CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Fun:
Continued from Page B1
Ellen Bishop/Contributed Photo
A cowboy competes in the saddle bronc competition at the 2021 Chief Joseph Days Rodeo.
Timeline of important events at CJD
Chieftain staff
1947: Built the arena and
bleachers where rodeo is
held today.
1950: Built fi rst dance
hall and named it “Hells
Canyon.” It was constructed
out of an old Quonset hut in
Joseph.
1952: Chief Joseph Days
boosters took a three-day bus
trip to advertise event around
the Northwest. It was a trip
made in a circle around the
area that included the Joseph
mayor and the Chief Joseph
Days court. Previously, a
group of people had fl own to
areas to promote the event.
1954:
First
kiddies
parade.
1959: First grand mar-
shal was Jay Dobbin. Dobbin
had been named the county,
state and national father of
the year.
1960: Arena was ded-
icated as “Harley Tucker
Memorial Arena.” Tucker
helped start Chief Joseph
Days and was the stock con-
tractor for the event.
1961: First girls sanc-
tioned barrel race at the
Joseph event.
1967: Rebuilt south
side stands and covered
grandstand.
1967: Community center
caught fi re due to fi recracker
and was repaired.
1968: Rebuilt north side
stands and built covered
grandstand.
1968: First Friday night
rodeo performance.
1972: Two Saturday
rodeo performances.
1982: First year for cow
milking for local participants
1982: First coronation
dinner.
1985: Held grand opening
of new community center.
1987: Opened Thunder
Room. It was an old sale yard
that now hosts dances on Fri-
day and Saturday night.
1988: First time for steer
Ellen Bishop/Contributed photo
A fl ag and fi reworks display during the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo.
HARLEY TUCKER AWARD UP FOR GRABS
JOSEPH — The Harley Tucker Rodeo Series award
is named in honor of the late Harley Tucker, who
was a rodeo producer and stock contractor from
Joseph. He helped found Chief Joseph Days and
provided stock for all four of the rodeos that
sponsor the series.
The winner receives $3,000 and a silver belt
buckle. Any cowboy winning the award three
times wins a cumulative fund that is increased
$1,000 each year and currently stands at $11,000.
Pervious three-time winners are Butch Knowles
of Heppner, Rocky Steagall of Irrigon and Brad
Goodrich of Hermiston.
The cowboy with the most points after com-
peting in the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show in
Union, St. Paul Rodeo, the Elgin Stampede and
Chief Joseph Days wins the award. The contes-
tants must enter all four rodeos, and the winner
is announced at the fi nal performance of Chief
Joseph Days Rodeo.
This year’s standings entering Chief Joseph Days
are:
roping at Joseph event.
1991: Started present-
ing winner of the all-around
handmade silver spurs made
by Larry Bacon.
1991: Started the Tucker-
ettes. The Chief Joseph Days
fl ag carriers have opened the
event with a bang of speed
and energy since 1994.
1995: Held a regal recep-
tion for 50th anniversary. Past
presidents and grand mar-
shals were invited with more
than 250 people attending.
1995: Moved Cow-
boy Breakfast to the Rodeo
Grounds.
1996: Opened a hos-
pitality tent on the Rodeo
Grounds still in use today.
1997: First time to be
Street in Joseph. Each rodeo
starts with the Tuckerettes,
six fast-fl ying cowgirls who
thrill with their daring rid-
ing patterns at breakneck
speed, while carrying spon-
sor fl ags.
Other festivities for
Chief Joseph Days include
the junior parade on Friday,
July 29, at 10 a.m. down
Main Street, and the Grand
Parade on Saturday at
10 a.m. down Main Street.
Shopping vendors will line
Main Street off ering West-
ern accessories.
A reenactment of the
infamous 1896 robbery of
the First Bank of Joseph
will not take place follow-
ing the Grand Parade as it
did last year, said Jude Gra-
ham, curator of the Wallowa
County Museum which
sponsors the reenactment.
She said some of the reenac-
tors come from as far away
as Portland and it’s diffi cult
to get them to come every
year. She said the museum
will probably host the reen-
actment every other year.
Chief Joseph Days is
named in honor of the
famous Chief Joseph of the
Nez Perce tribe. Wallowa
County — and particularly
Joseph — is the ancestral
homeland of the Nez Perce.
Chief Joseph was lauded for
his skills as a peace chief
leading his people away
from the U.S. Army and
for his eloquence, when he
surrendered in 1877 with
the famous words, “From
where the sun now stands, I
will fi ght no more forever.”
The Nez Perce host the
annual Friendship Feast
on Saturday, at the tent
encampment adjacent to
the Harley Tucker Memo-
rial Arena. All are welcome
to attend to enjoy traditional
dancing and food. The Nez
Perce provide buff alo and
salmon; guests are asked to
bring side dishes to share.
Nez Perce tribal members
participate in the Grand
Parade on Saturday.
Chief Joseph Days was
founded in 1946 by stock
contractor Harley Tucker.
The tradition celebrates the
sport of rodeo, and honors
the Western heritage of the
Wallowa Valley.
For more information, visit
www.chiefjosephdays.com.
A family’s
ove
L is forever
Caleb McMillian 15.5
Dylan Riggs 11
Derek Kolbaba 7.5
Jared Parke 6.5
nominated one of fi ve best
small outdoor rodeos by
PRCA.
1997: First time a local
girl, Teah Jones of Lostine,
and previous CJD princess,
becomes Miss Rodeo of
Oregon.
1998: First Thursday
night rodeo performance.
2004: Last Sunday after-
noon rodeo performance.
2005: First Wednesday
night rodeo performance.
2006: New arena lights
installed.
2006: First year for steer
riding for those 12 and under.
2006: First year for Tough
Enough to Wear Pink.
2008: First ranch rodeo. It
helps raise money for three
Harrison has made 10
appearances at the Wran-
gler’s National Finals
Rodeo in Las Vegas, won
Comedy Act of the Year
fi ve times and is a four-
time winner of the presti-
gious Coors Man in the Can
award.
Voted a Top 10 Must
See Rodeo, a 25 Best Fests
of the West and winner of
multiple best small rodeo
awards, Chief Joseph Days
features four nights of Pro-
fessional Rodeo Cowboys
Association rodeos and six
days of Western entertain-
ment in the scenic hamlet in
Northeast Oregon.
The festivities kick off
Tuesday, July 26, with the
Bucking Horse Stampede
down Main Street. Wednes-
day night is the fi rst of four
PRCA rodeos, with Fam-
ily Night, which features
youngsters trying their hand
at mutton bustin’, a crowd
favorite.
Up-and-com-
ing cowboys also compete,
along with top competitors
who hope to improve their
standings and make it all
the way to the Wrangler’s
National Finals Rodeo in
Las Vegas in December.
Thursday night cele-
brates Tough Enough to
Wear Pink, where attendees
and contestants wear pink
to support breast cancer
awareness. Miles for Mam-
mograms, a fun walk to
raise money for local cancer
screenings, starts at 9 a.m.
at the Thunder Room, adja-
cent to the arena.
Friday
and
Satur-
day nights play to packed
crowds, as the competition
heats up and winners are
decided.
Whiskey
Creek
is
back this year by popular
demand to play live music
at the Thunder Room right
after the rodeo, where rev-
elers can party and dance
the night away. Safe buses
are provided so no one has
to worry about drinking and
driving.
Rodeos start at 7 p.m.
each night, and take place at
the Harley Tucker Memo-
rial Arena just west of Main
scholarships given to high
school seniors.
2012: First year for mini
bulls.
2017: First Back Country
Bash.
2018: Built new bath-
rooms and souvenir booth.
2020: No rodeo due to
COVID-19.
Proud Sponsor of the
Chief Joseph Days!
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541-426-3838
315 W. Main Street
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101 W. North St., Enterprise • 541-426-3622 www.acehardware.com
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