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Wednesday, June 1, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Rodeo personnel make Sisters event shine
With praise for having
one of the best rodeos in the
PRCA, Sisters Rodeo gives a
tip of the cowboy hat to the
professional contractors who
make the rodeo’s fast pace
attract fans from across the
nation.
The team includes the
f o u r- t i m e P r o f e s s i o n a l
Rodeo Cowboys Association
Announcer of the Year,
Wayne Brooks, a smooth
announcer on horseback,
who shares the stage with
one of the best historians and
statisticians in rodeo, Curt
Robinson.
The complementary duo
keeps the crowd informed
and interested in all eight
events of the rodeo. Their
quick wits highlight the
unusual and unexpected
twists that spice up any
rodeo. Both announcers are
familiar figures and voices at
National Finals Rodeo.
In the arena, the bull-
fighters are superb athletes
who fire on a fast trigger to
protect a bull rider, some-
times putting themselves in
danger. Rowdy Barry and
Dan Newman exhibit their
well-honed skills to get space
between bulls and riders after
a ride, over and over again.
Sometimes, they are a show
of their own.
Ryan Manning, 20-year-
old son of Rowdy Barry,
will be the second bull-
fighter in the arena with his
dad during Xtreme Bulls. “I
never wanted to ride bulls,”
Manning said, “but I have
watched my dad all my life
and wanted to be a bullfighter
like him.”
JJ Harrison, barrelman
and clown, has risen to world
rodeo fame from a PRCA
career that began at Sisters
Rodeo. Rodeos clamor for a
chance to have this energized
rodeo entertainer. When he
is on the job, his purpose is
to get the attention of a bull,
drawing it away from a rider
and keeping it focused until
it can be released through the
exit gate.
The entertainment JJ pro-
vides, both in this event and
throughout the rodeo, sup-
plies some of the best laughs
in the stands. There will be
two face-painting booths at
the rodeo so kids can look
“just like JJ,” and fill the
stands with little JJ rodeo
clowns.
The stock contractor,
Mike Corey, brings compet-
ing rodeo animals (stock) that
continue to enhance the repu-
tation of Flying Diamond
Stock Company all the way
to National Finals Rodeo.
The company had 11 animals
qualify for 2015 National
Finals Rodeo in all three
bucking events, bareback rid-
ing, saddle- bronc riding and
bull riding. The bull Bottle
Rocket was third in the NFR
ratings.
The professionalism of the
stock contractor deserves the
credit for keeping the action
popping at Sisters. Corey’s
professional crew has the
ability to keep the flow unfet-
tered, moving animals into
chutes or into a line-up and
then getting them out of the
arena quickly for the next
competitor. From behind
the chutes to the mounted
pick-up men in the arena,
John Leavitt, the Arena
Director, could not have bet-
ter organization.
“We have collected a crew
of professionals that works
so well together that we have
not found a reason to make
any changes for many years,”
said Leavitt.
With the McMillan Family
Trick Riders as special enter-
tainment, the rodeo will keep
fans hyped from the start,
when the professional wild
horse race amps it up to the
grand finale bull rides that
photo by Gary Miller
JJ Harrison revs up the crowd at Sisters Rodeo.
cause the ground to tremble
in each performance of the
rodeo’s non-stop action.
The rodeo recommends
buying tickets early.
Sisters Rodeo will begin
June 8 with Xtreme Bulls
followed by four rodeo
performances June 10-12.
For tickets and informa-
tion, call the ticket hotline at
541-549-0121 or 1-800-827-
7522, or visit the ticket office
at 220 W. Cascade Ave. For
information visit www.sis
tersrodeo.com.
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500 Hwy. 20 W., Sisters
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