The Donny Martin Memorial Bull Ride in Penn Valley attracted 57 bull riders, 10 mutton busters, five calf riders, five calf-dressing teams and nine children who dressed as clowns.

Marilyn Bonnington, of the Penn Valley Rodeo Association, gave this explanation of the events:

“Mutton busting is for small kids riding sheep. Calf riding in for older youngsters. Calf dressing involves teams chasing a calf on foot and trying to put clothes on it,” Bonnington said.

“There are two kinds of rodeo clowns; both serve the purpose of distracting the bull so a rider can exit the arena safely,” she added. “One clown is a comic and one is a bull fighter who dresses in baggies but does very serious work protecting riders.”

Eight stock contractors brought the rod for the event as far as Morgan Hill and Fernley, Nevada, Sheridan, Angels Camp, Lincoln, Loma Rica.

Winners of the event last weekend were:

• Mutton Busting: Coal Barker, of Nevada County.

• Calf Riding: Ray Mayo, Clear Lake.

• Bull Riding: First place, Zach Sorenson, Oakdale; second place, Kris Mathews, Laytonville; third place, Leif Ferri, Laytonville; fourth place, DJ Cooper, Red Bluff; and fifth place, Brett Bush, Auburn.

• Calf Dressing: Donny Martin Scholarship Fund Team.

The event honors the life of Donald “Donny” Paul Martin, of Penn Valley, who worked the rodeo circuit for 20 years. Martin was named the 2007 Bull Fighter of the Year by the California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association.

He died in June 2008 at the age of 42 in Reno of injuries sustained in a bull-fighting accident. The memorial bull ride raises money for scholarship that is named after him.