A rider with the Umatilla Express
struggles to control his horse at the
starting line during the fi rst heat of
the Indian Relay race Thursday at
the Pendleton Round-Up.
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2017
141st Year, No. 239
WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
One dollar
FROM ROUND-UP CHAMPION TO HOLLYWOOD STUNTMAN
Photo courtesy of the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame
Yakima Canutt poses with the Roosevelt trophy in
1923.
By EMILY OLSON
East Oregonian
THE LEGEND OF
YAKIMA CANUTT
T
his year marks a full
century since Yakima
Canutt took his fi rst
step toward immortality in
both rodeo and Hollywood
by winning the Pendleton
Round-Up all-around title.
Canutt went on to win
three additional all-arounds
— and countless more
rodeo trophies, awards and
honors. He looked for a
new challenge in the fi lm
industry, where he became
known as the inventor of the
stuntman profession and an
early pioneer of the Western
genre. It’s rumored that John
Wayne’s drawling speech
and giddy-up gait were
inspired by Canutt.
Canutt was inducted in
the National Cowboy Hall
of Fame, the Pro Rodeo
Hall of Champions and the
Pendleton Round-Up Hall of
Fame. Then he was inducted
into the Stuntmen’s Hall of
Fame and the Hollywood
Walk of Fame.
On the silver screen and
off it, Canutt possessed the
kind of grit that we associate
with cowboys today. As
his grandson, Zeke Canutt,
puts it, “his best feature was
perseverance to perfection.”
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
See CANUTT/11A
The family of Yakima Canutt, (from left) Michelle Canutt, Harmony Canutt, Zander Canutt, Zeke Canutt, Gail Canutt and Joe Canutt sit in a
booth at The Rainbow Cafe, where two of Yakima’s photos are on display for years he won the Pendleton Round-Up.
Dance offers sober fun What to watch for at the
for Round-Up revelers Westward Ho! Parade
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
While plenty of rodeogoers will
be knocking back Pendleton Whisky
this Friday night, a group of people
will be enjoying the Round-Up sober,
and providing a place for others to do
the same.
The Lawtiwaama Sobriety Friend-
ship Dance, which takes place from
7-11 p.m. in Roy Raley Park, is in
Get your dance on
The Sobriety Dance is Friday
7-11 p.m. at Roy Raley Park
its eighth year. It is organized by the
Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center’s
substance abuse prevention program.
“It’s a celebration of me being
alive, basically,” said LaDonna
See DANCE/11A
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
The Pendleton Round-Up
commences its historical West-
ward Ho! Parade at 10 a.m.
Friday with a cannon blast and
ends it with the whistling tones of
a calliope.
Between those acoustic oppo-
sites come horse hooves, wooden
wagons and marching bands, but
not a single engine. The hour-
plus-long procession prohibits
motorized vehicles.
The same goes for mascots,
air-infl ated rubber tires, and
the carrying of “advertising or
promotional material of any
kind,” according to the offi cial
rules. Serapes and banners are
OK for identifying a group or a
rider, but those signs cannot be
larger than 12 inches by 24 inches
See PARADE/12A