The 2002 Mother Lode Round-Up Queen "Kie" Njirich
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Well, yet another Mother Lode Round-Up is now in the history books.
The week's activities came to a fitting and successful end Sunday with the second day of professional rodeo action at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds.
It seems like only yesterday that Kimberlie Njirich was crowned our 2002 Round-Up Queen, kicking off the official schedule of events.
Now in its 46th year, the Round-Up has been the Mother Lode's premiere annual event and features more than a week of family fun and celebration, Gold Country-style, paying tribute to our western heritage.
Wednesday, May 8, was the Tuolumne County Band Review. The downbeat started at 6 p.m. at Sonora High School's Dunlavy Field. This was an opportunity for area residents to see and hear all the local school bands that marched in the big parade Saturday, May 11.
Grand Marshall for the parade was fourth generation Tuolumne County resident and cattle rancher Milton "Punny" Dambacher, son of former Tuolumne County Sheriff Jack Dambacher and Della Dambacher.
And what a parade it was. Each year seems to get bigger and better. The world famous Mother Lode Round-Up Parade kicked off in Downtown Sonora at 10 a.m. Saturday, and featured nearly 200 parade entries marching, trotting and rolling down the entire length of Washington Street. The weather couldn't have been better for the parade, with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70's. As usual, thousands of spectators lined the street to watch and cheer.
And if that wasn't enough on Saturday, the parade crowd headed over to the fairgrounds for the first day of a weekend filled with bull riding and steer wrestling rodeo action. The day was topped off with a barbecue dinner and dance, also at the fairgrounds.
Mother's Day Sunday is always special at the Round-Up. A Mother's Day breakfast started things off at the fairgrounds celebrating this year's Mother Lode Round-Up Mother of the Year, Frances Ann Gerdau, mother of Tuolumne County Sheriff's Posse Captain Vern Gerdau.
After a Cowboy Church service with Coy Huffman put the day in perspective, it was time to cowboy-up and rodeo once more; a fitting conclusion to this year's grand event.
We'd be amiss if we didn't mention the renowned Calcutta event at the Sheriff's Posse Grounds in Jamestown that took place Thursday, May 9, The Great Steak Barbecue trail ride and dance that kicked-off the 2002 Round-Up festivities back in April, and a Cowboy Christian concert Friday, May 10 at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. | 
