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Children's Rodeo
The Pendleton Round-Up may best be known for its heart-pounding rodeo and the professional cowboys who compete in it, but there’s another event that’s changing the lives of its participants. The Children’s Rodeo offers special needs children the opportunity to be cowboys and cowgirls for an hour of fun inside the famous Round-Up Arena.
The Children’s Rodeo will kick off Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 11:30 a.m. (after slack) and runs until about 12:30 p.m., just before the first day of rodeo action starts in the Round-Up Grounds.
The 40 or so children who participate in the Children’s Rodeo – which always takes place the Wednesday of Round-Up week – are special education students with either mental or physical handicaps. Each child receives a trophy, T-shirt, lariat, cowboy hat, scarf and a photo with a cowboy.
The Round-Up Association funds the event, while the Umatilla-Morrow Education Service District (ESD) co-sponsors it each year. Nearly 80 volunteers from the ESD, Round-Up Association, Western Trails Therapeutic Riding Center and others involved in the community and with the Round-Up help to make the event a success.
Children from all over Eastern Oregon and beyond will ride horses, challenge their balancing skills on a hand-rocked bucking bull, rope pretend steers, barrel race on stick ponies and participate in goat “un”-tying. In addition, each child will have his or her picture taken with a Round-Up cowboy or cowgirl.
Children’s Rodeo director Karen Parker said she’s hoping a large crowd will turn out to watch event, in which these special children are stars for a day.
“I’d love for people to see these children in a different light as just normal kids,” Parker said. “When people are in the stands cheering, it lets the kids feel like they’re in the spotlight. They’re the stars and it makes them feel pretty special.”
Parker said it’s been a dream of hers to have other students from local school districts come to the Children’s Rodeo. This year, students will come from Echo, Ione, Joseph and Imblerto cheer on the participants.
Also, look for the Children’s Rodeo float in the Dress-Up Parade on Saturday, Sept. 6. Several of the children who will participate in the Children’s Rodeo also will ride on the float, which is decorated by ESD and other community volunteers. This year’s theme is “What a difference a day with a Cowboy makes.”
More Information:
Media who would like to interview Children’s Rodeo Director Karen Parker and ESD Superintendent Mark Mulvihill should plan to arrive in the Round-Up Arena by 10:45 a.m. Sept. 10. Interviews with parents and special education teachers of Children’s Rodeo participants also will be available the day of the event. Contact Casey White, ESD public information officer, for more information and to schedule interviews.
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