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Wednesday, June 3, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Mary Olney is Sisters Rodeo Queen
Sisters Rodeo Queen
Mary Olney won9t miss
out on her year represent-
ing the venerable institution
4 she9ll just have to wait a
year. The Warm Springs rider
will reign again in 2021.
Olney was chosen at
Sisters Rodeo grounds from
a group of highly quali-
fied cowgirl competitors on
September 22, 2019. John
Leavitt, who heads up the
queen selection commit-
tee, told The Nugget that the
Rodeo has already deter-
mined that she9ll be back
in the saddle for the 2021
events.
Mary is the niece of
Warm Springs Chief Delvis
Olney, Sr. She was raised in
a rodeo family. Her father
was a rough-stock rider and
her three brothers are all
bronc and bull riders. Even
her grandmother, Catherine
Watah, was a bareback rider.
<I was raised by some
of the toughest cowgirls
in the Northwest,= Olney
explained, <They instilled in
me a love for animals, rodeo
and the Western way of
life.=
Sonia Heath, Mary9s
mother, dreamed that Mary
was chosen as Sisters Rodeo
queen. <I couldn9t have had
a better daughter than the
one I have,= Sonia said. <She
herself is a dream for any
mother of daughters.=
The queen, a graduate
of Madras High School,
has served on student coun-
cil and was a member of
National Honor Society and
FFA. She played soccer and
softball, and participated in
cheer.
The petite 18-year-old
rides Dixie, her 5-year-old
bay mare, who performed
nearly flawlessly in the rid-
ing drill.
In her speech, Olney said,
<Now, I9m not sure if there9s
something in the lemonade,
or it9s just the surrounding
atmosphere, but there is a
closeness that you can feel
right when you step through
the front gate. When you
attend Sisters Rodeo, you
feel you9re part of a family.=
Her youngest brother,
Josh, said that his sister is
<always able to smile. Even
when she doesn9t feel like it,
she smiles. She is so friendly
and wants to make other
people happy.=
Grandmother Catherine
repeated such perception of
her granddaughter.
<Mary is so friendly,
happy, and fun-loving,= she
said. <Other people feel good
just being around her.=
Friends in attendance
supported these statements.
Ronnie, a family friend, said,
<She is dedicated, strong-
willed and has a wonderful
personality.= Delia, an older
friend, said, <She9s an awe-
some cowgirl, sweet, and
anything she wants to do she
does well.=
Olney plans to attend
Tulsa Welding School to
become a certified welder,
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Sisters Rodeo Queen Mary Olney will reign again in 2021.
but her long-term goal is to
be a pediatrician.
<I want to save some
DOES YOUR CAR
HANDLE LIKE A
BUCKIN’ BRONCO?
Sisters Rodeo supports students
Two big things happen in
Sisters in June: The Sisters Rodeo
4 and the celebration of the
Sisters High School graduating
class.
The Sisters Rodeo supports stu-
dents in Sisters through the Sisters
Rodeo Association Scholarship.
The Association offers schol-
arships that may be used at an
accredited trade technical or voca-
tional school; two- or four-year
college or university.
The scholarships are to be
awarded to Sisters High School
graduates with financial need,
but who may not be eligible for
tuition assistance programs, who
have exhibited a commitment to
the Sisters community through
their volunteer involvement, have
shown a good work ethic in their
school and community, and have
demonstrated an attitude and apti-
tude to be successful in post-high
school educational choices.
This year 9s recipient of
the Sisters Rodeo Association
Scholarship was Gracen
Sundstrom. Gracen is a multi-sport
athlete and honor roll student.
money for school so I9m not
starting my chosen career in
huge debt,= she explained.
SCHEDULE YOUR ALIGNMENT TODAY!
DAVIS TIRE 541-549-1026
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Congratulations on
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Gracen Sundstrom is the 2020 recipient of the Sisters Rodeo
Association Scholarship.
Congratulations
SISTERS RODEO
on reaching this
huge milestone.
We look forward to
the return of the
Sisters Rodeo in 2021!