Amped Up Bull Riding Tour rides solo in California for 2022

A rider in the Amped Up Pro Bull Riding Tour tries to keep his balance during event at the Moniteau County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. (Democrat photo/Kaden Quinn)
A rider in the Amped Up Pro Bull Riding Tour tries to keep his balance during event at the Moniteau County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. (Democrat photo/Kaden Quinn)

California's Rafter J Cattle Company, along with the Amped Up Pro Bull Riding Tour, found success Saturday at their first solo ride.

Because of its popularity the last three years during the Moniteau County Fair, Rafter J owner Darrell Wegener decided it was time to bring a standalone bull-riding event to the area this year.

As part of the fair, there was already a built-in audience, But with such a large crowd the event typically brought in, Wegener began to think it might be popular enough to stand on its own for a night in California.

So a break between other community events paved the way for of something new.

"This is the start of what we want to create for the future. We want to bring a good rodeo to California, our hometown community," he said. "I want the community to look forward to our rodeo ... because it's a nice break. The fair's over for two or three weeks (and then) we got the Ham and Turkey Festival coming up. This fits in right in the middle of it. It kind of gets everybody out of the house and has them have a good time. That's what we want to do."

Working closely with Amped Up owners Isaiah and Ashley Dunn, Wegener said he created a night where they could come together for a new event.

The Amped Up Pro Bull Riding Tour is a rodeo series that's been operating throughout the midwest for several years, he said. The Rafter J Cattle Company works as a stock contractor, allowing its bulls to be used in competitions.

"We compete at their events. We're stock contractors. We haul our bulls, and we put up an entry fee, and we compete at their events, and that's the way they're set up. ...We've been doing their rodeo series for about six years now. And it's just a good fit," Wegener explained. "We wanted to have a tour stop here in California. We wanted to bring Amped Up productions in here and help us run a show."

The rodeo on Saturday featured a variety of smaller events including children's mutton busting, bull riding, junior bull riding, barrel racing and freestyle bull riding.

Wegener credits the Outpost Bar and Grill in Centertown for helping put together the rodeo's afterparty and beer garden as well as live entertainment from the Shiloh County Band.

He said his favorite part of the night was the bull riders. Wegener said the show had some of the best bull riders Amped Up brought in all year, noting the bulls and bull riders acted top-notch.

"We had some guys that are in the top of the world in the professional bull riding that was here and our event," Wegener said. "Jack Gilmore, who won our event, he's in the top 25 in the world -- he is a good bull rider. We had several other kids. Zane Cook, he's a four-time PBR world finalist that was here at our event. That was my favorite part. I mean, I'm partial, because I'm a bull guy. But we had a really good pin of bulls and good bull riders."

Wegener said he wants to build on the event and its afterparty going forward. He wants to create something that lets people come out, have a good time and let loose as he makes it an annual event.

"I think it was really good (on Saturday). We did a rough ballpark count, I think we had 800 to 900 people there," he said. "So that's our first year doing it outside of the fair. ... I think that was a very positive turnout for our first year, and it kind of lets the community know that, 'Hey, well, this is what kind of we expect.' So I think in the years moving forward, that we'll do better and better."

  photo  Democrat photos/Kaden Quinn: Attendees dance with the Shiloh Country Band on Aug. 27, 2022, during the afterparty of that night's event.
 
 
  photo  Democrat photos/Kaden Quinn: Young cowgirls participate in barrel races Aug. 27, 2022, during a break between bull riding sets.