Business.

At the College National Finals Rodeo, Webb will attempt to ride four bareback horses in search of one of the goals he has set for himself, to win the college national finals. Last year, Webb placed eleventh in the event overall.

There are a total of five students from Feather River College attending the finals in Casper to compete in the College National Finals Rodeo.

Webb began participating in the sport of rodeo in sixth grade riding in Junior Rodeos around the Salinas area. Webb's family then moved to the North State to get away from the fast paced life and live in the country. Webb is a 2006 graduate of West Valley High School and is the son of Bob and Jeanette Webb of Cottonwood. Webb has two siblings, Travis and Cheyenne Webb.

Before getting on his bareback horses, Webb pictures his ride in his head and gets ready for a fast-paced, physical ride. He can be heard by others telling himself to "spur" and to "be a cowboy."