News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
With that many cowboys and cowgirls registered to compete, there wasn't room in the three-day rodeo for everybody. That's a common occurrence in rodeo, taken care of by "slack" competition on the day before the rodeo.
Contestants are chosen by lottery to compete during slack and their times are applied in the main event.
Thursday's slack ran from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. before all the contestants were done.
"It's the longest slack I know of," said Rodeo Association President Billy Bob Bruhns. The plentitude of entrants means that the Sisters Rodeo, one of four over the weekend in the Northwest and northern California, continues to draw lots of cowboys -- and some of the best in the business.
Fine sunny weather contributed to a festive atmosphere and those with box seat tickets enjoyed the show from the comfort of sturdy new volunteer-built stands.
The fun and excitement passed quickly, as it always does on rodeo weekend, and the rodeo association's thoughts turn toward next year.
And for the cowboys, in the money or out, it's on to the next show.
One bull rider pocketed his winnings at the rodeo secretary's office with a grin and said, "Well that'll get me a couple more places."
He shouldered his rigging bag and hit the road that will in all likelihood lead him back to Sisters next June.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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