Rodeo brings wild times to Sisters

That special magic that is better experienced than defined returned to Sisters again last weekend for the 67th Sisters Rodeo. Known as "The Biggest Little Show in the World," the four-day event held the rank of the biggest rodeo in the United States last weekend.

Everything is top drawer about the Sisters Rodeo from the caliber of the approximate 400 contestants and the more than $130,000 offered in prize money to the rodeo grounds grass-covered parking, the condition of the arena, the box and plaza seating in the stands and the variety and quality of the concessions.

The rodeo that Sisters offers the thousands of enthusiasts who attend - attracting some of the best cowboys in the world - does not happen by accident.

Every aspect is planned and organized to precision under the guiding hand of dedicated rodeo association president Glenn Miller (see related story page 33).

Throughout the rodeo's four-day, four performance period, a nearly 1,000-member volunteer workforce steps up to help with every need imaginable from ushering, to assisting with the events and cowboys, to serving up a hamburger, to directing traffic, to providing security, to cleaning-up, which is handled with such skill that within five or six hours after the final performance, no one would ever know a rodeo had taken place earlier that day.

As tradition dictates each performance was kicked-off by the Pepsi Girls who circled the arena with their fast-moving horses.

"Our job is to get the rodeo off with some color and some flash and get everyone excited," said Diana Alexander, a member of the group.

Next, area rodeo queens and their courts followed by the 2007 Sisters Rodeo Queen Misty Carter made their grand entrances (see related story, page 27). As the Stars and Stripes encircled the arena, Robinson challenged everyone to rededicate him or her self to America as the lyrics "I Believe in America" were aired in the background.

Sisters' own Peggy Tehan sang in a cappella, as she has for the last 18 years mounted on horseback, the Star-Spangled Banner. After a prayer of thanks that asked for protection for all contestants and participants, the rodeo's first event, tie-down roping, was underway.

At each of the four performances, audiences are entertained with seven major rodeo events: tie-down roping; bareback riding; steer wrestling; saddle bronc riding; team roping; barrel racing; and bull riding.

As these seven events unfolded, emotions were as erratic as a ride on a roller coaster with constant reminders of the quest for perfect harmony between horse and rider and the cowboy's wish for a bronc or bull that would give him the ride of his life.

The contestants' thrills that only come with the quickest time or highest score was contagiously carried through the audiences, as were the feelings of agony and helplessness that result whenever no score is made or a penalty is incurred.

The Kiesner Family Wild West Review provided this year's featured entertainment with their cowboy mounted pistol shooting, trick roping and trick and Roman riding acts (see related story, page 21).

Even a bit of romance made its way into the arena during intermission at the Sunday afternoon performance. Rodeo association board member Chris Schaad, who works for Sisters Auto Supply, took a microphone into the arena and in front of the big and rowdy crowd proposed to his girlfriend, Sisters resident Kellie Maddox, who is a nurse at St. Charles Hospital in Bend.

"I got down on my knee, and I asked her to marry me," Schaad said. "And she said 'yes.'"

With attendance up slightly and contestant entries down a little - likely a result of high gas prices according to ticket sales chairman Cathy Williams - the 67th Sisters Rodeo brought a weekend of exciting, wholesome, family entertainment to Sisters and sent a few cowboys and cowgirls home with bulging pockets.