Ranch Rodeo

After the Amy Hafer Race, I ran home to get a shower (a well needed one) and get ready for the Kickoff to Chief Joseph Days Ranch Rodeo. My mom secured Brooke and I with some pretty snazzy outfits oversized pants, suspenders, loads of bandanas, and face paint - rodeooooo clowns! Brinda, our chaperone, told us our duty was to help out with mutton bustin' and draw for the National Finals Rodeo raffle. As the kids hung over the chutes, my memory wandered to when I participated in the mutton bustin' at Chief Joseph Days so many years ago. My clammy hands clinging to my mom. My green velvet helmet with a chin-strap (yes a chin strap). I was never any good at it - barely stayed on for three seconds. And to be honest, I have no idea why I ever signed up... I have a feeling my mom had something to do with it. Entertainment probably. Haha! However, some of these kids were serious about their rides. They clung on like there was no tomorrow - even as they hung sideways off the sheep nearly grazing the ground with their head. There are three styles of mutton: the runners, the jumpers, and the runner-jumpers. Sometimes you'll find one that just likes to stand around, which is good for staying on, but bad for your score. Brooke and I were told to direct the mutton so that they didn't slam the kids into the fence and once the kid was off, to chase the animal down and pull of the rope. Haha. Fat chance. Those things made me look like a donkey chasing a unobtainable carrot tied to a string in front of him. 

Luckily there were some men who knew what they were doing who could perform the latter. I was pretty successful in preventing tragedies of children to the fence, but was pretty lucky in one instance where the child barely skimmed the fence right next to me. You can't herd sheep.

After each child had fallen off, before the buzzer or after, Brooke or I (whoever was closest) ran over and gave them a Chief Joseph Days sucker. Some of the kids were in tears, some were putting their tough faces on, and some were ecstatic (usually the one's with good scores). Funny side note on the lollipops - Brooke and I were frantically trying to find some sort of candy we could give the kids to take their mind off of the fear of soaring through the arena on a sheep. We ran out of the new suckers during the EOLS parade, but we managed to find a old box of suckers while rummaging in the van. They looked a little bit skeptical. To make sure we weren't feeding the kids outdated suckers (oxymoron?) I tested one out. Super, super chewy. But still taste good! Suckers for the win! 

As the last of the mutton busters finished their bustin', the first, second, and third place winners were announced. They received some money, and the non-winners received dollar coins. Bribery sure works with little kids! Every hint of fear had left their faces and was replaced with a smile. Tooooooo priceless. We thought our duty was done, but quickly found out we were to help out in another children's game: the stick-horse race. Before the race, we passed out stick-horses of assorted colors and set out a barrel for the kids to run around. A white start/finish line was draw in the dirt with flour. Alright, I thought, this is going to be entertaining. Turns out the entertainment was partly us. The announcer informed Brooke and I that we were to demonstrate. He even made some comment about how lame it would be to lose. My competitiveness kicked me in the stomach. I marched over to the box and picked out a palomino steed. Brooke picked a sorrel. Ironically enough, we picked horses closest to the color of our own. As we lined up, I thought, "No way am I going to lose this. Ha! Fat chance. Especially with all of these local cowboys watching. Sure, it's only a stupid race I'll never remember in a year, but at them moment I can't let down." My thought patterns were peculiarly similar to that morning. "Ready!" I lined my feet up on the flour line. "Set!" My stomach lurched with the "track butterflies". "Go!" I sprung forward and sprinted towards the barrel. We were pretty close, but I was inching ahead. Luckily, I got myself to the inside of the barrel, giving me a head start to the finish line. I was now around one-length in front of her, crossing the finish line first. Did I get my competitive spirit from my dad as well as his timeliness? I think so... 

The most entertainment, however, came later. The little kids lined up in two different age groups - younger kids first. When the announcer said "Go!" the reaction was a little delayed. Some of them started running in a different direction of the barrel, and it was Brooke and I's job to direct them. The older kids were a little quicker on the trigger. Some of the kids were so serious about making it to the barrel that their coordination left them and they face-planted in the dirt. They all had great attitudes about it, and kept running and baring their dirt-caked, toothless smiles. Sometimes the kids were so focused that they ran into each other, causing a catastrophic crash ending in a double face-plant. The crowd thought it was hilarious, and they all received suckers to help rid themselves of the dirt taste in their mouth. 

Now that we had thoroughly amused the children, the announcer, and the spectators, we were allowed to retreat to the stands to watch the rodeo events. The real cowboys. There were five teams competing for the bragging rights to call themselves the fastest, most thorough ranch hands in the county. They competed in events ranging from branding to roping to bareback riding. Wages were placed on the winning teams with money going to Wallowa County Scholarships. It is a great contrast to Chief Joseph Days because all of the participants are familiar locals rather than untouchable celebrity athletes in the world of rodeo. Spectators cheered for their favorite teams - whether it was for their husband, brother, father, neighbor, or friend. Since he is an experienced roping horse, Buddy, the horse I am using for rodeo was used on the Steen's team (family who owns Buddy). It was fun to see him in another element. He LOVES that stuff. No wonder he is crotchety with me doing arena work - roping is so fun! 

At the end of the night, Brooke and I drew for the National Finals Rodeo raffle. The winner would receive three nights at the South Point Hotel and tickets to the National Finals Rodeo. The winner, a local horsewoman, was so thrilled she did a victory dance. After the drawing, we stayed to watch the awards ceremony for the winner of the Ranch Rodeo and the Top Ranch Hands, both receiving beautiful belt buckles or spurs. 

I had never been to the Ranch Rodeo before, but was enthused by the atmosphere and hometown pride in this local rodeo. I think it is fantastic that they have added this as a Chief Joseph Days event since CJD started as a little, local rodeo where cowboys from Wallowa County could show their talent without PRCA cards or restrictions. Keeping these traditions alive is so important.