A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
WEDNESDAY
August 22, 2018
Fighting bulls put on a show Saturday
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The audience at the third
annual Freestyle Bullfight-
ing event had a little more
excitement than they bar-
gained for Saturday night
at the Grant County Fair-
grounds rodeo arena in John
Day.
The Hamsher Fighting
Bulls are known for being
aggressive and putting on a
good show, but this time a
couple bulls proved tougher
than their pen.
After bullfighters had a
few rounds with their four-
legged opponents, one bull
showed an extra-explo-
SPORTS
SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 24
Prairie City volleyball
@ 1A Season Preview
Tournament at Country
Christian in Mollala, TBD
sive temper, bucking and
head-butting in the chute,
and the next bull to come
through squeezed out into
the arena.
While the crowd in the
grandstands was safe, a doz-
en or more folks watching
the bullfights from a long
flat bed trailer set up near
the bullfighting ring in the
arena were on pins and nee-
dles for a few long minutes.
Organizer Trever Ham-
sher said, after the event,
the bulls are herd animals
— “When they’re by them-
selves they want to fight,
and once they’re together,
they’re not as aggressive.”
He let a red bull out, and
together the two animals fol-
lowed bullfighters through a
gate they opened, leading to
a back pen.
Announcer Chad Nich-
olson said it was “not in the
script.”
People cheered when the
bulls were captured, and
Nicholson praised the men.
“You’ll meet all kinds of
people in your life, but there
is only one breed that is a free-
style bullfighter,” he said.
Trever Hamsher an-
nounced at the mic that he
was out of chutes and out of
bulls, and called the event.
Ryker Fenstermaker of
Burley, Idaho, and Tyler Ling-
beck of Salinas, California,
were named co-champions,
one receiving a championship
buckle and the other a trophy
saddle.
Fenstermaker won round
one with Tyler Lingbeck tak-
ing round two. Zack McVay
of La Pine won round three.
The hard luck award went
to Garrett Wilkinson of Og-
den, Utah.
“I feel blessed it all turned
out great,” Hamsher said.
Barrelman and clown
Clint “Wolfey” Selvester led
a dance-off with children, and
11-year-old Clyde Holliday
of John Day was declared the
winner. Several youths also
competed in a gunny sack
race.
Younger Panther volleyball
girls ready to attack season
Jordan Bass leads as new head coach
The Panthers’ first challenge of the
season is coming up Saturday, Aug.
25, in Mollala when they compete at
nthusiasm is building this year the County Christian Invitational.
“All the top teams last year in the
after the Prairie City Panther
volleyball team’s stellar 2017 state are competing,” Bass said. “It’s
season, which included their District going to be a challenge, and we’ll see
1A-8 Tournament win and advancing some good competition.”
Last season, the Panthers entered the
to the first round of state.
Six seniors graduated, but this 1A-8 High Desert League Tournament
as fourth seed.
year’s team, in-
cluding five of
Prairie City
eight juniors who
toppled
the
top-seeded Jor-
are seasoned var-
dan Valley Mus-
sity players, is
tangs and defeat-
ready to make it
ed the Adrian
come together
Antelopes in the
again this season.
t o u r n a m e n t ’s
Jordan Bass,
championship
this year’s new
game for the title.
head coach, said
The Panthers
she’s excited for
faced Days Creek
what lies ahead.
in the first round
Backed up
of state where
by
assistant
they pushed it
coaches Lance Prairie City head coach Jordan
to five sets, but
and
Louanne Bass directs the team’s attention
lost the nail-biter
Zweygardt, who to the board.
competition.
previously co-
The now-graduated seniors Cas-
coached the team for several years,
Bass said their knowledge and experi- sie Hire and Brianna Zweygardt were
ence will be a great asset for the team. named to the First Team All-League,
Bass was the Panther’s assistant coach and Zweygardt was also named Play-
last year and a volunteer assistant off er of the Year and Setter of the Year
for High Desert. Another then-senior
and on before that.
She played five years for Central Sierra Dahlen was named to Second
Washington University’s NCAA di- Team All-League. Zweygardt was
vision II volleyball team in Ellens- also named to All-State Second Team
burg. This is where the Panther team and Hire received an All-State honor-
attended a four-day volleyball camp able mention.
Juniors this year, Rilee Emmel and
this summer.
“I think they got a lot out of the Emily Ennis received honorable men-
experience, including skills and team tion in the league for 2017.
Emmel and Ennis had four kills
building,” Bass said, adding she felt it
was important to start the process of each in the game against Days Creek,
and Hailee Wall, also a junior this
team bonding early.
Eleven of 15 girls attended the year, had seven kills in the match.
camp, paying almost the entire cost
See GIRLS, Page A13
with fundraising.
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Saturday, Aug. 25
E
Grant Union volleyball
hosts a tournament at 8
a.m.
Prairie City volleyball
@ 1A Season Preview
Tournament at Country
Christian in Mollala, TBD
Dayville/Monument vol-
leyball @ Echo Tourna-
ment, TBD
Dayville/Monument foot-
ball @ Echo Jamboree,
TBD
Tuesday, Aug. 28
Grant Union volleyball
hosts Burns at 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31
Dayville/Monument
football vs. Prairie City
in Dayville at 1 p.m.
Dayville/Monument
volleyball vs. Prairie City
in Dayville at 4 p.m.
Grant Union cross coun-
try holds trial times at
Seventh Street Complex
at 4 p.m.
Grant Union football @
Knappa at 7 p.m.
Contributed photo/LindseyWyllie.com
Tyler Lingbeck of Salinas, California, is roughed up
at Saturday’s Freestyle Bullfights at the Grant County
Fairgrounds rodeo arena in John Day. Lingbeck was
co-champion of the event with Ryker Fenstermaker of
Burley, Idaho.
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Prairie City Panther Emily Ennis spikes the ball during the team’s
Aug. 15 practice.
4-H shooting competitions are a success
Kids compete
in rifle, pistol
and shotgun
Shotgun results
Junior Division
June Wolf, Champion
Talon VanCleave, Reserve
Champion
Blue Mountain Eagle
The 4-H shotgun and rifle/
pistol groups met for their final
competitions, and their results
were on display at the pavil-
ion during last week’s Grant
County Fair.
Mark Bagett, who is one of
the leaders for shotgun, said all
23 kids did well at their Aug.
12 shotgun event at the Seneca
Gun Range.
He said in shotgun, the
youths start with points, 50 for
safety, 50 for sportsmanship
and 50 for eye and ear protec-
tion, and then shoot 25 trap
targets and 25 skeet targets for
score.
“We had no infractions, and
they all kept their 150 points,
then whatever they shot on the
trap and skeet fields contribut-
ed to their total score.
“These kids do really well,
not only with gun safety and
Intermediate Division
Lucas Wolf, Champion
Trevor Gabbard, Reserve
Champion
Senior Division
Drew Wilburn, Champion
Wesley Adams, Reserve
Champion
Rifle/pistol results
Junior
Talon VanCleave, Champion
Rifle – Champion Pistol
Contributed photo
The 4-H shotgun competitors gather Aug. 12 at the Seneca Range for their season-end shoot.
responsibility, but they learn
respect and good sportsman-
ship as well,” Bagett said.
“They’re all terrific kids.”
There are three shotgun
groups: Monument Shot-
guns led by Andy Day, Grant
County Grinders led by Mark
Bagett and Prairie City Shot-
guns led by Carroll Walton.
A competition for rifle and
pistol was held Aug.5, and all
five participants received
blue ribbons. Scores were
based on a percentage of the
overall possible points.
Intermediate
Trevor Gabbard, Champion
Rifle
Logan Namitz, Champion
Pistol
Senior
Cody Bowden, Champion Ri-
fle – Champion Pistol
Gavin Lopez also participated.