E AST O REGONIAN
SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021
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B1
Roping and riding
and Gator, 16, tag along.
“It’s really neat that
Josie and Gator are compet-
ing,” Jodi said. “It’s truly a
family aff air. She can’t wait
to come home (from college)
and compete. Gator tore his
meniscus in April and now
he’s entered in three rodeos
this weekend (Tygh Valley,
Heppner and Goldendale).”
Brad, who recently had
shoulder surgery, should be
back roping by the fi rst of the
year.
The Goodrich
family embraces
the sport of rodeo
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
STANFIELD — Josie
Goodrich was 3 years old
the fi rst time she rode in the
arena at the Farm-City Pro
Rodeo in Hermiston.
Her father, Brad, had won
the all-around title at the
FCPR and he took Josie along
for the victory lap.
Josie got to make her own
run at the Farm-City Pro
Rodeo on Aug. 13, compet-
ing in the barrel racing event
for the fi rst time. What made
it more special was that
her mom, Jodi, also ran the
barrels on the same night.
“This is very special,”
Josie said before the race. “I
have waited my entire life to
rodeo here with my mom.
Now it’s fi nally my turn.”
Josie turned in a time of
17.79 seconds on her horse
Keeper.
“I was pretty nervous
to compete at the Hermis-
ton rodeo for the fi rst time,
but I’ve also never been so
excited for a rodeo, espe-
cially since I’ve grown
up watching my parents
compete here, and it’s my
hometown rodeo,” Josie
said after her trip around
the barrels. “I was hoping
I would do a little better,
but my horse tripped on the
second barrel, but Keeper did
really good considering that.
The fans and the committee
were amazing. I can’t wait
to compete here again next
year.”
Farm-City is just one of
many rodeos Josie and Jodi
Goodrich have been to over
the past several months.
A family rodeos
together
Photos by Kathy Aney/East Oregonian
Above: Barrel racer Josie Goodrich, of Stanfi eld, fi nishes a run of 17.79 seconds Aug. 13, 2021, during the Farm-City Pro Rodeo
in Hermiston. Below: Jodi Goodrich, Josie’s mother, competes Aug. 13, 2021, during the barrel racing event.
During the winter, mother
and daughter spent some
time competing in Texas and
other southern states.
“This has been very fun,”
Jodi said. “I have enjoyed
every minute of it and watch-
ing her succeed.”
Josie, who is competing
on her permit this season,
filled her permit early on
during the rodeo season, and
will be able to purchase her
Women’s Professional Rodeo
Association card next season.
“That was a goal of hers
and our family, and she did
it,” Jodi said. “This time next
year, she will have her rookie
card.”
In her fi rst pro rodeo in
early July, Josie placed third
at Sedro-Woolley in break-
away roping, and earned a
check in Toppenish in the
barrels. She didn’t fill her
permit her fi rst weekend out,
but almost.
“Between barrels and
breakaway, I fi lled it in less
than a month,” Josie said.
Jodi and her horse Bug
had success early in the year.
They split fi fth/seventh place
at the Sandhills PRCA Rodeo
Jan. 13-16 in Odessa, Texas,
earning $2,382.
A few days later, Bug
pulled a ligament in his leg,
putting him on the sidelines
this spring and summer.
“He’ll be good this fall,”
Jodi said. “I have been riding
him and getting him in shape.
I’m going back to Texas in
October to get a jump on the
2022 standings.”
While Jodi and Josie have
gone on some trips together,
others they have had Brad
The Goodrich family has
a deep rodeo background,
and Josie and her younger
brother, Gator, have really
taken to the sport.
Brad is a six-time qualifi er
for the National Finals Rodeo
in tie-down roping, and a past
tie-down champion at the
Pendleton Round-Up and
Farm-City Pro Rodeo.
Gator, who won the ribbon
roping title at the National
Junior High Finals Rodeo in
2019, placed fourth at state
in 2020 to earn a trip to the
High School National Finals
Rodeo.
But it has been Josie who
has risen to the top the past
couple of years.
In the spring of 2020, she
won the Oregon High School
Rodeo Association barrel
racing title and earned a trip
to nationals with a little help
from Keeper.
Josie, who competes for
Washington State University,
earned a trip to the College
National Finals Rodeo in
June in barrel racing. She
fi nished second in the North-
west Region, just 65.5 points
out of fi rst. She also was third
in the all-around standings.
See Family, Page B2
Barnett wins top PRCA volunteer award Three local baseball
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Dennis
Barnett likes to work behind
the scenes of the Farm-City
Pro Rodeo.
He takes care of ticket
sales, the financials and
correspondence. He even
helps cook the delicious
dinners for the VIPs.
His fellow FCPR board
members nominated him for
the 2019 Professional Rodeo
Cowboys Association John
Justin Committeeman of the
Year Award.
Barnett was named the
winner in December 2019,
and the committee was
set to announce the award
at the 2020 FCPR until
the COVID-19 pandemic
canceled the event.
David Bothum and the
rest of the board kept their
secret for 18 months before
Barnett was honored Aug.
14, 2021 — the fi nal night
Farm-City Pro Rodeo/Contributed Photo
Farm-City Pro Rodeo announcer Randy Corley, right, con-
gratulates FCPR volunteer Dennis Barnett after he was
awarded the 2019 Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association John
Justin Committeeman of the Year Award Aug. 14, 2021.
of this year’s Farm-City Pro
Rodeo.
“We had to put it in the
closet and not think about
it,” Bothum said. “He had no
clue. A few people from the
Gold Buckle section wanted
to go up on the catwalk to
watch the bull riding and
he took them up. He is very,
very, very deserving. It was
cool we were able to surprise
him like that.”
Barnett was surprised,
but said he should have seen
the signs.
“Pretty amazing they got
to me and surprised me,” he
said. “There are a couple of
things that got me up to the
announcers booth, I should
have been more aware. I
had a daughter at the rodeo
that night. The fact I saw
her should have been a clue.
Even my family was not
aware until the last night.”
Barnett is a CPA with
Barnett and Moro, P.C. He
helped found the company in
1984. He is beyond humble
when it comes to his contri-
butions.
“I told the board members
they will pay a price for this,”
Barnett said of the surprise.
“Truly, what it means to
me, nothing. It’s not a small
award, because it’s not. It’s
not what we do it for. You do
it because of the love of the
event and the camaraderie.
David is the heart and soul
of the rodeo. Our eff orts are
because of him. Of anyone
who should receive this
award, it is him. Dennis will
get even with David.”
See Award, Page B2
players earn
all-state honors
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
H EPPN ER — Two
Heppner players and one
f rom Weston-McEwen
were selected to the 2A/1A
all-state baseball team.
Heppner pitcher Hayden
Hyatt and W-M’s Blane
Peal were named to the
fi rst team, while Heppner’s
Jackson Leh man was
selected to the second
team.
Hyat t, who pitched
51.1 innings this spring,
had a sterling .409 ERA.
He allowed three earned
runs and struck out 64. He
fi nished with a 9-2 record.
Lehman had a .525 aver-
age over 19 games. In 59
at-bats, he had 31 hits, 19
RBIs and struck out just
four times.
The Mustangs fi nished
third at the 2A/1A state
tournament, beating West-
ern Christian 5-0 in their
fi nal game.
Heppner finished the
season 15-4.
Hyatt and Lehman,
2021 Heppner grads, also
were selected to play on
the National team in the
Oregon 3A/2A/1A All-Star
Baseball Series in June.
Peal, a n i ncom i ng
senior, led the TigerScots
at the plate in all cate-
gories, and also was the
team’s top pitcher.
The TigerScots fi nished
the season with a 6-7
record, but handed Dufur
its fi rst loss, 3-0 on May 1.
In that game, Peal gave up
one hit and struck out 11.
SPORTS SHORT
Cougs’ coach says he will follow vaccine rule
The Associated Press
PULLMAN, Wash. — Wash-
ington State football coach Nick
Rolovich said Thursday, Aug. 19,
he intends to follow a new state
mandate requiring COVID-19
vaccinations for all those working
at the state’s colleges and univer-
sities, including coaches.
Rolovich had said previously he
was not going to get the vaccine
for personal reasons and did not
explicitly say he would receive a
shot.
“I’m just going to follow his
mandate,” he said.
The mandate announced this
week by Washington Gov. Jay
Inslee also covers public, char-
ter and private school teachers
and staff . It allows for religious or
medical exemptions but does not
allow for a weekly testing alterna-
tive, and those who are not fully
vaccinated by Oct. 18 risk losing
their jobs.
Asked if he would wait for full
FDA approval before receiving
the vaccine, Rolovich repeated his
plan to follow the mandate.
Rolovich is beginning his
second season in charge of the
Cougars. He participated in
Pac-12 media day last month
remotely after announcing his
decision not to get vaccinated.
His announcement had drawn
attention from the top levels of
the state government. Rolovich
is one of two state employees
making more than $3 million,
along with Washington coach
Jimmy Lake.
Rolovich had previously said
he was not against vaccination and
supported the decision of others
to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press, File
Washington State head coach Nick Rolovich watches his players
during football practice Aug. 6, 2021, in Pullman, Washington.