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Tuesday, July 2, 2019
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Going the
extra mile
B1
WIMBLEDON
Idaho cowgirl
Nikki albisu
returns to
Pendleton to race
the Green Mile
By BRETT KANE
East Oregonian
P
eNdleTON
—
For most barrel rac-
ers, the Pendleton
Round-up Grounds
present a challenge. some
fear it, while others welcome
the challenge.
The historic rodeo arena
is one of the very few that’s
covered in grass, which can
significantly slow down
competing horses, even
causing them to stumble.
But for Caldwell, Idaho,
cowgirl Nikki albisu, that
infamous stadium is excit-
ing, for a number of reasons.
“They’re historic grounds
with a historic rodeo,” said
albisu, 48. “While it is infa-
mous, where else can you
run a pattern on grass? It’s
exhilarating.”
albisu,
along
with
upward of 160 other cow-
girls, ran the Green
Mile Barrel Race on the
Round-up Grounds on sat-
urday and sunday. The
event was open to anyone
who wanted to ride. Com-
petitors flocked from all over
Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
Wyoming, and Montana.
“That’s the nice thing
about it,” albisu said. “you
don’t have to be a profes-
sional to ride here. These are
people who just like to go to
little jackpots and ride. a lot
of cowgirls have this on their
bucket list.”
While most racers rode
one or two horses on sat-
urday’s time-only events,
albisu brought three — Blue
Ice shaken, seven Vision,
and lo Rider. she also
brought along scorcher, a
4-year-old horse, in order to
acclimate him to the green-
ery for future competitions.
“I want to get them used
to everything,” she said.
“This pattern, the grass, the
announcing — all of it.”
she has a grand total of
five barrel-racing horses on
her ranch back in Caldwell,
where she and her mother
linda Whitford raise and
train them.
“I love the training,”
albisu said. “some peo-
ple don’t have those skills.
It wouldn’t be the same to
go out and buy your own
trained horse. I love being
around all of this. I love
every part of it.”
and it doesn’t end there
— albisu’s life is steeped
in rodeo history. Her grand-
AP Photo/Tim Ireland
Cori “Coco” Gauff returns to Venus Williams
in a singles match Monday during the first
day of the Wimbledon Tennis Champion-
ships in London.
Gauff, just 15, shocks
5-time champ Venus,
39, at Wimbledon
By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
WIMBledON, england — Coco
Gauff grew up admiring the Williams sis-
ters. Picked up a tennis racket as a little girl
because of them. and on Monday at Wim-
bledon, still just 15, Gauff beat one of them.
Gauff, the youngest competitor to qualify
at the all england Club in the professional
era, showed the poise and power of a much
older, much more experienced player, pull-
ing off a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the first round
over Venus Williams, who at 39 was the old-
est woman in the field.
See Tennis, Page B2
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Nikki Albisu, with her horse Scorcher, ran the Pendleton Green Mile for the second time this
weekend at the Round-Up Grounds. Albisu is the superintendent of the Ontario School Dis-
trict when she’s not barrel racing.
“A LOT OF
COWGIRLS
HAVE THIS ON
THEIR BUCKET
LIST.”
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
Nikki Albisu
father Harry Charters, a
champion bulldogger, was
inducted into the Pendle-
ton Round-up Hall of Fame
in 2006. Her husband Rich
albisu is an experienced
team roper. In fact, it was
the rodeo that brought the
couple together, having met
at the Northwest Regional
College Rodeo in Idaho
years ago.
“To have my mom be able
to come and see her horses
out here is really important,”
albisu said.
Albisu first took up horse
riding when she was 3 years
old — as soon as she could
properly fit on a saddle. Later
on, however, her career got
in the way —her superinten-
dent position at the Ontario
school district caused her to
lillard gets
supermax deal,
and NBa spending
spree begins
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Barrel racer Jessica Lewis, who once rode for Blue Mountain
Community College and now lives in Benton City, Wash., cuts
around a barrel on the Pendleton Green Mile course Sunday
at the Round-Up Grounds. Lewis won the competition.
step away from barrel racing
for 15 years.
“I just got busy with my
career,” she said, “but I’m
so happy to be back.”
she’s been back in the
barrel racing business for
the past three years. This
year was her second run-
ning the Green Mile, and
she has an idea or two of
where she wants to take
things from here.
although albisu is a reg-
ular Round-up attendee,
she’s never once competed.
If everything permits, this
year stands a chance to
change that.
“If I have a horse that’s
capable of riding here, I
could see myself in the
Round-up (this year),” she
said. “I think that’s a goal
for just about everyone. I’m
excited about it.”
Damian Lillard wasn’t a top-five pick.
Tobias Harris wasn’t a lottery pick. Khris
Middleton wasn’t even a first-rounder.
Their bank balances won’t know the dif-
ference soon.
Free agency opened sunday with nearly
$3 billion in deals getting struck in the
opening hours — including Kyrie Irving
officially picking Brooklyn, as has been
expected, but without any word from Kawhi
leonard about his future plans to either
stay with NBa champion Toronto or move
elsewhere.
lillard agreed to a $196 million, four-
year extension with Portland that will kick
in for the 2021-22 season. Harris is staying
in Philadelphia for $180 million over the
next five years and Middleton gave Milwau-
kee a bit of a discount in agreeing to a $178
million, five-year deal — $12 million shy of
what he could have commanded.
even injuries couldn’t derail the spending.
Kevin durant announced that he’s leav-
ing Golden state and joining Brooklyn on a
max deal — which would be worth $164 mil-
See NBA, Page B2
SPORTS SHORTS
Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs dead at 27; found in hotel room
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Baseball Writer
aRlINGTON, Texas — los angeles
angels pitcher Tyler skaggs died Monday
at the age of 27, stunning Major league
Baseball and leading to the postpone-
ment of the team’s game against the Texas
Rangers.
skaggs was with the team in Texas when
he was found unresponsive in his hotel
room, police said. He was pronounced dead
at the scene. Police said they were investi-
gating, but no foul play was suspected.
skaggs was “an important part of the
angels Family,” the team said in a state-
ment. “Our thoughts and prayers are with
his wife, Carli, and his entire family during
this devastating time.”
skaggs, who would have turned 28 on
July 13, had been a regular in the angels’
starting rotation since late 2016, when he
returned from Tommy John surgery. He
struggled with injuries repeatedly over
the past three seasons but persevered to
become a valuable starter in los angeles’
injury-plagued rotation.
The left-hander had just pitched on sat-
urday, allowing two runs in 4⅓ innings in
a 4-0 loss to Oakland. He was scheduled to
start the series finale at Texas, on the Fourth
of July holiday.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Man-
fred said he was “deeply saddened” by
skaggs’ death.
“We will support the angels’ organiza-
tion through this most difficult period, and
we will make a variety of resources avail-
able to Tyler’s teammates and other mem-
bers of the baseball family,” Manfred said
in a statement.
Skaggs is the first Angels player to die
in-season since Nick adenhart was killed
by a drunken driver 10 years ago. The
22-year-old rookie right-hander was com-
ing off his first start of the 2009 season, his
fourth career game in the big leagues.
Jose Fernandez, a two-time all-star
pitcher for the Miami Marlins, was killed
in boating crash near Miami Beach, Flor-
ida, in september 2016.
AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File
Los Angeles Angels’ Tyler Skaggs pitches to the
Tampa Bay Rays during a June 13 game in St. Peters-
burg, Fla. Tyler Skaggs died at age 27 on Monday.