ROPED BY THE RODEO : ROYAL HIGH GRADUATE BUSY ON COMPETITION CIRCUIT, AIMS FOR PRO CAREER.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer Talk to Mike DeVan for a couple of minutes and you'd swear he was born and raised on a farm somewhere in Texas. He talks about steer wrestling and calf roping and getting in his truck and driving all night to Oklahoma for a rodeo. On first impression alone, he's a cowboy through and through. Actually, DeVan is a Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, native who just happens to prefer farms and cattle to surf and sand. He's a cowboy, all right, but he'll always stay true to his Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. roots. More and more, however, the pull of rodeo is taking him in a direction that he hopes will lead to a professional career somewhere down the line. A 1996 graduate of Royal High School, DeVan stays busy these days competing in rodeos There are literally thousands of Rodeos held worldwide each year. Some of the more notable or significant are listed below. Brazil São Paulo
AlbertaIn June, he and partner Caleb Twissleman of Santa Margarita Santa Margarita ("Saint Margaret") may refer to:
``I've been involved in rodeo ever since I can remember,'' DeVan said Wednesday before jumping into a truck and driving to Turlock for a rodeo. ``It's just something I really enjoy doing.'' DeVan played baseball while at Royal, but rodeo is what he loves to do most. His favorite events are steer wrestling and team roping. DeVan got involved in the sport through a friend of his mother and father, who own a ranch in Somis. Ever since then, he's competed in rodeos on the junior high and high school level. In 1993 he won the high school state team roping championship with the help of Oxnard resident Gene Woods. DeVan is the second person to win the honor twice in a high school career. His secret? Work. ``It takes practice to get good at it,'' DeVan said. ``A lot of practice.'' DeVan recently won a $2,500 purse at a rodeo in Oklahoma. Typically, he'll compete in as many as 100 rodeos a year. In his effort to qualify for a professional career, he must send away for a professional permit, then accumulate $1,000 in purse winnings in the pro circuit. Then comes the real challenge: Making a living on the circuit. ``I'd just like to give it a shot and see if I can be any good at it.'' DeVan's love of rodeo initially raised a few eyebrows among his teammates on the Royal baseball team. It took a little while for them to come around, but they eventually did. ``I think when they first met me, they thought it was a little weird,'' he remembers. ``But after a while, they adjusted to it. Most (students) thought it was pretty cool because nobody else does it.'' Should he carve out Carve out Usually occurs when a company decides to IPO one of their subsidiaries or divisions. The company usually only offers a minority share to the equity market. Also known as equity carve out. a living on the pro rodeo circuit, DeVan has already set his sights on another goal. ``I think everybody who competes in rodeo would like to go to the nationals and win a world championship,'' he said. ``Just like a basketball player wants to play in the NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= , winning a world championship is every little roper's dream.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Mike DeVan prepares to load quarter horses that will be going with him to a rodeo in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern . He and a partner won a state title. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News |
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