Sisters Rodeo thrills big crowds

Dust was flying and so were the cowboys at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 10-12. It was a rompin’ stompin’ good time for the estimated 30,000 people who turned out — literally from around the world.

With a total purse of $120,000, the Sisters Rodeo Association gets the claim to fame of having the biggest purse of the weekend for all the rodeo events held in the United States. Big money drew big-name national competitors such as 2004 world champion bull rider, Dustin Elliott.

World class local talents also competed, including 2003 world champion bareback rider Booby Mote of Redmond, champion bull rider Ross Coleman of Bend, and Jason Havens also of Bend, who was in the top 12 of the nations 100 top-rated bareback riders for 2004.

Competitors like coming to the Sisters Rodeo.

Alexander Robertson of Bend sat on top his handsome palomino Quarter horse, Zeplin, waiting to rip through the gates and bulldog a steer. He has been competing at the Sisters Rodeo in Steer Wrestling for 12 years.

“I can’t remember a year in my life that I haven’t been here, even before I started competing, we always came to the Sisters Rodeo. It’s an exciting way to kick off the summer rodeo series,” said Robertson.

When asked what he likes best about Sisters Rodeo, Robertson said, “it only takes 12 minutes to get here from my house!” Kidding aside, Robertson — who travels to rodeos all over the United States with the goal of becoming the next National Finals Rodeo champion in Steer Wrestling — said, “I just love the Sisters Rodeo event, the atmosphere and the people…. it’s a real fun event to be part of.”

Sisters Rodeo Associations President Glenn Miller has participated in the planning and coordination of the event for more than 20 years. In 1988 he was instrumental in the great evolution of the event.

“I convinced the board to change the rodeo into a PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) rodeo from the small town amateur rodeo that it used to be. Since we made that change it has been growing every year,” he said.

Today, the Sisters Rodeo is considered to be a world-class event with top-caliber competitors.

The rodeo is also the oldest and most historic event in the Sisters community.

“It has endured and survived for 65 years due to the tremendous efforts of hundreds of volunteers,” said Miller.

“The entire operation is completely made up of volunteer members that are as enthusiastic as they are tireless. Without them there would be no possibility of such a successful event. It is truly a community event made possible by the efforts of hundreds of people who work together seamlessly for the betterment of the rodeo and the Sisters community,” Miller said.