COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JUNE 20, 2018
7A
CG Riding Club to celebrate 70th rodeo
Cottage Grove
200 Gateway Blvd.
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
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Mon. - Sat. 8am - 9pm
Sun. 9am - 8pm
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PHOTO C/O CINDY WEELDREYER
Rodeo royalty is just part of the annual Cottage Grove Pro Rodeo experience each year. This year's event is July 13-14.
By Cindy Weeldreyer
For The Sentinel
T
he 70th Annual Cottage
Grove Pro Rodeo is set
for July 13-14 at the
rodeo grounds south of town.
Members of the Cottage Grove
Riding Club, who produce the
annual summer event, are busy
sprucing up the grounds in an-
ticipation of the hundreds of
people who will fl ock there for
two days of Old West fun next
month.
Decades ago, the Cottage
Grove Riding Club (CGRC)
presented its fi rst amateur ro-
deo at the Purdy Ranch in Lo-
rane under the leadership of
“Stub” Mosby.
On the heels of its success-
ful event, the club approached
Hattie Sharp about leasing 40
acres of her property approx-
imately a mile south of town.
Th e fi ve-year lease agreement
allowed the CGRC to pay $500
per year with an option to buy.
Th ey spent $16,000 to built
chutes, corrals, fences and the
grandstand to stage a more
professional show and allow
more citizens to attend. Adina
Mosby was the fi rst Cottage
Grove Rodeo Queen.
However, the anticipated
revenue was less than ex-pect-
ed and it took club members
several years to pay off the debt.
In 1955, with a $5,000 down
payment, the property was
purchased by the CGRC for
$18,000. Other improvements
followed that included a wa-
tering system and lighting that
made night-time events possi-
ble.
Th e local Stardusters Square
Dance Club leased some of the
land and built a dance barn
with 60-foot-by-80-foot hard-
wood fl oor that later served as
the local roller skating rink.
For the past 70 years, the
purpose of the CGRC has re-
mained constant: to provide
healthy recreation for local
youth that encourages horse-
back riding and good sports-
manship.
Today, President Joel Re-
iten leads the organization.
He joined the board in 2016,
initially, he said, to rebuild a
bridge between the rodeo and
Bohemia Mining Days (BMD).
In BMD’s early years, the
two events were held on the
same weekend. In the 1960s the
Lemati Gang and CGRC mem-
bers conspired to stage a faux
robbery of the excursion train,
“Th e Goose,” during the festi-
val and for special occasions.
Last year Reiten was elected
club president.
Th e Rodeo Queen’s Court is
the face of the Cottage Grove
Rodeo. Th e court consists of
one queen, a junior princess
and a senior princess. Th ey
stay busy attending rodeos and
appearing in parades in other
communities.
Th ey visit Doernbecher Chil-
dren’s Hospital and elementary
schools to get younger children
involved with horses.
At her husband’s request,
Sharlene Reiten, assumed the
duties of the Queen’s Court
Coordinator this year. Her
young charges are Queen Bre-
onah Jones, 15, Senior Princess
Cassie Fergason, 15, and Junior
Princess Dakotah Braatz, 13.
“Th is is a very old tradition,”
Sharlene said. “It’s a lot of fun
and it can be hectic, too, with
all the traveling that’s involved.
Th e three girls are great kids
and they text me all the time
and are eager to do new things.”
Currently the CGRC has 40
members. Many of them have
been involved in the organi-
zation for decades with the
third generation of some fam-
ilies now participating in club
activities. As with other local
organizations that produce an
annual multi-day event, CGRC
is trying to fi nd a diff erent way
to make the event fi nancially
sustainable.
“We have a fi ve-fi gure annu-
al budget,” Joel Reiten said. “A
number of small town rodeos
have ended due to monetary
constraints. We own our prop-
erty; but the large donors of
the past are go-ing away. You
can only raise prices so much
because you want it to remain
aff ordable for individuals and
families.”
Sanctioned by the National
Pro Rodeo Association, events
include competitions for youth
and adults.
Kid events begin at 5 p.m.
with the Grand Entry starting
nightly at 7 p.m.
Pre-sale tickets are $6 for
youth 5-12, $9 for veterans and
seniors, $12 for adults and $30
for a family (Two adults and up
to three kids ages 5-12) and are
available at Schweitzers West-
ern Wear, El Tapatio, Coun-
try Farm (Creswell), Cottage
Grove Sears and the Vintage
Inn.
Th ere is also a $3 parking fee.
Additional attractions in-
clude mechanical bull rides, a
shooting gallery, and the Satur-
day morning Buckaroo Break-
fast. A nightly dance features
Kurt Van Meter, a country mu-
sic performer who opened for
Garth Brooks and performs in
other large venues.
Aft er 9 p.m. Grovers who
love dancing to country music
can kick up their heels for a $5
admission fee.
Reiten said, “Th e 70th anni-
versary of the Cottage Grove
rodeo is a statement of the te-
nacity of local horse fanatics.
While it is an important anni-
versary, it’s also a continuation
of the dedication and love of
horses that our members have.
To us, this year’s celebration
serves as a rededication to
youth and equine activities for
the generations yet to come.
We have a fantastic facility
and our goal is to reach out
and connect with youth that
want to ride. While the rodeo
is an important part of what we
do, more importantly we want
to connect with our kids and
teach them riding skills and
leadership.”
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