Oakhurst student ropes championship
Stan Branco

BY EARLENE WARD - FOR THE SIERRA STAR

Stan Branco is the 2004 Wrangler State Champion in California for calf roping and all-around cowboy at the high school level. He’s a senior at Glacier High School Charter in Oakhurst and is, according to Principal Mike Cox, “a good kid and he’s handling his success well.”

Branco, who lives in Chowchilla, enrolled in Glacier this year because, as he says, “My greatest deal was to come here.”

Glacier is for students who are home schooled and is part of the Yosemite Joint Union High School District. Branco comes up to the school about once a month and does his work at home or on the road, under the supervision of his parents, the rest of the time.

He is on the road going to rodeos about one month of school days each year and, he said, there were no schools in Chowchilla that could accommodate that.

He also goes to rodeos almost every weekend of the year and he practices roping and bulldogging almost daily. In addition to this schedule, he works in Galt two days a week shoeing horses.
Branco, who turned 18 Oct. 13, will most likely compete at the amateur level this year, although he is now eligible to compete at the professional level. Until this year he has competed at the high school level. He says he might go to a few professional rodeos this year but his dad, Larry Branco, thinks he should go amateur for awhile.

Rodeo is a long-time tradition in the Branco family. On his mother’s side he is the fifth generation and on his father’s side he is third generation.

His mom, Jody Branco, ropes and barrel races and his dad ropes.
He says they are glad he enjoys rodeo, as do his two brothers. His brothers, one younger and one older, both rope and the younger one may start bulldogging in a couple years.

Branco started throwing calves several years ago to prepare for bulldogging but he didn’t start jumping off a horse until he was 15 or 16. “That was almost too young,” he says. He broke his arm just below the shoulder a couple years ago.

In bulldogging, the cowboy jumps off the horse and wrestles a calf to the ground by twisting its head.

Branco admires three-time world bulldogging champion Johnny Jones, because of his “finesse” in taking the calves down. He says it’s how the cowboy shapes the steer to their own body to get them down that is more important than the size and strength of the cowboy.

However, at six foot-four inches and 225 pounds, Branco has plenty of size and strength if he needs to use it.

Branco also does calf roping and team roping on the rodeo circuit and he has done some cutting horse events at high school rodeos.
This year Branco made it to the nationals in calf roping, team roping and bulldogging. The event was held in Wyoming and included the top four people in each event from every state in the United States, from Canada and Australia. The nationals are the top level for high school rodeos.

At the nationals, he placed fifth in a round of team roping and was in the top 20 in bulldogging.

The world championships are the highest level for professional rodeo. Branco’s dream is to one day win the world all-around title. He says the world competition “is a big deal.”

In team roping, where two people rope the same steer, Branco ropes the head and is starting to practice to rope the heels.
He practices “lots of hours” every week to perfect his skills.
As the state all-around cowboy, Branco won a horse trailer and a saddle. He won five or six other saddles this year and, he says “I don’t know how many buckles.” He has sold two or three saddles but he rides the rest of them except the all-around saddle that he will most likely keep for display.

If a person does well at the high school level they might be able to earn enough prize money to cover their fees; at the junior rodeo those who do well can start to earn some money.

While Branco wants to be in professional rodeos, he intends to go to college and major in business or agriculture business. He hopes to go to Cuesta or Cal Poly so he will be near Jones and can train with him. He says he’s gotten a couple of offers from colleges in Texas but does not plan to accept them.

Cox says Branco is “doing spectacularly well” in school with a 3.7 grade point average.

The principal goes on to say that Branco “is a good student because he’s a good guy. He’s humble and respectful and that’s who he is.”
Thinking about what he likes best about rodeo, Branco says “it’s all fun, I don’t know what’s the most fun.”

He does know, however, that “you need a lot of support.” You can do it alone, he says, but it’s really hard. The important thing for Branco is that “you’ve got to have a good attitude, win or lose.”

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