After more than two decades of growing and nurturing the California ranch sorting scene, Wendy Wedemeyer is stepping down as the RSNC producer to allow new blood to take over.
“Ranch sorting has been such an important part of my life for the last 20 years,” Wedemeyer said.
Living in Ada, Oklahoma, with her 92-year-old mother, Wedemeyer commuted to California to produce events. The recent strain of travel and the theft of her laptop led her to make the decision to step back.
Although her truck may no longer be rolling up and down California highways, the foundation she built and the people she trained through experience remain firmly in place.
From California Cowgirl to Coast-to-Coast Producer
Wedemeyer’s journey into ranch sorting started horseback, not behind a producer’s table.
“I was a cowgirl; I grew up horseback,” Wedemeyer said. “Anything to do with horses chasing cows, I was all in.”
Coming from a team penning background, Wedemeyer was drawn to ranch sorting for its accessibility and family focus.
“I couldn’t afford to cut,” Wedemeyer said. “It was way too pricey. I had two kids—two girls—and if we didn’t have a chance of winning our money back, we couldn’t go play.”
That practicality and empathy for the everyday competitor became the hallmark of her producing career.
When ranch sorting was first introduced by the Ranch Sorting National Championships, Wedemeyer was there. She remembers receiving early RSNC newsletters in the mail and calling founder Dave Wolfe, intrigued but hesitant.
“I was afraid of the computer part of it,” Wedemeyer said. “I did everything by paper. That was probably the only thing that scared me about jumping in.”
With help from the RSNC office, she learned the system—and her business, Cow Pony Productions, soon became the consistent ranch sorting producer in California.
Wedemeyer’s territory was vast. She traveled from Red Bluff in Northern California down through Paso Robles, Monterey, Santa Maria and beyond—often crossing into Nevada and logging thousands of miles as she introduced ranch sorting to fairs, expos and new venues.
“California had lost so much of their fair budgeting,” Wedemeyer explained. “Facilities were all looking for something to fill their bleachers that didn’t cost a lot. Ranch sorting was the perfect match. It drew people. It was a great spectator sport, and people could understand it.”
Building Something Bigger Than a Show
Some of Wedemeyer’s most memorable events weren’t defined by prize money or a huge production—but by ingenuity and belief.
One of those moments came at Rolling Hills Casino in Northern California.
“We put up pipe pens in a vacant lot,” Wedemeyer said. “My office was the back of a flatbed trailer, and we announced and ran over 500 teams that weekend. No lights—just daylight till dark.”
That temporary setup helped spark something permanent.
“That sorting was instrumental in [the venue] building a huge equine facility,” Wedemeyer said. “Covered arenas, beautiful barns. It showed them this could be a money maker.”
Another milestone came at the iconic Cow Palace just north of San Francisco, where Wedemeyer brought ranch sorting to the Grand National Rodeo.
“That was exciting for me,” Wedemeyer said. “I went there when my kids were little. To bring ranch sorting into that venue … it was special.”
At the Paso Robles Mid-State Fair, a one-day weekday show grew into a two-day weekend event at one of California’s most prominent fairgrounds.
But for Wedemeyer, success was never just about scale; it was about knowing her crowd.
“I think that’s why I was successful as a producer,” Wedemeyer said. “I had been a contestant for so long. I tried to run my shows for the contestant. This is about you guys. Without contestants, you don’t have a show.”
She remembers beginners entering their first class, hesitant and unsure—then leaving with a brewing addiction.
“I tell them, ‘Now you’re hooked,’” Wedemeyer recalled, laughing. “Watching that excitement, that’s what stayed with me.”
A Family Affair—And a Legacy Continued
Ranch sorting, for Wedemeyer, was always family-centered—both literally and figuratively.
“My daughter announced all the shows,” Wedemeyer said of Mandy Lizama. “My son-in-law Pedro was my cattle guy. We were a really good team.”
And then there is her granddaughter, Lily Lizama.
“I have pictures of my granddaughter and me winning at Monterey,” Wedemeyer said. “She was 5 or 6 at her first RSNC Finals.”
Today, Lily is an accomplished rider and announcer—and one of the people Wedemeyer is trusting with the future.
“She’s who I handed the reins over to,” Wedemeyer said of her granddaughter, who will partner with longtime friend and fellow producer Cheyenne Barcelona under the name Just Keep Riding Events. They have their first sorting planned for the weekend of March 28 in Lemoore, California.
For Wedemeyer, the transition is a bittersweet relief.
“I told people, ‘I will not let my legacy die. I will not leave California high and dry. And they’ve stepped up. I wanted that young blood and energy.”
As she looks back, Wedemeyer doesn’t measure her career in team counts or payouts—though some shows reached 700 or more teams. Instead, they are rooted in the people.
“That’s what I’ll miss,” Wedemeyer said. “Watching the contestants have fun.
The goal has always been the same. In ranch sorting communities throughout California, this aspiration and appreciation run deep.
This article is featured in the Winter 2026 edition of The Ranch Sorter.
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