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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2001)
Record number of top PRCA cowboys to compete at rodeo Certain TTetssll 0 o f O t;cv 3 ?T .-3 P L i b r a r y Eu¿oue, OH Mike Beers Billy Etbauer VOL. 120 NO. 33 8 Pages Wednesday, August 15,2001 Morrow County, Heppner. Oregon Queen Tammy Booth a real animal lover | 'Jammt/ | rß öt)tlt ‘E yes: (Blue | Hiair: Brown Äße: 16 years old H ‘ ome-schooled I Tarents: Sherrie Smiley o f Boardman and Woody Earf o f I Vancouver, Washington (grandmother is I Carolyn Lilly o f Boardman) In terests: Änimals, cou> penning, j riding, equestrian drill team i--------------------------------------------- 1 Not many people can say they were riding horses before they were bom, but this was the case for Morrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Queen Tammy Booth. Queen Tammy's mother, Sherrie Smiley, says that she was still riding when she was eight months pregnant with Tammy and exercised colts to buy baby clothes. "She (Tammy) got bucked off several times before she was even bom," laughs Sherrie. And it wasn’t long afterward that Tammy began riding herself. "We didn't have a car when Tammy was little," said Sherrie, "so we rode horseback. We had a sled that we pulled behind the horse and in summertime we used a plastic tobaggan. That's what we used to go to the grocery store." Sixteen-year-old Tammy and her mom still share a close bond and enjoy many activities together. Sherrie has been in an equestrian drill team for around 10 years and Tammy has also become an intregal part o f it. After fair and rodeo are over, they plan to become active again. According to her mom, Tammy has ridden just about every position in the drill team and will be a "big help" in teaching newcomers to the team. The mother-daughter duo form a trio with Tammy's grandmother, Carolyn Lilly, a full-blooded Indian with Cherokee and Choctaw blood, who also rides in the drill team. Besides drill team, the three generations compete in "sorting to cow pen". One year Mom and Grandma won the ladies open in cow penning at the Clark County Fair, while Tammy won reserve champion, high point and stock type in Western By Sue Gibbs A record number of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world leaders and past world champions will vie for the championship titles at the 79th annual Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo this weekend. The top ranked contestants will be facing tough competition from an outstanding representation o f local talent. The PRCA rodeo kicks off in Heppner with timed event slack beginning at 12 noon on Friday, Aug. 17. The Friday night show begins with mutton bustin' at 6:30 p.rm, with the professional performance at 7:30 p.m. Women's Professional Rodeo Association barrel racing slack will follow the Friday night performance. A second show will be on Saturday, Aug. 18, beginning with mutton bustin' at 12:45 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the gate. Adult prices are $8 each and the cost for children seven-12 is $5. Children six and under are admitted free. Sunday afternoon, Aug. 19, will bring the Morrow County Rodeo with local residents or graduates competing for money and awards. This action gets underway with slack at 10 a.m. followed by the main event at 1:15 p.m. Headlining the list of entries for the PRCA rodeo are four of the top 10 contestants and the current all around cowboy vying for the number-one back number at the Nations Finals Rodeo: representing the most money won in any event. Those contestants include Blair Burke, Durant. OK. with SI00.432 won this year and currently standing first in the world in calf roping. B..I Campbell of Benton City. WA. has won $84,122 and is sitting first in the world in the team roping event. Brad Goodrich, Hermiston, has a total year’s earnings of S71,311 and Lightning fires Morrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Queen Tammy Booth with her official mount Skip's Passing Fancy. Pleasure, English Pleasure, for two days. They think maybe Western Equitation, English she was poisoned. I almost lost Equitation, Showmanship and her. She's doing fine now and Trail in Vancouver. Tammy, only she's carrying a baby." Tammy and her mom got eight years old at the time, won the mare a year ago in May. and the events against adults. The three also enjoy she has been primarily a brood hunting bear, elk and deer, mare. "I'm training her to run although Tammy adamantly barrels and rope off her," said refuses to kill anything. Sherrie is also Tammy's Tammy. "Now that we've taught teacher since she is home her to ride," added Mom. Fancy has been in all the schooled. Tammy has completed the equivalent o f ninth grade and parades and grand entries. "Our plans to complete 10th and 11th first parade was a little this year. Tammy is enthusiastic interesting," said Tammy. "She's a card," said about her home-school experience. "I like it better Sherrie. "She talks with her nose because we get through and when she gets excited, she everything quicker," said really gets going. She's a real Tammy. "It takes about four clown." hours a day and then you're "One time she fell with done,” said Mom. "You don’t me and I hurt my knee and my have to take time for recess." ancle and she actually stood there "You get more and let me crawl back on her and interesting field trips and they ride her home," said Tammy. also don't teach you how to hang Tammy's other horse, Yo IVs," laughed Tammy, who had Yo, is a 21-year-old pinto. a recent scary, but educational, Mother and daughter can't help experience with her horse. Skip's teanng-up when talking about Passing Fancy (Fancy), a 10- YoYo because the versatile horse year-old black Quarter Horse is now crippled. With the help of mare. Oregon Trail Veterinary Clinic "She went down," said a YoYo has a baby they call their spunky Tammy. " They still don’t "miracle baby". Heavenly Sent know what caused it. She had Luckily, Tammy's blood gushing out of her nose boyfriend is a horseshoer and I called the vet. The vet put an IV up and I got to sit with her continued page 2 A lightning storm moved through Umatilla County late Sunday and early Monday starting a number o f forest fires. The largest, the Bridge Creek Fire, is burning in the Bridge Creek State Wildlife Management Area, seven miles south of Ukiah. It was 3.000 acres at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14. An Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management team was brought in Tuesday morning to fight the fire. Fire fighting resources are in short supply with wildfires burning is several western states. For Tuesday, four dozers, and two large helicopters will be battling the blaze. The fire is burning almost exclusively in grass and timber on the wildlife management area. It has burned through on small amount timber in Bridge Creek on the Umatilla National Forest. The wildlife area is an important winter elk range and Oregon Fish and Wildlife managers are concerned about the fire destroying important thermal cover. No structures have been burned, and none were threatened as ot Tuesday morning. is ranked ninth, following last weekend's win at the Farm City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston. Competing with these world leaders is Joe Beaver. Huntsville. TX, the three-time all around world champion, and five-time world champion calf roper with current earnings of S61,228. Big Bend Rodeo Company of Ritzville, WA, will provide "top ranked" NFR stock to challenge an "outstanding" list of current world saddle bronc leaders: Glen O'Neill, Water Valley, Alberta, currently ranked second in the world and Dan Mortensen, Billings. MT, a past all around champion and five-time world champion, is close behind in third. Challenging for the OTPR title will be the current world fourth- place saddle bronc rider Rod Hay who is the Canadian all around and saddle bronc champion. They will be facing tough competition from three time, and current world champion Billy Etbauer, Edmond. OK; and will be challenged by Shawn Eng, formally o f Heppner. Rough stock contestants face tough challenges. Fifteen of stock contractor Donny Hutsell's animals w ere chosen to compete in the 2000 National Finals Rodeo. Big Bend Rodeo Company w as honored at the NFR with Skoal's Spring Fling’s second title as saddle bronc of the year. Hutsell was also awarded bucking bull of the year with Skoal's Border Patrol. Expect to see the saddle bronc o f the year and many other NFR bucking stock at this year’s OTPR. Top 10 bareback nders challenging this stock will be Bobby Mote. Redmond, currently ranked fourth, and Joe Ketter. Roy, WA. Local talent Brian Knowles will be competing for high scores on this quality stock. Steer wrestlers will be facing tough competition with five of the current top 10 world leaders. Heading the list is number-one ranked. Birch Negaard, Buffalo. S.D., Chad Biesemeyer. Stephenville, TX, Lee Graves, Calgary. Alberta, and Rody Lyman. Victor. MT. Past world champion Brad Gleason. Touchet. WA, will also be competing for the title. Justin Matteson and Blake Knowles, both of Heppner. Emmett Evans, formally o f Heppner. and Trevor McCoin. Condon, will be applying their combination o f strength, timing, technique and horse power for the fastest time this weekend. Blair Burke, currently ranked number one in calf roping with $91.574. Brad Goodrich. Joe Beaver. Matt Shiozawa. Pocatello. ID. Tv- Hays. Weatherford. OK, and Trent Walls are world leaders vying for the coveted Mike Curnn Memonal Buckle. They face tough competition from current calf roping champion Jerry Gentry. Heppner. Steve Cumn, Columbia River Circuit all around leader. Heppner. Tony Curnn. Dayton, WA, Jeff Coelho. Long Creek, current Columbia River Circuit leader and 2000 NFR contestant. The athletic skills of quickness and strength w ill be the key in the arena this weekend for the title. Sunday's Morrow County I om Sores Joe Beaver Dan Mortensen Amateur Calf Roping Saddle donated by Ktnzua Resources LI.C, will also be given to the amateur roper with the fastest time. Twenty-seven bull riders will compete for the title Vince Stanton. Weiser, ID. currently leading the Columbia River Circuit and ranked fourth in the world standings. Shawn W aite, Kuna. ID. J.C. Bean. Goldendale. WA. top Columbia River Circuit cowboys will be competing. The stock will challenge these contestants to their limits. You can expect to see past NFR bull of the year. Rapid Fire, and NFR bulls. Unforgiven and Two Spot. A loaded team roping field includes the number-one ranked team of Richard Eiguren. Jordan Valley, and B.J. Campbell, Benton City, WA, Frank Graves, Poplarville, MS, and Monty Joe Petska, Turlock, CA, ranked third. Bobby Hurley, Ceres, CA, and Mike Beers, Powell Butte. Kyle Lockett, Ivanhoe, CA, and Chance Kelton, Mayer. AZ., Bntt Bockius. Claremore, OK. and Charles Pogue. Claremore. OK. Local contestants includes Justin Matteson. Heppner. Tom Camarillo, lone, Jim Ward, Heppner, Joe Talbott. Pilot Rock. Trev or McCoin. Condon, and Willy Hart. Yakima. WA. Perfect timing between horse and rider is the key for this event. Many top contenders enter multiple events to vie for the coveted all around saddle donated by Gardner's Men's Wear of Heppner and made by Rich Boyer Saddlery. Hermiston. The barrel racing field will have 50 talented horses and riders competing for the fastest time in the OTPR arena. Expect to see four of the top 20 contestants in the world plus our local favonte barrel racers. Randa Kinchen from Arcadia. FT. Rayna Prewitt. Sidney. MT, Jennifer Wilson. Terry, MS. and Iara Polich. Canby are expected to run and improve their world standings. The competition is tough with our local favorites. Maureen Crossley of Hermiston has been on a winning streak with this year's Farm City Pro Rodeo barrel racing title. This year's title could go to any woman with the fastest time. Look for other local talents such as Candice Eng, Kelly Greg and Judy Pederson- Cumn of Hermiston. Kelli Curnn, formerly of Heppner. Randy Rae Britt o f Echo, Shirley Martin of Lexington and young Jonie Nash of Pilot Rock are expected to run for the title and added money sponsored by Blue Eagle Travel and best dressed awards donated by Anipro distributors. Kyle Robinson. The success of the Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo is made possible by the corporate sponsors: The Bank of Eastern Oregon, Heppner: Morrow County Gram Growers. Lexington; Klamath First. Heppner; Graybeal Distributing. Pendleton: Central Market. Heppner; Tillamook Cheese. Boardman. Electro. Inc. Vancouver. WA: Thunder Country FM 94.9; Morrow County Wheat Grow ers: Tad and Melba Miller. Mark and Shannon Miller. Lyle and Virginia Peck. John and Diane Kilkenny and Starvation Farms, and Les Schwab Tire Center. Heppner. who also sponsor the bounty bull money to the rider who can ride the animal. The Rodeo Committee is looking forward to sell-out stands for the top name entertainment and competition this year About one hour south of Hermiston. the drive promises quality entertainment and excitement. Handicapped parking is available and day activities w ill start at the fair for the family on Aug. 15. Don't miss the Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo, Aug. 17-18 and the Morrow County Rodeo, Aug. 19 HCCC will be dosed Saturday. Aug. 18 WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE HORROW COUNTY FAIR & RODEO! MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS L e x in g to n 9 8 9 -8 2 2 1 • 1 -8 0 0 -4 5 2 *7 3 9 6 iw <irv ,qu<p>»w'i(. nm « , 6 at »*»m<jj,,i
