Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1984)
SIX-The Heppner Gaiette-Tlniet, Heppner, Oregon. Thursday, June 7, 1M Dreams of being the best a t ; j i . x. v rs v. ' v y ' l I' C? v i : i -. X f' Charlie Sampson takes names for the jackpot Bruce Ford watches intently as one of his pupils contest which followed the conclusion of the" tries out what they have been talking about in school. They came in all shapes and sizes; tall and lean, short and tubby. Some were grown men and others young kids who still had their baby fat. Addresses ranged from the suburbs of Portland to rural routes hidden away in the sage brush. But they all had one thing in common: they were rodeo ri ders, and dreamed of being the best, a National Champion, the cowboy's version of the "Right Stuff." The closest some of them had been to a professional cowboy was that March morning in the small arena at the Dodge City Inn in Boardman. Others had been following the circuit for years, but most of them were high school and college rodeo team members. They had one other thing in common, they were there to learn rodeo skills from the very best. The event that had drawn these cowboys and one cowgirl together was a rodeo school featuring instructors with seven Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world champion ships among the three of them. They were Bruce Ford, four times World Champion in Bare back riding; Brad Ujennund son, two times World Champion in Saddle Bronc riding, and Charlie Sampson, one World Championship in Bull Riding. Sampson was also assisted by Jody Tatone, four times Na tional Rodeo Finals qualifier and manager of the Dodge City Inn. During the three day school, the students learned arena et tiquette, how to handle them selves in the chute, the best technique for staying aboard the animal of their choice for the required eight to ten seconds, and tips for making the traveling required easier and cheaper. They also spent a lot of time actually riding the ani mals. But, the major emphasis was on the mental aspect of the competition and the belief in themselves as winners. To assist in that aim the students listened to Positive Mental Attitude tapes such as "The Magic of Believing," "Positive Expectancy to Win," and "How to Make Winning Your Lifestyle." The instructors also assisted the students in polishing their mental imagery. They helped the students imagine the ride from climbing into the chute and climbing aboard the animal they were going to ride through to opening of the gate, the successful completion of the ride, and the graceful dismount. The students then put this mental imaging to work where it counts - out in the arena on board a bull or a horse whose greatest desire was to get that rider off its back. The intructors for the recent World Champion's Rodeo School held at the Dodge City Arena read like Who's Who of the rodeo world: Bruce Ford, holder of four Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) championships in Bareback riding; Brad Gjer mundson, two PRCA titles for Saddle Broncs; and Charlie Sampson with only one title, that for Bull Riding, but per haps the best known outside the world of rodeo, and Jody Ta ttone, four times National Rodeo class. Finals qualifier and the driving force behind the school. In an age short of heroes these living legends moved among the students offering a word of advice here, adjusting equip ment there, bolstering a shy one's confidence with a quiet "well done," and smiling at the braggadocio of young boys covering their fear with a layer of brave talk about what great rides they had made just last week. BRAD GJERMUNDSON Gjermundson calls Dickin son, North Dakota, borne when he gets a chance to be there which isn't very often. He at tended approximately 130 rodeos in 29 different states and three Canadian provinces last year. t Gjermundson, 25, is not mar ried and spends most of his time either on the road, in the air; or figuring out how he is going to get to his next rodeo. N He does not instruct at very many rodeo schools but finds them a very useful way to polish his own technique. He also feels that it is a way to repay the people who helped him while he was learning his craft, one of the best Saddle Bronc riders in the world. Gjermundson started his career in high school, moved on to the college ranks, where he was the 1980 Collegiate Cham pion; and then took the pro circuit by a storm earning 1980 Rookie of the Year honors and following that with two PRCA titles in the following years. BRUCE FORD Ford, 31, is a soft spoken individual whose forceful per sonality became evident only when he demonstrated to his students what a good bareback ride could look like. He became a whirling dervish of Jlying chaps and ringing spurs, as he pulled from his bronc the besl ride it could produce. Ford teaches at about six schools every year, most of them are held at his home place in Kersy, Colorado. He slated that the best part of teaching the schools was seeing one of his pupils appear at the National Rodeo Finals or just doing really well. He also mentioned that the schools were a good place for him to "tune-up" his ownr iding skills. Ford comes from a rodeo family and entered his first rodeo at the age of seven. His career has been an illustrious one which thus far has yielded four PRCA World Champion ships, a record hard to match in the rough and tumble bone breaking world of bronc riding. He was accompanied to the school by his family which incli'des his wife, Susie, and two youngsters ages two and four months. Ford explained that his family does not travel with him while he is rodeoing, but this week at the school was the only chance he foresaw for seeing his family during the coming month. CHARLIE SAMPSON "I believe that I can ride bulls." and with the conviction ringing in the air of the banquet room of the Dodge City Inn there is not a person present that doesn't also belive that Charlie Sampson can ride bulls. Sampson, 26, is a firm belie ver in the power of positive thinking and the signed photo graphs of him riding a bull, he hands out to his students at the conclusion of the school are emblazoned with the words "You only fail when you have failed to try. Sampson is somewhat un usual In the realm of rodeo as he comes from an urban back ground and is black, because of this he has caught the attention of national media and has done things like give bull riding lessons on TV's "Real People." Sampson has had one of the more unusual introductions to rodeo as he became Interested in horses during the course of t Cub Scout field trip to a carnival that had a pony ring. This took place in Los Angeles, Califor nia, and was the first time he had ever been close to a real live horse. He spent his quarter for five times around the ring and was hooked on horses. Sampson then got a job at the pony ring to support his riding habit and started hanging around a stable where black cowboys kept their horses. They taught him to rope and then talked him into riding one of the roping steers. "I fell off the first one and cried and then tried another and this time I rode it," Sampson related. It was evident that trips around the pony ring had been replaced with something a little more exciting. Sampson was the least reti cent to talk about how he felt about rodeo and what it offered him. At roughly 130 pounds and slight stature, athletic oppor tunities were not readily avail able to him and be enjoys getting out and controlling and conquering 1800 pounds of angry bull. Story and photos by Ann Sipe -vi.t" xZ v' dS 'ZZ J ! u ' jfrz-J m K V i X M Instructors at the "Champion's Rodeo School" were (Left to Right) Charlie Sampson, Brad Gjermundson, Jody Tatone, and Bruce Ford. t '1 T ... JPeJ1"1. v ' J 1" ;i Jody Tatone aids one of the bullriding students in getting his rigging set on the mechanical bull for a practice ride. JT-Xt t'Z ; VX-" --",-. - - The area behind the chutes took on the cluttered, crowded look of a teenager's bedroom as each of the students staked out a portion of it as their territory. Here reposed their gear, bags, equipment, cameras, and for some, all the clothes they had brought with them. "I- - -siSik' X-.... ' . - 2' r-Xf j ; ft - r ' , f -'c. k;- r- . -; !Y , X ipx' xx.- ,.. r , 1t--4rXx p--r-r;v:-;- ttf 0 4 ' h'Wl 4:J i.'"Vs d' ,v ( , ; X 7 X . .- n I . xl x' --'x Nona or bcdcit kxamno lor pf towiti" iOWkatia. Jun hr a T blmtat July 1. 1 JJ m f fart Bf Hflfrai. o mm. A mmt I Mnt 0H Wb A v W lb Mfrt awy W .aJXLaa. If mx. rf iMr ai ht, an FINANCIAL SUMMARY I A' I "'Zr7 I ' Hi.QQO ANTICVATCO f-iw ..-.u.-i M'.9.6 WEQCIUKEXn TatalCMOmfaD' , T lAHOtWrnaiirMdHnilniiiM l.ltf.ta; Tvra ma?ATXD utot-mottNTS ?.4.? ANTICIPATED Til mm) ty . LK'S.W TOTAL ANTK3PATCD UTVtNVU r.BS,?0 AVnCIPATED TlftiiiwjT IUMfilllil ! TAX LEVY P1wlteMMriPnMtrTaMtNiBilUdM J. LS , ... TOTAL nOftm TAX LXVT .000 TAXLXVIZS Vrrj Wltlua Tu l ., ,,,.. , " faxtiajlly o .rtSuowdiTMto - FUNDED SY garul LvU ' STATE Of TOTAL PWOfWTY TAX TO BI PAJRIALLY OREGON rWDEPtY STATS Of OMOQW " TAX LEVIES Otw-YarStMUlUn ;Ouu4TuIm TOTALLY amll rUNDCOBY Ly far PayI of BM D local total nonam tax to st totally taxpayers rvKPEP it local taxtatem 1 . I a-ATTMt-VT or tKtmrrciN-i ccat otTr a.a ' I burr tt-t ac-M rc-aM TABLf acuo OMIT V COJTrD PUT OVTfTANPOW DCirr ACTMtMPXO, KCrr KXWP) tyw or rmrr i i ,, . L U,I1WS hur-tSair-Wi M . SWtTara Nw - 111 n " " ---- 1,111,000 1.111.000 TOTAL INPr-TEtT38 J ruNos atonRiNC a pRortRTV tax to c uvito -n am rtJND 'oitl Pttionil Scrvkct (Includd ill fiyioll Coin) , ratal Miirili tntf Scrviui roitl CipiUl OulIy rotl All Olhci Expcndiluttl nd Rtqunmnti . . , Tout Eptfldi!uri and ic;uircmrnu . . . foul RiK)urte r! Ptrionl Strii (IncluoVi ill Pi) foil Colli) , roitl Mucriali ind Strvicei 'oiil Capital Outlay Total AU Othti Exprndilurei and Requlttmtntl . . , (otal Etpfndituiri and Htiuirimtnti otal Rctourctt ............ The cowboys express their individuality often through medium of their chaps. the Much time is spent preparing for the short eight second ride on a bull. Here a student works rosin into his bull rope to prevent it from slipping. total Peiional StfxKrt (Includfi U Pyioll Com) otal Mitefial and Sirvkti il Capital Outlay fotal All Other tpndiluiei and Hrqwrtmcnti . , roial Expenditure! and Requirement! total Rewuit! Eacepl Piopetty Taaei rtoptrty Taxei Received Properly Taaei Required lo Bian,e tilirruled Pioperi) Taet Not to be Rird . . potal Property Tax Ley Levy ithm Tlx Be One Year Spevial Leviei Ouiude Tax Bte Berial Leviei and Cotittnuing Leie (Lev) Pot Piment of Bonded Debt . . . ACTUAL DATA " ADOTIO luOOIT A -OVIO aunOIT ..-eT TMlt vtAgyi4 .eT YlAW asum iLm UiiJJBi ,, , .' r ' Y(, Vii'i i U.tii.l,. .t.r.,,r.ra..-..ii....,.,..; , - ; - n.m , , j -j , - , " A PROPERTY TAX TO BE LEVIED .U hitI i JaULUUtlt-WUi FUND ACTUAL DATA AOOrTIO iUtK.IT ArROViD iUOOIT LAtT VIAK tmt VIA fl-t , W" VAW m.m ZZZZZZI W.tw ' "i.too I -I aaJtrarnuJI WJMR'J - fund ACTUAL DATA I AbOrT(0 tUDOIT I ArrMOv(0 tucoir LAtT VIAA ,,, TMlt YtAW Jtihl MT -tAW ii8.e?i IZSMi UsJtiUlL JIILUIt. FUND rfotal Ptrtonal Servicei (Include! all Pa roll Coin) Total Milenall and Servicei Total Capital Outlay Total All Other Expendilurei and Rrq iire-nenti . . Todl Ekpenditutei and Requirement! ........ Total Rriouaei Total Prrwnal Service! (Include! all Payroll Com) , Total Milenall and Servuci Total Capital Oullay Total All Other Exprridiurei and Rru,r"ienti . , , Total Ependirurei and Rcjuiremenli T'lal Retourcei , . . . , Total Pmunal Sern.ei (In.ludei all Piwoll Com; Toul Material and Servi.ci Total Capital Outlay . . . Total All Other Exper:urei and Rr.ite-nenti , . Total Expfiliturei nd Rfq.-emeni! Total Rrn'urcei ACTUAL DATA I AOOfTIO iuDOIT ATraOVIO (UIX.IT LAtT VtAW TMlt rfAW t1-4 NfT VtAW 3 -Jt u.m -Jz W tw ' t".M0 I lljifilrSZUll ltUlVJ.. Ft'ND ACTUAL DATA I ADOPT! D lubOiT ( Al'PMOtO tuuCCT last v t aw IMI , Tmt YtA"ajvJi4, rT -tAW . ti.100 UtU" UJ2 ! :. 'A-deiUli liXJUJJt i3lJJ rl-Nr) ACTuAL DATA I ADOfTIO iuOOtT 1 AfPfHOvJO iuUOIT LAST V t AW TMlt YfAW ffaftj Mf T YfW i.'Al.l-.t ' ' L I ;.iet.;i 1 Polish.! "June 1984
