Rodeo draws big crowds to Sisters

A sea of cowboy hats, traffic at a standstill on Highway 20, and funny brown stuff on your boots. It must be rodeo weekend in Sisters!

The 63rd annual Sisters Rodeo drew big crowds and some top-drawer performances -- including a phenomenal 90-point bull ride on Sunday. Clint Cassell of Texas topped Porkchop for the second-highest score ever in the Sisters arena.

Despite early predictions of possible rain over the weekend, sunscreen was more in order. Formal festivities opened on Friday night, but cowboys and spectators started pouring into town much earlier.

Portions of the rodeo were actually conducted on Thursday morning, on "slack" day. Because of the number of events and entries, not all of the qualifying action can fit into the scheduled performances.

Slack events are just as important in the standings, and a "first go" (first round) in team roping, steer wrestling and calf roping is usually scheduled for slack day. Some barrel racers also competed Thursday. Slack performances were open to the public at no charge.

When the paying crowd showed up on Friday, Rodeo Association Treasurer Cathy Williams was ecstatic.

"Friday night was a record in all categories," she said.

The Saturday matinee turned out to be a surprise, too, with a crowd that was much bigger than expected.

"We sold out all the blue (prime) seats," Williams said on Saturday. "We have just a few red seats left."

That news would come as no surprise to innocent passersby on Highway 20.

Traffic was at a standstill midday Saturday from the rodeo grounds all the way back into and through Sisters. Some travelers reported taking nearly an hour to cover the three miles to the rodeo grounds.

Part of the backup no doubt also resulted from the rodeo parade, which shut down the highway through downtown Sisters.

Huge crowds lined Cascade Avenue for the annual parade, and radio personalities from KSJJ provided non-stop commentary and banter.

As always, the rodeo drew a lot of big names, and one of the big names was also a local boy.

Bobby Mote, of Redmond, is the reigning PRCA World Bareback Champion, and this was his seventh Sisters Rodeo.

He acknowledged that he didn't have far to commute for this one and considers it his "home" rodeo.

"This is a neat rodeo," he said. "I'd like it whether it was my hometown or not."

In the bareback competition on Friday night, Mote drew a good horse in "Desert Sky" and rang up a score of 80. That ride kept him in the lead until late Saturday.

Joe Ketter and Cody De Mers took the top money in the event, bringing home $3,585.84 each.

As in the past, stock for the show was provided by Beard Rodeos, of Ellensburg, Washington.

Frank Beard was pretty high on his stock.

"We have a bull, Bacca Dip, that was voted top bull on the circuit," he said. "He went to the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) twice and hasn't been ridden there. He was only rode once in the last two years and that was for 93 points."

Beard also praised bareback bronc Smokeless Roan Ranger, bareback horse of the circuit and eight times National Finals horse.

Transporting the riding stock from rodeo to rodeo is quite an operation. Beard brought 90 bucking horses and 42 bulls to Sisters.

Beard said that, although he occasionally buys new animals, they raise their own stock for the sole purpose of rodeo riding; and he prides himself on the care they are given.

"You turn 'em loose, and they buck and jump on their own," he said. "They must enjoy it. We welcome those animal rights folks. We want them to come look at 'em."

Rodeo Association President Glenn Miller had a great time and could usually be found down by the bucking chutes.

He praised the many volunteers. So did Leslie Bolton, a volunteer herself, who said that Sisters is one of the few places where the rodeo is run by an all-volunteer staff.

"We would also like to extend our appreciation to all the sponsors," Miller said.

The sponsors, he said, not only make the whole thing possible, but "bring you the best athletes and animals that the sport of rodeo has to offer."

One of the unusual rodeo highlights was a specialty clown and daredevil act by "The Wild Child," who was named rodeo specialty act of the year in 2001 by the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo. (See related story).

The Sisters Rodeo is billed as "The Biggest Little Show in the World," and the cowboys not only enjoyed it but got a kick out of the fans, as well.

"The fans here are awesome," said bareback rider Robert C. Bowers of Brooks, Alberta.

"It's a lot of fun."