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Nestled
among the hills of northeastern Oregon lies Pendleton,
a town that keeps a low profile until the second week
in September when “all hell breaks loose”. It’s
the Pendleton RoundUp, which began in 1910. The town
comes alive during this hectic week. Every room in
town, and for miles around, is rented. Local residents
rent every square foot of space to RV and trailer
owners, and homes near the rodeo grounds make a
sizable amount of cash allowing people to park on
their premises. Not only is it a rip-roaring fun week,
but profitable to Pendleton, as well.
This
ninety-two year tradition is ‘history revisited’
every September. The rodeo is one of the biggest in
the country, all the top cowboys in the country want
to compete at Pendleton. Over 200 teepees are set up
by visiting Indians from various tribes. They wear
their traditional costumes, handed down from
generation to generation, and participate in the rodeo
by performing dances. Happy Canyon is a night show
that tells the history of the area, with multiple
sets, a large cast of players, including horses, oxen,
elk and other animals.
How
does a small town keep such a large project fresh and
alive year after year? Pendleton’s answer - their
volunteers. Over 700 people that live in the area
participate in the event. They leave their employment
to work in the hot sun and dust for the week for free,
and some never even get to see the performances, they
are so busy. But it is evident they enjoy their
participation as volunteers. Bob Miller, head of the
Press Room, has been on the Board of Directors for
eight years (the longest tenure allowed as a
director). He proudly related that they replenish
their stock of volunteers by having youngsters between
the ages and eight and fourteen help sort the stock
behind the chutes.
Will Hulden, age 8, and his horse, Jack, helped in the
arena during the rodeo. They herded calves and steers
to the pens outside after they were used in the roping
or steer wrestling events. Will is missing school at
Union, Oregon, to participate in the Pendleton RoundUp.
His mother, Ann, explained he had been at RoundUp
since he was born. The twenty-one students in his
class don’t think much of it when he misses this
week, he says. Will is a serious worker when doing his
job in the arena. His mount, Jack, is thirteen years
old, and Will just seems to be an extension of Jack,
or maybe Jack is just an extension of Will. The
handsome young cowboy had his first ride on Jack when
he was five weeks old. “Jack picked Will out as “his”
rider and constant companion,” said Will’s mom.
Pendleton
RoundUp is unique in that the arena is covered with
grass, surrounded by a race track. The arena is used
as the local high school football field but was
originally seeded to grass to keep the dust from
blowing. The ropers and steer wrestlers come across a
forty foot score line to enter the arena in a running
start, across the race track on to the grass. It can
be slippery and dangerous, but as local 94 year old
Monk Carden once said, “It just separates the men
from the boys.” Barrel racing was added to the
agenda two years ago and has the longest cloverleaf
pattern in prorodeo, in addition to being run on
grass. The distance is 1/8th
of a mile.
Winners
of this year’s RoundUp are: Bareback - Ken Lensegrav-
who said his goal was to win Pendleton this year. Calf
roping - Ricky Hyde. Scott Kormos broke the calf
roping record of 8.6 made in 1985, by tying his calf
in 8.0. Saddle bronc - Glen O’Neill, who rode Sankey’s
Skitso for a score of 87. K. C. Jones won the Steer
Wrestling. He broke the existing record of 4.0 set in
1992, by a time of 3.8 on Friday. Team roping - was
won by Brent Lockett and Liddon Cowden. Brahma Bull
Riding - Casey Baize won on Crank Shaft, a Corey &
Horst Rodeo Company bull to a score of 91. Steer
Roping was won by Jarrett Blessing. Barrel racing was
taken by Charmayne James, whose first-go time was
27.97, fastest time of everyone. Then came back in the
finals to beat her earlier time with a 27.50.
When
Bob Miller was asked what kept the Pendleton RoundUp
going he was quick to answer, “Ninety-two years of
tradition, recreating history in the arena, plus the
spirit and attitude of all those who participate.”
Amen!
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