News
Blue Mountain Eagle
A9
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Monument rancher named Spray Rodeo grand marshal
Osburn hasn’t
missed rodeo
since his first
in 1963
Blue Mountain Eagle
Archie Osburn, a long-
time Monument rancher, has
been named grand marshal
of the 2017 Spray Rodeo.
In making the announce-
ment, Spray rodeo board
president Earl Mortimore
said, “I’ve been going to
the Spray rodeo since I was
knee-high to a grasshopper
and have never seen a time
when Archie wasn’t there.
As far as I know, Archie is
the oldest living member of
the Spray Rodeo Associa-
tion, and he has always been
there, always helping. If
anyone deserves to be Grand
Marshall, Archie does.”
Osburn attended his first
Spray Rodeo in 1963 when
he was 6 years old. It was the
first time he stepped into the
Spray arena and already he
had competition on his mind.
Dragging a gunny sack, Os-
burn was determined to col-
lect more empty beer cans
than the other kids.
He was about 8 when he
competed in his first rodeo
event at Spray, the kids quar-
ter-mile race. A couple years
later he rode a steer – straight
out of the roping chute. Os-
burn had to duck his head
but stayed on to win a silver
dollar. His first bareback
ride happened at Spray when
he was 14. He rode against
60 other competitors in a
borrowed right-hand rigging
that he rode left-handed. He
stayed on, but finished out
Contributed photo
2017 Spray Rodeo Grand Marshal Archie Osburn of Monument, his grandson Tavin and his horse Pudding pose
wearing the All-Round saddle Osburn won at the Spray Rodeo in 1976.
of the money behind older,
more experienced riders.
Osburn won his first
buckle in 1975 and went on
to win seven buckles that
year including two at the
Western States Finals, all in
bareback and saddle bronc.
Before he hung up his spurs
at the ripe old age of 27,
Osburn had won 20 buckles
including bareback, bronc
or both at Sisters, Heppner,
Lakeview, Halfway, Paulina
and Fossil, the Vale suicide
race, the Pendleton wild cow
milking and three all-rounds.
By his reckoning, Os-
burn has won money in 12
events in the Spray arena
(counting beer can collect-
ing). He started with the kids
quarter-mile race and steer
riding and went on to the
men’s half-mile race, the re-
lay race, wild horse race and
chariot race. He competed
in bareback, bronc and bull
riding, team roping and calf
roping, but he never won a
buckle at Spray. He did win
the Spray All-Round in 1976
and still rides in that saddle
today.
“I’ve seen world champi-
on cowboys and cowboys on
their way to become world
champions ride at Spray, but
I never had world champi-
on dreams,” said Osburn.
“What I really wanted to
do was ranch so rodeos 150
miles from Monument were
far enough for me. I focused
on staying local; I was happy
being a local amateur.”
Osburn joined Spray Ro-
deo Association as a lifetime
member in 1972 and hasn’t
missed a rodeo since 1963.
He admits leaving early a
couple times: once to take his
son John to a high school ro-
deo and another time to attend
his daughter Brittany’s grad-
uation. In those 54 rodeos no
one would ever find Osburn
sitting in the stands. From the
beginning he preferred the ac-
tion in the arena as a competi-
tor, or a rider helping with the
races, cleaning the arena and
hazing for the pickup men, or
working the stripping chute
taking off the saddles and rig-
gings. Few people are more
comfortable or more knowl-
edgeable doing the work no-
body sees than Osburn.
“I used to help Jim Stire-
walt gather cows for the calf
roping and wild cow milking.
The calves were fresh so we
needed to rope and tie them
before the event,” Osburn
recalled. “We’d bring in the
horses for the wild horse
race. One time one of Bo
Pinz’s horses busted out of
the arena, and I rode up the
hill, roped it and helped bring
it back.”
Rodeos have always been
a big part of Osburn’s life,
but the Spray Rodeo stands
out above all the rest. It’s a
family tradition now carried
on to the third generation. Os-
burn’s daughter Brittany, who
has won 14 girls horse races at
Spray, started when she was 3
years old riding a horse named
Roany in the parade and win-
ning “Best-Dressed Cowgirl.”
Last year her son Tavin, Os-
burn’s grandson, competed in
his first Spray Rodeo, riding a
sheep and running in the foot-
race.
Looking back at a lifetime
of commitment and dedi-
cation to the Spray Rodeo,
Osburn commented, “The
unique thing about the Spray
arena is that when I am long
gone, the rocks will still be
there!”
The 70th annual Spray Ro-
deo will be held May 27-28,
2017. Saturday and Sunday
performances start at 1 p.m.
Slack is 11 a.m. Friday, May
26. The rodeo parade is at 11
a.m. Saturday.
B RIEFLY
Studded tire
season ends
Friday
Drivers in Oregon are re-
minded to remove studded
tires by Friday, March 31.
Studded tires are al-
lowed in Oregon from Nov.
1 through March 31. While
the law allows the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion to extend the studded tire
season when necessary, cur-
rent weather forecasts do not
support an extension this year.
The deadline will be the same
in Washington.
ODOT encourages driv-
ers to consider other types of
traction tires or chains to help
minimize roadway damage
caused by studded tires. A
2014 study concluded studded
tires cause about $8.5 million
in damage each year to state
highways.
Other types of traction
tires are available. These trac-
tion tires meet the Rubber
Manufacturers Association
standards for use in severe
snow conditions and carry an
emblem on the tire sidewall of
a three-peaked mountain with
a snowflake in the center. Re-
search shows these tires cause
no more damage than stan-
dard all-weather radial tires
and that they provide better
traction than studded tires
when used on bare pavement.
Drivers with studded tires
on their vehicles after the
deadline can be charged by
law enforcement with a Class
C traffic violation.
Scoping period
open for Ragged
Ruby Project
The 30-day scoping period
for the Ragged Ruby Project
on the Malheur National For-
est – Blue Mountain Rang-
er District and the Umatilla
National Forest – North Fork
John Day Ranger District be-
gan on Friday, March 24, with
publication of the Notice of
Intent to prepare an environ-
mental impact statement in
the Federal Register.
The public will have 30
days to submit comments,
with the scoping period end-
ing on Monday, April 24.
Persons who submit specif-
ic written comments during
this designated opportunity
to comment, or the future 45-
day comment period on the
draft environmental impact
statement, will have standing
to object to the project.
The Ragged Ruby Project
proposes: upland restoration
activities (9,030 acres); wa-
tershed, fisheries and wildlife
restoration (ecological ripari-
an treatments and large wood
treatments along approxi-
mately 35-56 miles of streams,
10 acres of aspen restoration
and installation of bat gates
at 2 mine adits); prescribed
burning (34,000 acres); road
activities (decommissioning
1.9 miles of road, closing 6.4
miles of currently open road,
confirmation of previous ad-
ministrative closure of 26.7
miles or road, opening of
2.8 miles of currently closed
road, relocation of 0.2 miles
of road, addition of 2.5 miles
existing roadbed onto system
as closed and construction of
10 miles of temporary road);
and recreation system chang-
es (3.3 miles of new trail con-
struction, 9.1 miles of trail
co-designated on existing
roads and 5.1 miles of trails
being un-designated, with
18.7 miles of trail remaining
on the system).
The proposed action
may also include forest plan
amendments to change Dedi-
cated Old Growth boundaries,
reduce satisfactory and/or to-
tal cover, remove trees great-
er than or equal to 21 inches
diameter at breast height and
harvest in late and old struc-
ture stands.
The document can be ac-
cessed on the Forest Service
website at fs.usda.gov/pro-
ject/?project=49392, or you
may request a hardcopy by
contacting Sasha Fertig at
541-575-3061 or sashafer-
tig@fs.fed.us.
Written comments must be
submitted to Dave Halemeier,
c/o Sasha Fertig, Blue Moun-
tain Ranger District, P.O. Box
909, John Day, OR 97845.
The
Blue
Mountain
Ranger District will hold an
open house from 5-7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12, at the
Grant County Regional Air-
port Conference Room, 720
Airport Road, John Day, OR
97845.
Participants will have the
opportunity to contribute in-
formation, ideas or concerns,
and discuss the project with
members of the project’s in-
terdisciplinary team. From
5-6 p.m., the format will be
an open house-style with
members of the interdisciplin-
ary team available to answer
questions about the project. At
6 p.m., there will be a group
round robin session with par-
ticipants afforded the oppor-
tunity to share what they most
value about the planning area
and what they would like to
see happen as part of the proj-
ect.
Nominations
sought for
Resource
Advisory
Committee
The Northeast Oregon
Forests Resource Advisory
Committee is seeking nom-
inees for new members to
serve on a vital Resource
Advisory Committee. The
committee is tasked with
recommending projects to
improve forest health, wa-
tersheds, roads and facilities
around Malheur, Umatilla
and Wallowa-Whitman Na-
tional Forests.
The three categories of
committee members needed
are: 1) Industry profession-
als with experience in forest
products, recreation, mining,
grazing or timber, 2) envi-
ronmental groups and indi-
viduals connected to groups
interested in wild horses,
archeology and dispersed
recreation and 3) elected
officials, American Indian
tribal representatives, school
officials or teachers.
Nominations will be ac-
cepted until Thursday, April
30.For more information
about the responsibilities of
the RAC, visit fs.usda.gov/
main/malheur/workingto-
gether/advisorycommittees
or contact Malheur NF RAC
Coordinator Susan Garner,
541-575-3039, scgarner@
fs.fed.us.
April 11th, Tuesday 8:00am - 2:00pm
Harney County CWMA
Hay Growers Class
The Harney County CWMA presents our Hay
Growers Class, April 11th at the Harney County
Courthouse Basement Meeting Room. ODA
Pesticide License credits will be offered. Speaker
subjects to include: Irrigation/Water conservation
w/ LESA, Herbicide reps from CPS & Wilbur Ellis
treatment options for broadleaf & annual grass
control, OSHA PPE training, African Rue & Noxious
weed ID & treatment.
Lunch will be Provided by CPS
This event is sponsored by your Harney County CWMA Partners
Contact Person: Steph Bonson 541-535-8397 RSVP
05426
05437