News and Notes from the Rodeo Trail, Sept. 8
Steve Kenyon will be airing a live simulcast of the Spokane (Wash.) Interstate Rodeo at 7 p.m. (PT) Sept. 11-12 on ProRodeoLive.com and will then cover the final round of the Justin Boots Playoffs in Puyallup, Wash., at 1 p.m. (PT) Sept. 13. The following week, ProRodeoLive will broadcast the first four performances of the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up. For the final round on Sept. 19, the action will air online and on SiriusXM RuralRadio, channel 80.
Twenty-two U.S. military veterans were recognized by the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo crowd during the Sept. 4 performance. It was the third year military veterans were given special recognition during the rodeo, with last year focusing on World War II vets. Rodeo board member Kerry Clift, in charge of organizing the annual ceremonies, said planning is underway for next year’s recognition. Clift gives the credit to Jan and Skip Lebo of Ellensburg for making the WWII and Korean War vets’ gatherings a success. “They are so dedicated to making sure these veterans are recognized in their lifetimes; and Jan has so much energy and enthusiasm,” Clift said.
Longtime PRCA member Dustin Brewer has decided to retire from bullfighting after 27 years. He worked his hometown rodeo in Elk City, Okla., over Labor Day weekend, and will now transition to the clown/barrelman side of rodeo. The 46-year-old has worked major rodeos across the country, including Tucson, Ariz., Greeley, Colo., Oakley, Utah, and Salt Lake City. “I just love the sport,” Brewer said, “the camaraderie between everybody, the atmosphere.”
Cliff Gage attended his 92nd Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo over the weekend. The 100-year-old has been to the rodeo every year since the first performance in 1923.
The Sept. 3 Drums of Fame art auction in Ellensburg raised $35,250, bringing the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame that much closer to making its dream of erecting a museum a reality. Local artists decorated 28 drums made by Yakama Nation drum-makers for the event. Joel Smith, president of the non-profit Hall of Fame board, said $14,000 came in from drum sponsors. The auction generated $21,250, as 27 of the drums were sold. Nearly 300 people attended the Hall of Fame’s induction banquet and auction at the SURC Ballroom on the campus at Central Washington University.
Ellensburg Rodeo Board member Ron Mitchell will leave the board at the conclusion of this year’s rodeo season. Mitchell, 62, is a 20-year member of the nonprofit Ellensburg Rodeo Association Board, and Board President Gene Dana said Mitchell’s background as a former PRCA tie-down roper was extremely valuable to the rodeo’s performance. “He has truly been instrumental in the advancement of the Ellensburg Rodeo,” Dana said. Mitchell, owner-operator of Midstate Aviation at Bowers Field, said in his younger years he competed at most of the rodeos in the Pacific Northwest.
The Children’s Rodeo at the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 17, and this year special needs children between the ages of 5-12 are invited to participate. Paired with their own cowboy, the children ride horses, run a barrel racing course with stick horses, balance on a hand-rocked bull, rope hay-bale steers, pull a ribbon off a goat’s tail, ride in a horse-drawn carriage and milk a cow. “It just means a lot to the kids,” said Karen Parker, Children’s Rodeo director and administrative assistant at InterMountain Education Service District. “The smiles on their faces says it all. They smile and relax and have such a great time.” Every year, nearly 80 volunteers from the IMESD, the Round-Up Association and the Pendleton community work together to make the event a success.
The Dodge City (Kan.) Roundup has partnered with the Wrangler Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign since 2008 in an effort to raise money to fight cancer. This year, the Dodge City TETWP committee surpassed its $200,000 goal. All monies stay in Southwest Kansas and go directly to patients and families affected by cancer.
Hood River Distillers, makers of Pendleton Whisky – the official spirit of the PRCA – have announced the creation of a new product – Pendleton Midnight – a premium select 90 proof Canadian whisky. It will be available in select markets beginning in September. For more information about the product and cocktail recipes, visit PendletonWhisky.com or Facebook.com/PendletonWhisky
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I knew I was going to be pushing on time. I literally pulled in, was able to change clothes – thank goodness – and throw on my rodeo gear. I just tried to be mentally tough and not get myself worked up, and focus on my job.”
– Bareback rider Winn Ratliff explaining his travel problems due to a delayed flight before winning the Elk City (Okla.) Rodeo Sept. 5
Courtesy of PRCA