OTPR this weekend will impress rodeo fans
By Sue Gibbs
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VOL. 119
NO. 33
10 Pages
Wednesday, August 16,2000
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Queen Tracy a pretty combo
of riding, rodeo and royalty
By Merlyn Robinson
Riding, rodeos and royalty
roles have become an integral
part of the lifestyle of Queen
Tracy Rankin of this year's
Morrow County Fair and Oregon
Trail Pro Rodeo.
This pretty miss is the 17-year-
old daughter of Tim and Kathy
Rankin. Her older sisters are
Jennifer and Bobbie. It has been
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a tradition for the Rankin girls to
be involved participants with
their 4-H projects at fairs,
carrying sponsor flags and
serving as pennant bearers or
court members. Tracy was a
princess on the court of her
sister, Bobbie, in 1999.
For the past six years Queen
Tracy and her family have been
dedicated ambassadors for the
county. During summer months
they have been "on the road"
every
weekend
attending
celebrations near and far. This
year's court members and
families have trailered their
horses to attend events in
Arlington, Waitsburg, WA,
Spray, Sisters, Prineville, lone,
Elgin, Athena, The Dalles,
Joseph and Hermiston.
After the local fair and rodeo
they will also be attending the
Pendleton Round-Up parades and
events. Eager to promote fair and
rodeo, these girls have been
present at luncheons and other
events as well as handing out
brochures, putting up posters and
greeting the public.
All the work of horse washing
and personal preparations for
these public appearances, plus
the miles traveled, has been
Queen Tracy competes at horse show
worth it, says Queen Tracy. She
says that like most teenagers,
they like to be independent, but
their participation at so many
events wouldn't be possible
without supportive and helpful
parents. Tracy’s mother, Kathy, is
court chaperon and she juggles
her time between working for the
Forest Service and helping her
extended family. Her job of
chaperoning has been enhanced
since these court members have
become friends that spend time
together
outside
court
appearances.
Tracy's father, Tim, who works
for the Morrow County Road
Department, has also dedicated
many hours in helping his
daughters participate in fair and
rodeo events through these past
years. Tim constructed the
family's large horse trailer that
has logged around 100,000 miles
transporting the girls' horses to
events. This includes 4-H horse
and open horse shows for the
past eight years. Tracy has a
room full of ribbons and trophies
to show for her championships in
rail classes, dressage and hunt
continued page two
Rodeo fans should be
impressed with this year's PRCA
talent heading to the 78th Oregon
Trail Pro Rodeo in Heppner.
Two-hundred- and-seventy-four
professional rodeo contestants
will be arriving to compete for
money and the coveted awards.
Over 30 of these are currently in
the top 20 world standing in their
event. These include past and
current world champions.
The PRCA rodeo kicks off in
Heppner with mutton bustin' at
6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, with
the professional performance at
7:30 p.m. There will also be
slack for all timed events
following the performance on
Friday.
A second show will be on
Saturday beginning with mutton
bustin' at 12:45 p.m.
Sunday afternoon will bring the
Morrow County Rodeo with
local residents or alumni
competing for money and
awards. This action gets
underway with slack at 10 a.m.
on Sunday, followed by the main
event at 1:15 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased at the
gate. Adult prices are $8 each
with tickets for children seven-12
at $5. Children six and under are
admitted free.
Headlining the list of entries
are three of the top 10
contestants vying for the number
one back number at the National
Finals Rodeo, representing the
most money won in any event.
These contestants include Blair
Burke with $84,860 won this
year and currently standing
second in the world in calf
roping. Rod Hay has won
$74,329 and is sitting third in the
world in saddle bronc. Dan
Mortensen has a total year's
earning of $68,181 and a separate
$50,000 bonus from the Calgary
Stampede. Fans will be able to
watch this 1993, 1994, 1995,
1997 and 1998 world champion
saddle bronc rider in action. He
also was the 1997 All Around
World Champion.
Many other past world
champions will be at OTPR
including Brad Gleason in steer
wrestling, two time all around
champion Joe Beavers and all
around cowboy and Canadian
World Champion Rod Hay in
saddle bronc. Don't miss all this
world class talent coming to the
Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo arena.
Steer wrestlers will be facing
tough competition with five of
the current top 10 world leaders.
Heading the list is the 1981
world champion Byron Walker
from Ennis, Texas. He will be
challenged by the number three
ranked steer wrestler Rod Lyman
from Victor, Montana.
The Columbia River Circuit
Champion last year was Burch
Negaard who is currently sitting
eighth in the world, followed
closely by Todd Suhn of
Lararme, Wyoming. All these
contestants have won over
$31,000 this year.
The calf roping and team
roping talents looks competitive
and fast. Blair Burke will be
challenged by other top 10 calf
ropers such as five-time world
champion calf roper Joe Beaver,
Clay Cema and Ricky Canton,
both from Texas, and Doug Pharr
from Georgia will compete for
the calf roping money at the
OTPR.
The number two and number
12 placed healers are Kyle and
Brent Lockett from Ivanhoe, CA.
Wade Wheatley is the number-
three ranked header from
Stevenville, Texas, along with
Bobby Hurley from Ceres, CA,
and Doyle Gellerman from Napa,
ID. This loaded roping field will
include other top ropers such as
Bret Gould from Pollok, Texas,
and
Spud
Duvall
from
Oklahoma. Many of these ropers
have already pocketed over
$40,000 this year alone.
The added money for the
women's barrel racing, in
Joe Cunha, OTPR benefactor, at an early rodeo
Dan Mortenson
combination with the excellent
ground at OTPR, brings
outstanding horse and rider
combinations. This year's top
racers include three of the top 20
in the world standings-Amy
Dale of Graham, Washington,
Gloria Freeman of Calhoun, Ga,
and Jamie Richards of Basrop,
Texas. Fifty barrel racers are
entered in this year's OTPR and
many of these animals are worth
up 50 to 60 thousand dollars.
Big Bend Rodeo Company of
Ritzville, WA will provide top
ranked NFR stock to challenge
these current world leaders.
"Skoal's Spring Fling" will be
back again with a new crown of
1999 saddle bronc of the year.
This stock contractor had 12
rough stock animals at the NFR
last year and the truck will have
most of them coming to the
OTPR. They include favorites
such
as
bareback
horse
Copenhagen Two Spot, saddle
bronc hotse Skoal's Miss Kitty
and the 1997 spinning bull of the
year Copenhagen Rapid Fire.
These animals will either help
the cowboys or send them to ‘he
dirt; however with riders such as
Rod Hay, Dan Mortensen, Glen
ONeill, Chance Dixon, Rod
Warren and Sean Culver, the
latter is unlikely because all these
cowboys are sitting in the top 20
in the world as well.
A more likely picture is an
inside look at the NFR line up.
OTPR will also be expecting
quality bull riders to challenge
this rodeo stock. Lee Akin, from
Weatherford, Oklahoma is sitting
10th in the nation, Josh O'Brian
from Glen Rose, Texas and
Gregory Potter from Whitt,
Texas (all top 20 cowboys) will
be testing their talents in hopes to
move even higher in the world
standings.
Local faces will also be at the
78th OTPR this year. The Currin
family will be in full force. Kelli
Cumn will be one of the talented
ladies barrel racing and Steve
and Tony Cumn are both
competing in the calf roping and
steer wrestling. Dave Campbell
will be calf roping and team
roping Jerry Gentry will be
showing his talents in calf
roping. The close neighboring
towns will also have top
contestants entered. Randy Rae
Britt of Echo and Tiffany
Munkers of lone will compete in
the women's barrel, racing. Tom
Camarillo from lone will be after
the all around saddle with three
entries in calf roping steer
wrestling and team roping. Jeff
Chance Dixon
Bucky Campbell
Coelho of Long creek will be
another top contender iti calf
roping because he finished 15th
in the world last year. Ned
Keyser and Trevor McCoin, both
of Condon, will compete in calf
roping
and
team
roping
continued page two
Sex offender
not believed
in area
Oregon State Trooper Andrew
H. McCool, Heppner Worksite,
says that sex offender John Clark
Milam. 40, also known as Jaycee
Milam, has not, so far, shown up
in the Heppner-Lexington area.
Acordmg to Trooper McCool,
Milam lived in Lexington in
1993
and
has
several
acquaintances still living there.
According to an OSP news
release, Milam is wanted for a
parole violation and has been
missing from a Merced,
California, hotel since June 23.
According to the release, Milam
is a predatory sex offender who
is obsessed with young females
and is known to use video
cameras to film his victims. He is
described as delusional and has
attempted to represent himself as
a millionaire.
Milam is a registered sex
offender in Oregon and has been
conv icted of sex abuse charges in
this state involving a young girl.
Milam, whom officials believe
may be armed and a dangerous
safety risk to officers, is
described as a white male, 5'9",
220 pounds, with brown hair,
brown eyes and a beard. He has
worked previously in the
Portland area and has resided in
northeast Oregon.
For more information, call
OSP Trooper Andrew McCool,
676-9467.
MC&4S w ill He C 1 0 S C 9 on S a tu rd a y ,
lutoi mu a t th e M o rro w C o u n ty f a ir
and O re g o n T r a il P ro R o d e o !
M o r r o w C o u n t y G rain G row ers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
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