The 2011 Inductee to the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in the Happy Canyon Volunteer Category is WESLEY GRILLEY.

Wes Grilley

Grilley was born in 1933 to Donald & Beryl Grilley in Portland, Oregon.  His family moved to Pendleton in 1942 where he has resided since.  Grilley began his Happy Canyon and Round-Up volunteer career when he was 11 years old, taking part in the Happy Canyon cast as the first “Goldie” during the fire scene.  During Round-Up, he started as a “courier”, riding his horse, taking the judging results across the arena to the scoring officials. In the Happy Canyon Pageant, Wes took part in the show doing every act “with a horse”.  He served on the Happy Canyon Board of Directors as Show Director for eight years, then as President of the Board for two years, which followed as President of the Happy Canyon Foundation, where he is still active. Grilley has served 66 years as a volunteer for Happy Canyon and the Round-Up Association and continues to do so.    He and his wife, Millie, have four daughters and all were involved in Happy Canyon activities.  He continues his wheat farming operation started by his pioneer grandfather.  Grilley’s career includes management employment with Pendleton Grain Growers, Inc. and the Oregon Wheat Growers League.  His leadership skills and volunteerism led him to be chosen as the 2008 Pendleton Man of the Year.

The 2011 Inductee to the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in the Contract Personnel Category is FLINT RASMUSSEN.

Flint Rassmussen

Rasmussen was born in 1968 to Stan & Tootie Rasmussen in Havre, Montana.  Flint, his two brothers and sister were raised in Choteau, Montana where he, his wife, Katie and two daughters still reside.  His dad was a Rodeo Announcer, so rodeo arenas were always home.  Flint steer wrestled and team roped but his heart was always with football, drama and music.  He excelled in football, track, music & drama in high school.  His brother, Will, became a Rodeo Announcer like his dad.  After commenting one night that he could be funnier than clowns he had been watching since childhood, Will and his dad issued a challenge to Flint to do just that.  He made his first appearance as a clown in Superior, Montana and a summer job was born.  Flint worked his way through college as a clown at regional rodeos.  He taught high school for two years and coach football and track before giving that up to pursue a life in entertainment.   At the beginning of his career, Flint worked for both the PBR and PRCA circuits, winning the title of PRCA Clown of the Year for 8 consecutive years and the Coors Man in the Can 7 times.  In 2005, he signed an exclusive contract as the arena entertainer for the Professional Bull Riders Association.   Flint first appeared in Pendleton in 1998.  He holds Pendleton as a special place, even though our vast arena is a big challenge for him as an entertainer.  He wrote a song about the Pendleton Round-Up, the only rodeo he has ever written about.  With special permission from the PBR, Flint performed the Wednesday show of the Centennial Pendleton Round-Up in 2010.  Flint truly has a gift for his profession. His thousands of fans, friends and awards are a testament to his achievements.

The 2011 Inductee to the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in the Rodeo Contestant Category is KENNY STANTON.

Kenny Stanton

Stanton was born in 1941 to Roy & Lillian Stanton in The Dalles, Oregon.  Rodeo was in his heart from the very beginning when he and his brother Bill, practiced riding the family milk cows.  He was a great wrestler in school but chose rodeo over wrestling scholarships to both Oregon and Oregon State.  Kenny turned pro in 1960 competing in Bareback and Bull Riding.  He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in Bareback and/or Bull Riding 15 times from 1962 thru 1970.     Stanton was the Bareback Champion in 1964, Bull Riding Champion in 1966, 1970 & 1975 and was All-Around Champion in 1970 at the Pendleton Round-Up.  Kenny’s riding career ended at the age of 28 due to frost bite to his feet twice.  He continued as PRCA Director for Bull Riding in 1970 and Bareback Riding Director in 1971 & 1972.  In 1975 he participated in area rodeos where he won Bull Riding events in Pendleton & Ellensburg.    Kenny taught a bull riding school but had to discontinue that after a partial amputation due to severe vascular problems.  A true rodeo cowboy!

The 2011 Inductee to the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in the Rodeo Contestant Category is JOHN SPAIN.

John Spain

Spain was born in Cottage Grove, Oregon to King & Josephine Spain in 1881.  He had three brothers but his closest brother was Fred.  John’s mother died in childbirth when he was three.  When their father remarried, things changed and at age 11, Fred left home and never returned.  John, age 9, followed a month later, found Fred and they relied on each other for the rest of their lives.  They found jobs to keep them going.  When they were old enough, they captured wild range horses and sold them to the US Calvary.  They had their own rodeo business from 1904-1915, performing all over the Northwest and participating in many rodeo events.  In 1910, they provided bucking horses and a relay string for the first Pendleton Round-Up and Westward Ho! Parade.     In 1911, John won the first saddle given as a prize for the Saddle Bronc Champion at the Pendleton Round-Up.  In 1912, due to an accident, John lost his right hand.  After being fitted for a hook, he worked his way back to riding broncs and was as good as ever.  He eventually won 6 saddles.  John loved being a cowboy and was still a drawing card the spring and summer before he died at an early age of 46.

Category: Features, News & Updates

 Hundreds of museums celebrate the American West (including more than a few east of the Mississippi).  But which ones stand out?

 True West magazine’s September 2011 issue features the “True West Museums of the Year,” on newsstands August 23.

 Top Western History Museums are:

10.  Clark County Museum, Henderson, NV

9.   Nat’l Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK

8.   Pueblo Grande Museum, Phoenix, AZ

7.   Draper Museum of Nat’l History, Cody, WY

6.   Van of Enchantment, Statewide, based in Santa Fe, NM

5.   John Brown Museum State Historic Site, Osawatomie, KS

4.   National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, Leadville, CO

3.   The Autry in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA

2.   Western Heritage Center, Billings, MT

And the Top Western Museum for 2011…Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave, Golden, CO!

         Among the Honorable Mentions for top Western History Museum is the Pendleton Round-Up & Happy Canyon Hall of Fame in Pendleton, Oregon. Contributing Editor Johnny D. Boggs cited the Hall of Fame for offering visitors “more than 100 years of history of one of the West’s greatest rodeo festivals.”

Four-time Spur Award-winning writer Johnny D. Boggs selected the winners for this annual award based on his extensive travels, research and firsthand experiences in visiting Western museums each year. Museums also submitted 2010 visitation data and exhibit information to assist the magazine in making its final selections.

True West magazine is in its 58th year of leading the way in presenting the true stories of Old West adventure, history, culture and preservation. For subscriptions and more information, visit http://www.twmag.com or call 888-687-1881.

Category: Features, News & Updates, Visiting Pendleton

Ash Crash Cooper

The Pendleton Round-Up Association proudly announces Ash “CrAsh” Cooper of Senlac, Saskatchewan as our 2011 rodeo clown. When CrAsh steps into the grass arena September 14 – 17, rodeo fans know they could be in for anything! Cooper is known for his athleticism and for involving rodeo cowboys in crowd-pleasing stunts. This unique style comedy has made CrAsh one of the most popular rodeo entertainers in North America. “Anybody can be funny just standing around talking with your friends,” he says. “But when you have to be funny now – on command – in front of thousands of people, it’s a whole different scenario.”  He‘s a four time winner of Canada’s Entertainer of the Year, as well as being selected for numerous rodeo finals in the USA. He also hosted seven seasons on his award winning television show, Cowboy Country, creating over 450 different features.

Ash grew up in western Canada around rodeo and the cowboy lifestyle. As a natural athlete he played elite-level hockey in both Canada and the United States. In 1990 while watching the Canadian Finals Rodeo he decided to take up bullfighting. “My mom was not a big fan of it” he recalls. “She always told me to wear clean underwear in case I got run over by a bull and had to go to the hospital.” He would respond, “If I get run over by a bull, do you think my underwear is really going to be clean?” Moving from the chutes to the barrel he has continued incorporating his athleticism into his routines.

Cooper, who studied fine arts at Red Deer College in Alberta, Canada, has not limited his creativity to his work in the entertainment industry. He’s also a rancher, running 100 head of half beef cattle and young bucking bulls. Additionally, he is an accomplished western artist, working from a studio on his ranch near the Saskatchewan/Alberta border. His artwork includes limited edition graphite drawings and watercolor paints. He uses both mediums to create poignant reflections of life in the west. On the lighter side, Ash is also a popular cartoonist. His cartoons are distributed by Leanin’ Tree and he is one of that companies top selling artists. “I’m not sure what I’d do if my life was simpler,” he says. “Everything I’m doing now complements everything else I’m doing.”

You can watch Ash Cooper crash the big grass arena at the 101st Pendleton Round-Up, September 14 – 17.

Category: Events, Features, News & Updates, People & Volunteers

The Pendleton Round-Up Association has awarded scholarships to four Pendleton High School graduating seniors and two seniors from Griswold High School in Helix. Each $1,000 scholarship was awarded in recognition of the students’ academic standing and past service to the Pendleton Round-Up.

Derek Swearingen, Jacob M. Watkins, Stephen Peterson and Ethan Michael Wagner are Pendleton High School seniors earning awards. Griswold seniors Krystal Sundin and Chyanne Hack also received scholarships.

Swearingen is the son of Jim and Delores Swearingen. He plans to attend Blue Mountain  Community College initially with the goal toward earning a degree in forestry, agriculture or business. He is hoping to continue his studies after BMCC at Eastern Oregon University or Oregon State University.

Watkins is the son of Joe and Kim Watkins. He is planning to attend Oregon State University, where  he will study either forestry or x-ray technology.

Peterson is the son of Chris and Jennifer Peterson. He is planning to attend Blue Mountain  Community College and later transfer to the University of Idaho to complete a degree in agriculture business with a minor in plant and soil science.

Wagner is the son of Mike and Diane Wagner. He is planning to attend either the University  of Idaho or Oregon State University. He plans a career in agriculture and wildlife/habitat management.

Sundin is the daughter of Tammy Sundin. She is planning to attend Oregon Technological Institute in Klamath Falls where she intends to pursue a career in radiology.

Hack is the daughter of Royce Hack and Melissa Hack-Dunn. She plans to attend Columbia Basin College in the Tri-Cities, Wash. She is pursuing a career in nursing.

For more information on the Pendleton Round-Up Association scholarship program, contact Rob Collins at 541-276-3320.

Category: Features, People & Volunteers

Join us this week for Timed Events 101

with Professor Tygh Campbell

Class beings at 5:30pm this week with the venue being changed.  Please meet AT THE PENDLETON ROUND-UP ARENA

Category: Events, Features, News & Updates

Category: Events, Features

Category: Features, Visiting Pendleton

Ronnie Dunn

PENDLETON — A familiar voice in country music will take the stage at the Round-Up & Happy Canyon Concert on September 10. Ronnie Dunn, who made his mark as half of the duo Brooks & Dunn will be the starring act at the concert that kicks off a week of festivities. Tickets will go on sale to the public on May 19.

“We are excited that we’re able to bring such a high quality star to the Happy Canyon Arena,” Happy Canyon Director Michael Corey said in announcing the entertainment. “I am sure people will line up to buy tickets for an event like this.”

His concert committee co-chairman, Round-Up Director Tygh Campbell agreed.

“We are excited to offer people a chance to enjoy a giant star’s music in the intimate, outdoor setting of the Happy Canyon Arena,” he said.

Dunn was born in Coleman, Texas to a truck-driving, country-music-loving father and a conservative, church-going mother, according to his biography. Music remained a constant in a youth that was more like a winding road from west Texas to New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma. In a 12-year span he attended a total of 13 schools.

Ronnie Dunn’s musical history speaks for itself. He has twice been named BMI country songwriter of the year and was Billboard magazine’s best country songwriter in 1996. In addition, he was named the Gospel Music Association songwriter of the year for “Believe.” He has received 23 BMI Million Airplay awards for songs he wrote that have attained 1-million or more plays on radio stations. He has also been inducted into the Arkansas Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

The partnership that was Brooks & Dunn has seen the duo living at the top of the country music singles charts 23 times for songs that are now classics like “Boot Scootin Boogie,” “Only In America,” and “Brand New Man.”  They are the industry’s most award-winning pair and have been named entertainers of the year four times. They have garnered 20 Country Music Association awards and 28 Academy of Music, more than any other artist in ACM history, having surpassed Merle Haggard’s total in 2005. Brooks and Dunn said goodbye to their fans during the 2010 Last Rodeo Tour. They are both pursuing careers as solo artists.

Tickets for the concert will be available at the Round-Up and Happy Canyon office on Southwest Court Avenue at 8:30 a.m. May 19. They will also be available at all Ticket Master outlets, with a major credit card by calling 800-457-6336, 541-276-2553 or 800-745-3000  or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices will be announced closer to the sale date.

Written by Terry Murray

Category: Events, Features

Are you new to the world of rodeo? Let the Pendleton Round-Up University open the door to a whole new world of sports and western tradition for you! This unique educational experience will enlighten “students” on all aspects of rodeo, from the historic events that have become rodeo staples, the ambassadors of the Round-Up royalty, the contributions our Native American friends have made to rodeo, and 101 years of Round-Up tradition.

Become a member of the inaugural class of the Pendleton Round-Up University! This free 8-week course begins March 16 and is open to the public. Each Wednesday through May 4, students will meet at the Round-Up University’s “campus” at Hamley Steakhouse to learn about the inner-workings of what makes the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon one of the country’s most unique and colorful rodeo experiences. By the end of the program, students will understand the true meaning of “Let ‘er Buck” and gain an appreciation for the broader cultural relevance of the western lifestyle and community hospitality for which the Pendleton Round-Up is famous. The course commemorates the 101^st year of the Round-Up, and will feature esteemed “faculty” such as Round-Up Directors.

Students will receive a diploma at a special graduation ceremony at the Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame on May 7. To graduate, students must complete 18 strictly non-accredited credits.

Hamley’s Steakhouse will offer a special “student” menu each week during the course of the program.

PRU UNIVERSITY KICKS OFF, WEDNESDAY March 16, 2011

To view the class offerings AND FOR REGISTRATION: visit our PRU website by clicking on this link:  roundupuniversity

Plan to join the class!!   WEDNESDAY NIGHTS from March 16, 2011 – May 04, 2011, Hamley Steakhouse will become the campus of Pendleton Round-Up University, where we rightly figure a good deal of cowboy learnin’ is common place. A special Menu will be offered at $10, a price a student can afford!

To view the class offerings AND FOR REGISTRATION: visit our PRU website by clicking on this link:  roundupuniversity

PRU 101 CLASS SCHEDULE (each Wednesday):

5:30 pm              PRE-REGISTRATION         – for food and drink orders

6:00 pm              CLASS TIME                        – Interactive Lessons

7:00 pm              LAB SESSION                      – dessert, Q&A, hands-on displays

PRU 101 COURSES (3 credits each)

Round-Up History 101      Professor Tim Hawkins  March 16 Hamley Steakhouse

Queen and Court 101     Professor Heather Corey  March 23 Hamley Steakhouse

Cowboy Stories 101     Professor Randy Severe   March 30 Hamley Steakhouse

Happy Canyon 101      Harper Jones & Becky Waggoner  April   06 Hamley Steakhouse

Indian Lore 101     Cedric Wildbill & Rob Collins  April   13 Hamley Steakhouse

Let ‘er Buck Rough Stock 101    Professor Kevin Hudson April   20  Hamley Steakhouse

Timed Events 101     Professor Tygh Campbell  April   27 R-Up Arena

Round-Up Directors 101     Dean, Dennis Hunt  May    04 Hamley Steakhouse

Category: Events, Features, News & Updates, Visiting Pendleton

The Centennial Celebration Limited Edition Postcards are STILL AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!

The limited edition100th Round-Up Souvenir pictorial postmark packets are  $5 each

The packet includes a large postcard of Austin Barton’s Let ‘er Buck bronze that features the limited edition Round-Up cancellation as well as a stamp from the limited edition “Cowboys of the Silver Screen.” Also enclosed in the keepsake parchment envelope are a leather-like brand rendering of the Centennial logo and a brief history of  the event which began in 1910. The bottom of the envelope features a sepia-toned rendering of the bucking chutes.

The Souvenir Packets are available at the Hall Of Fame, Happy Canyon & Pendleton Round-Up gift shop located inside the Hall Of Fame building at 1114 SW Court Avenue, across the street from the Pendleton Round-Up Arena.

STORE HOURS: Monday – Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm            You may also purchase by phoning the gift shop directly at 1-800-457-6336

Category: Features