Allen is Champion Logger

Volney Dunavan / Community Correspondent

(Updated: Thursday, July 16, 2009, 4:02 PM)

North Fork's 50th Loggers Jamboree, "50 Years of Reflections," brought some new records to this annual celebration of the industry that once was the heartbeat of the town.

Riley Allen of Auberry edged Nathan Hodges to be named Champion Logger, thereby stopping Hodges from taking that title five years in a row. Riley is the son of Matt Allen of Auberry Forest Products.

Larissa Thornburg was crowned 2009 Logger's Jamboree Queen. Her sister Jennifer won in 1994 and her sister Tricia was Queen in 1999. Larissa, who was sponsored by The Buckhorn Saloon, sold a record 5,000 tickets.

In total, the four Queen candidates sold 8,381 tickets raising $16,762, which the North Fork Boosters will use for the free summer youth program at the recreation center.

Previous record holder was Amanda Wheeler who sold 3,310 tickets in 2002.

Honoring this year's Jamboree parade theme "Here Come the Queens" was a float with many of the Queens from past Jamborees including the first queen, Betty Vanderburg-Martin from 1962. Other past queens included: Charlene Porter-Powell (1965); Tami Ayers-Tyler (1976); Amy Killian (1992); Christina McDonald (1993); Jessica Coleman (1998); Tricia Thornburg (1999), Amanda Wheeler-Quigley (2002); Savannah Ward-Donahue (2003); Ashley Nabors-Shamblin (2006); and Sierra McGovran (2007).

A similar float carried many of the Champion Loggers from the past.

Commercial float winner was The Buckhorn Saloon.

The Sierra Mono Museum float was the Organizational winner and Daniel Tilden won for restoring Frosty Wilcox's '48 Dodge Panel Wagon. Sean Antill had the winning auto.

Jerry Manning again won as single male equestrian while the winning equestrian group was the Equine Emergency Evacuation team.

Special winner was the Circle W Fire Truck with its extra-special rider, television star Noah Wiley.