Loot found! Lone Stranger, Sidekick still at large in Asphalt Cowboys rodeo week mock robbery

Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight
Updated ·4 min read

A Redding woman found the loot on the first day of the Asphalt Cowboys' Redding Rodeo week contest.

Chantel Davis discovered the loot on Tuesday morning. The envelope was taped underneath a bench at Redding Municipal Airport, Asphalt Cowboy Dave Tappan said.

Davis won $500 for finding the loot on the first day of the four-day contest.

But the Lone Stranger and Sidekick are still at large, Tappan jokingly cautioned.

Guess their identities correctly for $500 on Monday; or check the second clue on Wednesday, guess correctly and win $400.

Scroll down for details.

Original story: Lone Stranger, Sidekick (mock) rob bank in Redding Rodeo week contest

The Asphalt Cowboys' annual mock bank robbery and citywide search contests kicked off Tuesday after nefarious (mock) robbers Lone Stranger and Sidekick struck again.

They rode into town for their annual Redding Rodeo week (mock) crime spree. But the Asphalt Cowboys are fixin’ to find them and their ill-gotten loot.

You can help in the search, too.

Win up to $500 for solving clues in either the contest to find the 'stolen' loot, or identify the Lone Stranger and Sidekick.

Here's what went down Tuesday morning.

Two local celebrities dressed as the desperate desperadoes moseyed into the Golden Valley Bank on Hemsted Drive in Redding and made off with the loot, Asphalt Cowboy Dave Tappan said.

As usual, members of the North State philanthropic organization the Asphalt Cowboys were in hot pursuit. But the mangy suspects gave them the slip ― as they've done for more than 50 years, Tappan said.

North State residents can win cash by solving daily clues and guessing the identity of the Lone Stranger and Sidekick and by finding the loot. Scroll down for the first clue in each contest.

There's a new clue published at Redding.com daily and the reward amounts for each contest drops by $100 each day. Friday is the last day to play.

Here are the rules:

  • The loot is never hidden on private property, only on public land.

  • The loot never requires digging or climbing, so don't dig up lawns or scale cliffs.

  • All clues are written with purpose. There are no unintentional spelling mistakes or punctuation mistakes, so take them at face value.

  • To win the contest to identify the Lone Stranger and Sidekick, you must identify both people correctly.

Call 530-223-1188 to identify the Lone Stranger and Sidekick.

If you find the loot, follow the instructions with it to claim your prize.

If no one correctly guesses the disguised villains' identity by this weekend or finds the look, those no-good-nicks will get away with the money, Tappan said.

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Contest tips from past winners

Past winners and Asphalt Cowboys offered suggestions for those who play to win:

  • The Lone Stranger and Sidekick are disguised, but it helps to be familiar with community leaders and business owners ahead of time. Keep up on the news at redding.com.

  • Don’t just look for names in the riddles. Look for key words that help identify the real professions of the Lone Stranger and Sidekick.

  • There’s no penalty for incorrect guesses, so it's OK call to guess several times.

  • Try to figure out the general location of the look in the first clue, from Tuesday.

  • Say the clues out loud. You might hear a pattern that gives you insight.

Return to Redding.com for more clues on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, or until the Asphalt Cowboys announce winners in both games.

Clue 1 to the Lone Stranger's and Sidekick's identities

Into the forest the crooks they did flee,With their wheelchairs and canes and pesos aplenty.They fled to the south with glee and great smiles,Under the night sky for miles and miles.

Clue 1 to find that loot

The Stranger and sidekick fled from the scene,Trying to hide the loot from eyes to be seen.They thought of a place to hide their full bag,But the time that it took created a lag.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Solve clues, win cash in Asphalt Cowboys' Redding Rodeo week contest