A drive to Reno - with cattle

For some people, the Reno Rodeo, June 17-26, will be the end of the trail. Five days before the event, 50 would-be cowboys and cowgirls will saddle up to drive 300 head of cattle from Doyle (Lassen County), northwest of Reno, to the rodeo grounds. Trail Boss Brad Sidener says the five-day cattle drive could be a transformative journey.

At Reno's 91st annual rodeo, professional cowboys will compete in bull riding, roping, steer wrestling and other events for a share of $2 million in prize money. Carnival rides, a Western-themed marketplace and a downtown Reno parade complement the competition.

About 135,000 spectators and 900 competitors - including 2009 All-Around World Champion Trevor Brazile - are expected, according to the rodeo's director of communications, Steve Schroeder. The event's 10-day length, he says, makes it one of the longest rodeos in the country.

The cattle drive is open to just about anyone, regardless of riding experience. Trail boss Sidener, 49, says people who make the drive range from those who have been riding for years to those who have only ridden a horse that required the deposit of a quarter.

Half the participants on the drives are women, and adults of all ages have taken part. Guest riders, who pony up $1,600 each (horse and saddle included), are divided into teams of about six. Each team is under the eye of a wrangler, an experienced cowhand or "cattle drive concierge," as Sidener puts it.

Each day, the drive covers 12 to 22 miles with the amateur drovers spending between 5 and 7 1/2 hours in the saddle. The route takes the drive through city and county land, Bureau of Land Management territory and private property, thus a variety of permissions and approvals are necessary to move the cattle.

Sidener wants to make the drive as authentic to the 1800s as he can. Guest are required to wear denim jeans, cowboy hats and high-heeled boots. Chaps recommended. No tennis shoes, tank tops or baseball caps allowed.

The cowboys and cowgirls are permitted to take 40 pounds of clothes, toiletries and equipment, to be hauled in a covered wagon. Some people bring tents, says Sidener, but most choose to sleep outdoors with the crew.

One part of the drive never seen on the Chisholm Trail: seared ahi. Catered gourmet meals are served every evening and a complete open bar is included. To combat trail dust, another modern convenience was added recently: hot showers.

"I wasn't really excited about it at first," Sidener says. "I like jumping in the horse trough."

Sidener, perhaps appropriately, is a physical therapist. He's the son of a rodeo cowboy and has been on the drives in various capacities, for 17 years.

"Some people have - I won't say a religious experience - but an experience out there," he says. "They're just relying on their horse. They're not on their cell phones, they don't have streetlights or alarm systems. They sleep under the stars and they relax. Day after day, the cattle-drive experience changes their outlook on life."

If this sounds appealing, plan for next year. Sidener says the drive fills up about six months in advance. In the meantime, you can watch the drovers and beeves on the streets of Reno, as the drive's noontime arrival in the city June 17 is the rodeo's first spectator event. {sbox}

Reno Rodeo: Day and evening events June 17-26. Reno Livestock Events Center, 1350 N. Wells Ave., Reno. $15-$25. (800) 225-2277. www.Renorodeo.com.

E-mail freelancer Mark S. Bacon at pinkletters@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page Q - 45 of the San Francisco Chronicle