Mackenzie Beard, 20, of Pendleton is the queen of the 2011 Round-Up. Joining her will be princesses Allison Frey, Brittney Granger, Cory O’Neill and Sarah Smith. The court was introduced to the media this morning at a breakfast at the home of Steve and Susan Corey.

“I am so excited to begin my tenure as a Round-Up director with these five young women,” Court Director Heather Corey said. “Their poise and grace will ensure Round-Up will start its second century with excellent role models for the generations to come.”

Round-Up President Dennis Hunt agreed.

“The 2011 court is, once again, going to represent Round-Up and the entire community as we set the stage for this year’s event,” he said. “Our royalty is always looked upon as the benchmark for rodeo courts and these young women will continue to promote the Pendleton Round-Up with the same quality and class as previous court members have done.”

Mackenzie Beard is the daughter of Pat Beard of Helix and Leslie and Tom Lovell of Pendleton. She was a Round-Up princess in 2009 and graduated from Pendleton High School in 2008. She is the fourth generation of her family to be involved in Round-Up. Her great grandfather provided horses for the wild horse race and drove in the stage coach races. Her grandfather, Frank Beard, was the main stock contractor from 1990-2002 and her father has worked as a pickup man.

Beard has been a pennant bearer for Round-Up and has participated in the annual work party. She has 16 years of riding experience. At PHS she was a member of the Japanese exchange trip to Pendleton’s sister city, was selected to speak at graduation and was publicist for the Associated Student Body. She is currently attending Oregon State University in Corvallis where she is majoring in merchandising management.

Allison Frey, 19, is the daughter of A.J. Frey of Pendleton and Susan and Kevin Brown of Touchet, Wash.  Her father has volunteered for Round-Up on the feed crew. Her mother has volunteered selling programs and her stepfather is also a volunteer.

The princess has been a pennant bearer, sold programs and painted bleachers, ushered and cleaned seats. She’s been riding horses for 17 years. She graduated in 2009 from PHS where she was on the honor roll, was a varsity member of the equestrian team, played volleyball and won several other awards. She is a student at Blue Mountain Community College studying science for a transfer degree. She’s a member of the BMCC rodeo team.

Brittney Granger, 20, is the daughter of Kevin and Cindy Granger of Milton-Freewater. While her family has not volunteered for Round-Up they are active volunteers in their community. The princess has served as a princess and then 2009 queen of Pioneer Posse and was a princess for the 2010 Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days.

She graduated in 2009 from McLoughlin High School. While at Mac-Hi, Granger was a varsity soccer and basketball player and was active in FFA, holding several offices. She hosted a Japanese exchange student for a year and served as a princess on the 2009 homecoming court. She has 14 years of riding experience. Currently, she is enrolled in the nursing program at Blue Mountain Community College.

Cory O’Neill, 18, is the daughter of Dave and Terri O’Neill of Pendleton. Her father has volunteered for Round-Up for several years and is currently the director in charge of livestock. She has been a pennant bearer, worked for the run-out crew in the arena during slack and been a shuttle driver for contestants and volunteers.

The princess has 16 years of riding experience. She graduated from PHS in 2010. While in high school she played soccer and participated in track and field.  She placed third in the 200 meter dash and fourth in the 100 meter dash at the state track competition. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and garnered several other awards for academics. She is now attending Eastern Oregon University on both athletic and academic scholarships majoring in biology in preparation for her studies to be a veterinarian.

Sarah Smith, 20, is the daughter of Troy and Joanne Smith of Pendleton. Her family has volunteered for Round-Up since 2008. The princess herself has been a pennant bearer, a Centennial flag bearer, worked at the Buckle Club Dinner, and worked in the ticket booth. In addition, she’s volunteered for Happy Canyon for four years, has modeled in the Round-Up fashion show, and taken part in the annual work party.

Smith has 13 years riding experience. She graduated in 2008 from PHS. While in high school, she was named to the honor roll and awarded the Citizenship Cup. As a member of Rhythmic Mode she was selected freshman dancer of the year. Her other activities included choir, tennis and Link Crew leader. She is currently a student at Oregon State University where she is studying exercise sports science.  She has received a Blue Mountain Community College Foundation scholarship and a Umatilla County Fair scholarship.

In addition to Steve and Susan Corey the breakfast was hosted by Doug and Heather Corey, Tom and Ellyn Weeks, Joan Corey, Cydney Corey, Michael and Jenny Corey and Tyson and Megan Furstenberg. The court will make their first public appearance at the annual Introduction Party in March 2011.

Category: Features, News & Updates, People & Volunteers, Queen And Court

LAS VEGAS — The 2010 Pendleton Round-Up and Cheyenne Frontier Days tied for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year award. The announcement was at the PRCA awards ceremony prior to the opening of the National Finals Rodeo at the South Point Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

Randy Severe and Dennis Hunt, the outgoing and incoming Round-Up presidents, display the award the rodeo won from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. (Photo courtesy of Pendleton Round-Up.)

“We accepted the award on behalf of the whole community,” Randy Severe who served as president during the 2010 rodeo , said. “It was on behalf of 2,000 plus volunteers, our contractors, sponsors, business partners and the greater Pendleton area. It’s a terrific honor and a great way to cap off Round-Up’s centennial year.”

The Round-Up has been nominated several times and last won the award in 2003.

“It sure is sweet to see all our efforts pay off,” Severe said.

Incoming President Dennis Hunt agreed.

“You couldn’t cap off our year-long centennial celebration any better than by winning this award tonight,” he said.

The Round-Up, which is held the second full week of September, saw three of its partners win awards as well. Haley Schneeberger, who is the Pendleton rodeo’s secretary, was named Secretary of the Year and the man calling all the Round-Up action, Wayne Brooks was named PRCA Announcer of the Year. In addition, Keith Isley, who keeps the audience laughing, earned a hat trick. He won the Coors Man in the Can award, was named PRCA Clown of the Year and PRCA Comedy Act of the Year.

“He took every award they had,” Severe said.

Hunt was also happy to see Isley win.

“He earned it,” he said. “We’re also really excited about Wayne Brooks and Haley Schneeberger. Round-Up is very fortunate to have such quality people involved.”

Tickets are now on sale for the 2011 Pendleton Round-Up. For more information call 541-276-2553 or 800-657-6336. Tickets are also available at all Ticket Master outlets. In addition to the four-day rodeo, there are a number of ancillary events including the Happy Canyon Night Show, a street carnival, dances, the Teepee Village and parades. For more information visit www.pendletonroundup.com.

Category: Events, Features, News & Updates

Wow, Pendleton, what a celebration! We could not have done it without you. Thank you. So what really happened the second week of September? That little blip on Roy Raley’s map got a heck of a lot bigger.

Coming into Round-Up week held great expectations. Four years of planning by the Round-Up Association culminated in plain, old hard work in those last weeks leading up to the event to prepare for crowds that, in the end, exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Community-wide participation in the Centennial Committee was one key to the realized success. Priming and primping by the city and many of you was clearly noticeable. Folks at Zimmerman’s and Sherwin-Williams noted an increase in paint sales. I heard the Rent-A-Center could not keep enough beds in store for the demand to accommodate anticipated visitors. Estimates of nearly 100,000 visitors to town may never be fully verified, but I do know almost 90,000 folks came to sit in the Happy Canyon and Round-Up arenas during the week.

And what a perspective the sea of blue Cycle Oregon tents gave as we looked north past the Round-Up Grounds and Indian Village.

Not even the recent fall rains have settled the dust from that week. Newspaper and magazine articles still are mentioning the Centennial Round-Up. The new era communication of Internet blogs pop up weekly, if not more often, detailing a family’s or individual’s visit to Pendleton. In casual conversations and telephone calls from friends, the subject of the week — the crowds, the excitement, the fun, the tradition and the heritage — still come up.

The crowds were beyond expectation and put the test to all the improvements at the Round-Up Grounds. The two million pounds of steel that make up the Centennial West grandstand passed the ultimate test. The personal effort of the Round-Up directors to reconfigure and upgrade the east end provided just a little improvement for the Dust Bowl crowd, which, by the accounts of some, is still the best seat in the house for up-close race track action and a full view of the jets that made everyone pump their fists in excitement and honor.

The Round-Up still has some work to do. The first step was taken this year and now we know what we can accomplish.

Folks from around the country, if not from around the world, found out Pendleton is a community that has much to offer. One Cycle Oregon participant confided in me that visiting Pendleton during Round-Up week was a “welcome escape from the political and cultural ideals” of the Willamette Valley. Others stayed over after Round-Up to make sure they got a sense of the heart of our community by visiting Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, Heritage Station and the Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame. We didn’t plan it that way, but Round-Up was almost two weeks long — at least in the eyes of some who visited.

It wasn’t just the tourist that finally figured out what Pendleton is all about. More than 850 professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls, male and female horse racers and wild cow milkers came with some trepidation that adding 250,000 pounds of new aluminum seating would change Pendleton for the worst. They found out otherwise. We still used a majority of 110 tons of donated hay to feed their horses; invited them to the renewed family barbecue in the Round-Up Arena as our guest; and put them before 65,000 screaming fans to make the experience of competing on the famed grass arena the best that rodeo has to offer, bar none. Add Thunder Dome to Dust Bowl and there isn’t a backyard like it anywhere.

Expectations were exceeded everywhere. The 100 American flags that filled the streets during the Westward Ho! Parade still can bring a tear of memory for the toughest and bravest that have walked among us. Even the skeptic that thinks our country is headed in the wrong direction couldn’t resist seeing who was carrying those flags side-by-side. Clearly Pendleton was of one mind at Round-Up. How about the estimated 1,500 head of horses that trailed behind those flags that kept the crowds street-side almost all morning? Then, the serpentine in the Round-Up Arena with those same flags just before Buck Off — I never would have imagined you could get 558 horses to be that calm.

Yep, it was quite a week and, just for the record in case someone asks you, it ended with 50 truckloads of stall cleanings (that is manure to most of us) being hauled off the Round-Up Grounds on Sunday morning. Even Sheriff John Trumbo heaved a sigh of relief when the accounting was done with only 168 folks lodged in the county jail for the week — 11 less than the year before. Everyone had fun and they were safe doing it.

Up next, 101 years of Western tradition. I was excited for this year and just a little disappointed that it all had to end in one short week. But we get to do it again and we cannot do it without each of you. From my view there is not a community anywhere that could pull off what we all did in 2010, and I hope you are all there to help in 2011.

Thanks again Pendleton, from the Pendleton Round-Up Board of Directors — and Let ’er Buck!

— Carl Culham, Pendleton Round-Up publicity director

This letter taken from the East Oregonian High Notes and Foot Notes. Wednesday, October 27,2010

Category: Events, News & Updates, People & Volunteers, Visiting Pendleton

Today the Centennial Celebration Sale kicks off!  You’ll enjoy sales throughout the store ALL THIS WEEK October 18- October 23rd

If you are thinking Christmas gifts, think about Centennial Glassware! ALL CENTENNIAL MERCHANDISE IS 25% OFF which includes some of the following items~  Glassware, Sweatshirts, Tees, Statues, Playing Cards, Ornaments, Beer Koozies and Vogt Jewelery!!

ALL ROUND-UP MERCHANDISE is 10% OFF! Includes Sweatshirts, Tees, Button Up Shirts, Pillows, Metal Artwork, Coffee Mugs, Blankets, Postcards and Notes, Flags, books, Montana Jewelery,  American Cowboy Coffee, Pendleton Whiskey BBQ Sauce… just to mention a few things!!

HAPPY CANYON IS ON SALE TOO!   20% OFF all Happy Canyon Merchandise - you’ll find Sweatshirts, Tees, Glassware, Flags, Mustard, Coffee, Wood Signs, Toys & Tee Pees.  In addition to the sale,  Our Happy Canyon Pendleton Wool Blanket is NOW $99.00

Stop in and check out the sale items!  Gift Shop located inside the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall Of Fame building ~ across the street from the arena on Court Street in Pendleton

HOURS ARE 8:30am to 5:00pm  Monday – Friday  and 10:00am to 4:00pm Saturday

Category: Events

…or enjoy what you missed if you could not attend?   Here are a couple of ways you can

Check out the re-airing of Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) “Pendleton Round-Up: The Wild West Way”.  The re-airings will occur on Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 9 to 10 PM and Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 1 to 2PM.

Also remember that the Round-Up action of 2010 is featured in Wrangler’s “Let’er Buck” a six part made for TV series featured on the Fox Sports Channel nationwide.   Air time for each show is 10am on Sunday’s with a re-air on Fridays at 4PM.  This six part series is airing right now and will repeat all six shows starting on November 21, 2010.

In the cases of both these shows check your local listings for stations that carry OPB or Fox Sports Network.

Category: News & Updates

In the Early Years category, which is contributing prior to 1940 is KING MERRITT.

Merritt was born in 1894 at Calhoun, Georgia.  In his late teens, he moved to Wyoming where he raised his family on a quarter horse and cattle ranch.  Many of the horses he raised became famous rodeo horses.  He and his wife, Marie, raised a large rodeo family.  All three sons, Hyde, Dean & Cotton were super ropers and won many titles.  His daughters, Sis, Ramona & Ginger competed in the events of roping and racing their horses.  King became a rodeo contestant in 1920 and continued until right before his death in 1952.  He was one of the greatest of all ropers.

King traveled by train to his first Pendleton Round Up in 1925.  He attended every Round Up thereafter until 1951.  He won the Steer Roping Championship in 1925 and 1935.  In 1936 he won the Calf Roping Championship.  His family said the Pendleton Round Up was his favorite rodeo.

The 2010 Inductee to the Round Up & Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in the Rodeo Contestant category is ROY “SUPER LOOPER” COOPER.

Cooper was born November 13, 1955 at Hobbs, New Mexico.  He leads a rodeo roping family of three sons, Clint, Clif & Tuf and step-daughter, Shada, who is married to the World All Around Champion, Trevor Brazile.

Roy is regarded as one of the greatest ropers in history.  In three decades, he broke every roping record in the books.  He claimed eight world titles in calf roping, steer roping and All Around categories.  In 1983 Cooper claimed the sport’s “Triple Crown” by winning World Titles in the All Around, Steer Roping and the Calf Roping events.

Roy roped at Pendleton his entire roping career.  He liked Pendleton because he could rope calves and steers the same day.  While competing in the Pendleton Round Up, he won the Calf Roping Championship in 1978 and then in 1982 & 1984 he won All Around Championship.

The 2010 Inductee to the Pendleton Round Up & Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in the Round Up Volunteer category is TOM CURRIN.

Currin was born in 1940 to George & Helen Currin at Pendleton, Oregon.  He resided most of his life on the family owned ranch on Little Butter Creek.  There he ranched with his brother, Ron, raising cattle, wheat and hay.  He also flew several airplanes on the side, doing crop dusting and counting & tracking collared animals.  He has been very active in the Community of Heppner, serving on boards & committees.  His family consists of wife, Marlene, son, Jeff, and his stepson, Ryan and his wife Julie.  He retired from the ranch in 2007, but not from his volunteering.

Tom has been an active volunteer at the Happy Canyon Show and the Pendleton Round Up since 1962.  This year he is being honored for his 47 years as a volunteer for the Pendleton Round Up.  He has worked on the stretcher crew, fence crew, untying crew and for 31 years has worked on the bucking chute crew.  Tom is a valuable volunteer.  With his experience, he knows what to do and does it.  His contribution helps make the Round Up run smoothly.

A Special Honoree in 2010 inducted into The Hall of Fame is V.W. “MAC” McCORMACK.

Mac was born in 1895 in Buffalo, New York.  He and his wife, Edith had one daughter, Dorothy.  He came to Pendleton in 1939 and established McCormack Construction Company.  He was very active in the Community.  He built many famous sites, but also served on the City Council, President of the Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Round Up Board of Directors.

Mac and his Company saved the Pendleton Round Up in 1940.  On August 15, 1940, during a baseball game in the Round Up Stadium, a huge fire broke out and destroyed the grandstands and valuable equipment stored under them.  Mac pledged his Company would replace the grandstand with no profit to his Company and started immediately without knowing if he would receive any funds for materials and workers.  A crew of 70 men worked night and day for 23 days to build a 3,000 seat concrete grandstand.  The 30^th Pendleton Round Up went on as scheduled thanks to the efforts of Mac McCormack and his crew.

Category: Features, News & Updates, People & Volunteers

The Centennial Round-Up is over, but fans can revisit the rodeo on Fox Sports Network. “Let ‘er Buck — A Century of Western Tradition” will broadcast to the nation for six Sundays at 10 a.m. beginning Oct. 3. In addition, the show will spread the word to rodeo fans who didn’t make the journey to Pendleton on the second full week of September.

Each 30-minute broadcast will be repeated on the next Friday at 4 p.m. beginning with Oct. 8. After the six shows that feature the Round-Up have aired, the seventh Sunday, Nov. 14, will offer a feature on the Bob Feist Invitational, a team roping event held in Reno, Nev. Following that, the six Round-Up episodes will be rebroadcast beginning Nov. 21 for a total run of 13 weeks.

“These are the broadcast times provided to us by Fox Sports,” Round-Up Director Carl Culham said. “We recommend people check their local listings to make sure of the broadcast times with their local carrier.”

Wrangler will be the title sponsor and 522 Health is the presenting sponsor. Others include Let ‘er Buck Cologne, Pendleton Whisky, the state of South Dakota, Bee Natural Leathercare, Coca-Cola, SpeedyWilliams.com and Equibrand.

The announcers for the television series are bullfighter Rob Smets, fondly known as the Kamikaze Kid and Anna Hill who, in addition to her announcing career, raises bucking bulls.

“The announcers are respected throughout the rodeo world,” Culham said. “We believe that once fans who weren’t here in 2010 see a synopsis of the kind of show our volunteers stage every year they will make Pendleton a rodeo to see in 2011 and for years to come. It also gives those who attend the historic rodeo a chance to see themselves on television.”

Category: News & Updates

Ryan Gray     Photo by Bob Click

Kelly Timberman   Photo by Bob Click Continue reading…

Category: News & Updates

With the final day of its four-day Centennial extravaganza on Saturday, the Pendleton Round-Up let the 100^th production of its famous rodeo buck its way into history.  Full houses of 17,731 fans on both Friday and Saturday roared their approval as cowboys and cowgirls made the celebration their own.

As with all four days, on Saturday the Round-Up staged a historic rodeo competitive event not seen in decades, a snub bucking competition, “just like in the old days” noted announcer Wade Brooks. Three teams of three men—two to hold and one to ride—staged a bucking event in the middle of the arena, with the rider mounting while the horse was held, blindfolded, by his teammates. Once aboard, the blindfold was pulled and the bucking began. Just like in the old days (and today) the riders quickly went flying.

But for today’s rodeo fans the main events were sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which attracted the best rodeoers in the country to this 100^th Pendleton Round-Up.

Gray and Timberman tie for bareback title

The top four places in the bareback event ended in ties for the average (finals), with Ryan Gray, Cheney, Washington, and Kelly Timberman, Mills, Wyoming, splitting the first and second prize money, with an average (combined) score of 169 each, while Chase Erickson, Almo, Idaho, and Joe Gunderson, Agar, South Dakota, split 3^rd and 4^th prize winnings, with scores of 164 each.

Average (combined) scores in rodeo are the totals of multiple rounds during the several days of the rodeo.

  Continue reading…

Category: News & Updates

Bareback Riding

Final Go Round Payout

1) Ryan Gray (Cheney WA)  Score  on Saturday 87, 169/2 $1,650.00

 2) Kelly Timberman (Mills WY)  Score on Saturday 86,  169/2 $1,250.00

 3) Jessy Davis (Payson UT) Score on Saturday 81, 163/2  $900.00

 4) Chase Erickson (Almo ID)  Score on Saturday 81,  164/2 $ 600.00

 5/6) Matt Bright (Azle TX)  Score on Saturday  $ 300.00

 5/6) Joe Gunderson  (Agar SD) Score on Saturday  79  $ 300.00

 Bareback Riding Aggregate Results

1/2) Ryan Gray (Cheney, WA) $5,832.65

1/2 )  Kelly Timberman (Mills, WY) $5,832.65

3/4 ) Chase Erickson (Almo, ID) $3,081.40

3/4) Joe Gunderson (Agar, SD) $3,081.40

5) Jessy Davis (Payson, UT) $1,540.70

6/7/8)  Brian Bain (Culver, OR) $880.40

6/7/8)  Cody DeMers (Kimberly, ID) $880.40

6/7/8)  Bobby Mote (Culver, OR) $880.40

 Tie Down Roping

Final Go Round Payout Continue reading…

Category: Events, News & Updates, Results