-PAGE 10 SEPTEMBER 8. 1978
W asco C ounty F a ir ’78
At the Wasco County fair
held August 25-26-27 in Tygh
Valley, local residents partici
pated in a variety of events.
Even the kids had their day.
The day before the whole
event got underway, locals were
setting up tepees in the Indian
encampment grounds
while
Romagene Jo, with assistance
from others, was laying out dis
plays of Indian artifacts in the
exhibit hall.
Truck racks banged• and
rattled as horsemen arrived with
their stock for the rodeo and
races. The rodeo provided the
most thrills for everyone who
was at the fair. The rodeo stock
furnished by Ross Avery of
Redmond, Oregon gave the cow
boys a run for their money. It
is considered one of the finest
strings in the northwest.
The bulls were especially
outstanding as they finished 25 to
the cowboys 5. Avery’s bulls are
some of the finest and toughest
around today.
Leland Tom, a young and
upcoming cowboy from Warm
Springs, won the novice saddle
bronc riding championship. This
is for a cowboy who had not won
more than $300 in that event.
The competition was very
good as young cowboys from all
over the northwest were trying
for that title. Leland also entered
the open bareback competition
and rode his mount on the first
night 'w here he scored a 59
Leland Tom winning the Novice saddle brong riding at Tygh Valley,
Pinenut Festival Rodeo
The Schurz rodeo Associa
tion from Schurz, Nevada has
planned their annual Pinenut
festival rodeo, to be held Sep
tember 16 and 17. The rodeo is
sanctioned by the Western States
Indian rodeo Association, one of.
the eight nationally recognized
rodeo associations across the
United States and Canada.
The standard events featur
ed in this years rodeo, include
Bareback, Saddle Bronc, Bull
riding, Steer Wrestling, Calf
Roping, Cow Milking, Team Rop
ing, and Barrel Racing. The
entry fee in each event will be
$30.00, which includes a five
dollar stock charge which will
not be accplicable to barrel
racing. Each standard event will
have a $250 added purse.
The Bullriding will be limit
ed to 50 riders, and Saddle Bronc
and Bareback will be limited to
thirty riders each. There will be
no limits in Calf Roping, Team
Roping, Barrel Racing, Steer
Wrestling, and Cow Milking. In
all the timed events there will be
two go’s, except in the Cow
Milking which will be one ‘go’.
This year a top-hand saddle
will be awarded to the contestant
who places in a rough stock event
and a roping event. Steer Wrest
ling will be considered a rough
stock event.
Books open Monday Sep
tember 11 at 8:00 a.m. and close
Wednesday September 13 at 8:00
p.m. Call Mary Williams, Rodeo
Secretary a t (702) 575-4798 be
tween 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
only. Mailed entries can be sent
to Rodeo Secretary, Box 132,
Schurz, Nevada, 89427. Entries
have to be postmarked no later
than September 12.
marking. Some thought that he
should have received a much
higher score. The horse was one
of the more outstanding bucking
horses in the Avery string.
01’ Jazzy Wewa done it again
as he won the wildcow milking
both days and a pile of loot. He
was full of smiles all the way
home and looking forward to the
next rodeo. He also said, “Still
hanging in there.”
Marita Johnson of Warm
Springs who is currently the
leader in the Western State
Indian Rodeo Association barrel
race event, entered the barrel
race at the fair. However, it was
not learned just how she did.
Marita, very competitive in
that event, should earn a bid to
participate in the National Finals
Indian Rodeo which will' be held
in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake
City, Utah, November 24-25.
Another local gal, Vest John
son, made her run also. Vesta, a
very young girl, is just starting
competitively in the barrel race
and has been doing quite well for
herself this year. She has en
thusiasm and determination and
that’s what it takes.
Katherine Heath, a veteran
barrel racer, has done some
riding from the chutes from time
to time in the cowriding and
occasionally in the bareback.
She made her run at the barrels
during the first performance of
the two-day show.
Delford “Dot” Johnson went
bursting into the rodeo arena
from the calf roping chutes.
Unfortunately he had some bad
luck and failed to rope his calf.
Just recently Delford helped to
arrange a calf roping school here
at the rodeo arena.
Before there is any action in
the rodeo arena there is the
grand entry where all the riders
file into the arena. Several locals
dressed in Indian Regalia were
among the other riders in the
grand entry. They were led in by
Sub-Chief of the Confederated
Tribes,
D elvis
“Bullneck”
Heath. Several young Indian
girls rode and they were all
dressed in colorful buckskin
dresses.
Herb Stwyer had his float all
decked out with blankets and
beaded bags. He sang and drum
med while little tots did some
war dancing on the back of his
pickup. The Mitchell family,
very well known throughout the
northwest, had their float all
decorated with Indian blankets
and beadwork. They participate
each year at the fair.
There were several others
who had floats which- provided
plenty of color for the parade.
The spectators were very re
ceptive to their entrance.
Each year at the fair ex
citement is proved on the race
track as horsemen select certain
types of races and run for the
money. This year there were
four different types of races on
the track at various intervals
during each performance. The
first was the quarter-mile. This
race is short and fast. Usually
the quarter horses run in this
race since they are bred for short
but fast races.
After the quarter mile, the
races start to lengthen out to a
half, and then the three-quarter-
mile races. The final race for the
day is a relay race. One of the
highlights at any county fair,
these consist of a team with three
horses, the rider, two helpers,
and one to stop the incoming
horse and rider. The rider dis
mounts, boards the next, makes
the entire round and changes
mounts for the final round. In
this race anything can happen,
especially during the exchange
in front of the grandstand. There
are times where a rider has a
comfortable lead but can’t make
the change in time and loses his
position and sometimes the. race.
Horsemen participating in
this year’s events were Jacob
Frank, Vernon Spino, Zeke Scott,
Delvis Heath and claude Puc
kett. All had very good horses
and each race could have gone
any way.
As the fair is winding down
and nearing the end of another
year’s annual event, the guys
have had a rough day in the
rodeo arena. They become a
little thirsty from all the dust and
hard work during the hot day and
decide to venture to the cage to
socialize a little before departing
for another year. “WHY NOT.”
Jeff Crowder in the Bullriding.
IHHe Oofs Football
The Little Guys football
practice will start Monday, Sep
tember 11, at the Community
Center, according to Lyle Rhoan,
Activities Coordinator, with the
issuing of equipment and lockers.
Lyle Rhoan, who is also a
coach, said that physicals are
required before the come out for
the team, which is open to 6-14
year olds. According to Lyle,
fourteen year olds may go out
later in the season.
No games are scheduled yet
because “we have to work
around everyone else’s sched
ule” said Rhoan. The first game
will be sometime in October.
Lyle said he would like to see
more volunteer work and en
courages people to come out and
help coach or be a line marker,
or referee, or help in anyway
they can.
SPORTS QUIZ
(1) “What team does Joe Fergu
son Quarterback?”
(3) “ Isaac Curtis of the Cin
cinnati Bengals, what position
does he play?”
(4) “Steve Schubert is a punt
return specialist, what team
does he play for?”
(5) “Lynn Dickey is the quarter
back of what team ?”
(6) “Who is the quarterback for
the New England Patriots?”