Mounted Patrol Foundation - 4th of July Rodeo Scholarship program
The Mounted Patrol Foundation Scholarship program funds scholarships for students that are involved in equestrian activities. Since 2011, eleven scholarships have been awarded to deserving participants in the 4th of July Junior Rodeo. In recent years, the Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks donated funds for a second scholarship.
The awards are based upon the students' academic achievement, community service and equestrian skills and were established back in 2010 by the Honorable Bill Lane. Bill served honorably in WWII, then held senior positions in the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations, including two stints as an ambassador. Intertwined with his distinguished career in public service, Bill was Co-Chairman of Lane Publishing, the publisher of Sunset Magazine. Through all of that, Bill was an avid horseman, a great advocate for the Western Lifestyle, and a distinguished member of the Mounted Patrol.
Bill's donation to the Mounted Patrol Foundation was to establish an annual $2,000 scholarship to honor one high school student Rodeo participant whose activities will help preserve horsemanship and the western lifestyle. This tradition has been maintained to honor Bill Lane for all of his service to our country and to continue his legacy of preserving the western traditions that he so much loved. Since the scholarship's inception, it has been expanded to a second scholarship in a partnership with the Friends of Wunderlich and Huddart Parks..
For more information on Friends, click
Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Park website
There are two scholarships available designated as:
$2,000 sponsored by the Bill Lane Fund and Friends of Wunderlich and Huddart Parks for an outstanding High School student
$1,000 sponsored by the Mounted Patrol Foundation to honor a second deserving High School student.
To be eligible, high school Juniors and Seniors participating in the annual Mounted Patrol 4th of July Rodeo can apply and will be judged on academic standing, a written essay describing their educational goals and how these goals will help preserve horsemanship and the western lifestyle.
Mounted Patrol Foundation 2025 Rodeo Scholarship -Apply now
Rodeo participants can apply for the above scholarship awards by meeting the following requirements:
Be a high school junior or senior1.
2. Either A) be a rodeo contestant or B) be competing to be a Rodeo Queen/Princess at the 4th of July Woodside Junior Rodeo
3. Complete the Scholarship Application form, including the following:
● Submit an essay describing your educational goals, and how these goals will help preserve both horsemanship and the
western lifestyle that Bill Lane cultivated through his publishing business
● Submit either a sealed academic transcript or an electronic transcript directly from your school
● Submit two different clear photographs of yourself with your horse(s).
4. Completed and signed applications must be received by June 19th
Candidates will be evaluated on several criteria, including, but not limited to:
Timeline: Download the application form HERE Submit questions or completed application by e-mail, to:
RodeoScholarship@MountedPatrolFoundation.org
or by postal mail to:
● Rodeo involvement
● Financial need
● Academic record
● Extracurricular activities
● Work experiences
● Honors and awards
● Essay quality
June 19th - Completed and signed applications are due
June 30th - Winner will be selected
July 4th - Scholarships will be presented at the Woodside Junior Rodeo
Mounted Patrol Foundation 2024 Rodeo Scholarship Winners The $2,000 scholarship is awarded to Jackson Lee from San Carlos. He is planning to attend Montana State University. He competes in Chute Dogging, Steer Wrestling and team roping. He works as the top hand at Kastl Rock Ranch in Half Moon Bay, boarding and training horses. Mounted Patrol Foundation 2023 Rodeo Scholarship Winners Mounted Patrol Foundation 2022 Rodeo Scholarship Winners After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, we are excited to announce the 2022 winners. We had a number of highly qualified applicants making the choices very difficult. I am pleased to announce that the winner of our first place $2,000
Mounted Patrol Foundation
ATTN: Rodeo Scholarship Award
521 Kings Mountain Road
Woodside, CA 94062-4209
The winner of the $1,000 scholarship is Jessica Owens from Livermore. She is planning to study Equine science at Reno or San Luis Obispo. She was the Miss Livermore Junior Rodeo Queen, and teaches children with disabilities about horses. She is a first generation college student and supports the community in many ways
The winner of our first place $2,000 Bill Lane Scholarship goes Ryan Wells the second place $1,000 Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks Scholarship to Sophia Riccardo. Ryan attends Oakdale high school in Oakdale and graduates this year. He has many accolades in cowboy events and is a 4H member. Sophia is a Senior at Woodside High school and an excellent student. She is involved in Canada 4H and worked at the San Mateo Police Dept.
Sophia attends Woodside High School and will graduate in 2023. She grew up experiencing the Western lifestyle through her experience on her grandfather's ranch. That experience in part led Sophia to join 4H, in which she has excelled, raising many different animals and with them winning many awards. Sophia also had time to become an excellent softball player and one of the team leaders, all while maintaining a straight "A" 4.0 grade point average. Congratulations Sophia.
The winner of the $1,000 scholarship, sponsored by the Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich , Ryan Wells, is already the epitome of the Western lifestyle. Ryan attends Oakdale High School in Oakdale and will graduate in 2024. Ryan is an expert cowboy, having won last year's NCJRA All Around Senior Cowboy and NCJRA Tie Down Roping Champion. Ryan is also a 4H member, has won multiple 4H awards, and serves as his club President. Beyond that he finds time to play competitive baseball and soccer, while at the same time maintaining a 3.93 GPA, putting him in the top 5% of his class. Congratulations Ryan. For more information on Friends, click
Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Park website
Mounted Patrol Foundation 2021 Rodeo Scholarship -CANCELED
Next year. when hopefully the COVID-19 problems are resolved, we will again have the traditional rodeo, and again be offering scholarships. The scholarship information will be announced in March 2021.
Mounted Patrol Foundation 2020 Rodeo Scholarship is CANCELED
The 4th of July Rodeo has been canceled due to COVID-19. See you next year
Mounted Patrol Foundation Announces 2019 Rodeo Scholarship Winner
The Mounted Patrol of San Mateo County is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2019 academic scholarships. One scholarship funded by the
Bill Lane Scholarship fund a for $2,000 was awarded by the Mounted Patrol Foundation.
Makenna Byrne from Gridley CA was awarded this $2,000 scholarship at the 2019 4th of July Rodeo. She has an excellent academic record at Gridley High School. Her poem Where I am From was outstanding. Where_I_am_From by Makerna Byrne
Mounted Patrol Foundation Announces 2018 Rodeo Scholarship Winners
The Mounted Patrol of San Mateo County is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2018 academic scholarships. Two scholarships totaling $3,000 were awarded by the Mounted Patrol Foundation. A $2,000 scholarship funded by the Bill Lane Scholarship Fund administered by the Mounted Patrol Foundation and an additional $1,000 scholarship funded equally by The Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks and the Mounted Patrol Foundation. For more information on Friends, click
Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Park website
These scholarships were created to honor individuals that strive to support horsemanship and the western heritage lifestyle that the Honorable Bill Lane Jr cultivated through his lifetime work and as publisher of Sunset Magazine.
Winner of the $2,000 scholarship is Erin Shipely, of Madera California. Erin plans on attending California State University, Fresno and will compete on their rodeo team. Erin plans on attending medical school with the US Navy and become a cardiothoracic surgeon. Erin hopes that following medical school she wishes to compete in the professional rodeo association and start a business breeding barrel racing horses. We wish her all the best in her equine and educational endeavors.
Winner of the $1,000 scholarship is Kaitlin Raynor, of Woodside California. Kaitlin plans on attending UCLA in civil engineering. Kaitlin comes from a self described "horse obsessed family" and sees herself using her civil engineering to pursue a career in sustainable urban development that can be equine friendly allowing children the opportunity to grow up enjoying the equine lifestyle that she has enjoyed. We wish her nothing but success in her educational and equine future.
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History of the Mounted Patrol Rodeo Scholarships - 2011 to 2022
The Mounted Patrol Foundation has, annually since 2011, awarded a college scholarship to a deserving competitor in the Mounted Patrol's 4th of July Junior Rodeo. The source of the funds for the scholarships has been Lane family donations to the Foundation over the years, earmarked for the Rodeo, augmented by funds from other donors and from the Foundation's discretionary funds. The following is a listing of the past awardees:
| 2011 | Emilie Shadle | Tarleton State University | 1,000 |
| 2012 | Terrilyn Balaam | Feather River College | 1,000 |
| 2013 | Christine Flock | California Polytechnic University | 1,000 |
| 2014 | Austin Paddock | Merced College | 1,000 |
| 2015 | Morgan Peterson | Cuesta College | 1,000 |
| 2016 | Meredith Raynor | California Polytechnic University | 2,000 |
| 2017 | Emma Rosmando | Otterbein University | 2,000 |
| 2018 | Erin Shipley | California State University Fresno | 2,000 |
| 2018 | Kaitlin Raynor | UCLA | 1,000 |
| 2019 | Makenna Byrne | HS junior | 2,000 |
| 2020 | Rodeo Canceled | COVID | 0 |
| 2021 | Rodeo Canceled | COVID | 0 |
| 2022 | Sophia Riccardo | HS Junior | 2,000 |
| 2022 | Ryan Wells | HS Junior | 1,000 |
| 2023 | Ryan Wells | HS Senior | 2,000 |
| 2023 | Sophia Riccardo | HS Senior | 1,000 |
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