Sisters' second rodeo brings new crowd

Last updated Sep 25, 2007 12:0pm0

Some might be tempted to say that this is not your father's rodeo, but the Northwest Pro Rodeo Association (NPRA) finals brought a crowd that your father would have recognized from his youth. The crowd that descended on Sisters for the second rodeo of the season was young, alive and vibrant. It was pure roots rodeo.

The show combined a sense of history with the brashness of youth. The Grand Marshal was Sterling Green from Warm Springs. The 74-year-old cowboy has a long history with the Sisters Rodeo and never misses an opportunity to come.

Being the Grand Marshal of Sisters' second rodeo of the season "... is something different. I have ridden rodeo all my life and my father did before me. I came to Sisters rodeo the first time when I was nine years old, and I have been coming here ever since. I have won a lot of money here," said Green.

At the other end of the spectrum were the youth of the rodeo, those up-and-coming stars who have yet to shine on the national stage.

"My son Trevor is the youngest bullfighter ever in the history of the NPRA finals. He just turned 17 a few days ago and has been fighting bulls since he was 12 years old. He fought for Howell Rodeo Company this year. He just loves rodeo and homeschools himself so that he can travel," said Dawn Hamsher from John Day.

The rodeo clown was J. J. Harrison, who was back for his second rodeo in Sisters this year. Harrison has a lot of admiration for the bullfighters, regardless of their age.

"My job is entertainment and a safety island if I am needed. The bullfighters are the ones that take the biggest risk to try to keep the competitors safe. They really lay their lives on the line, and I have the greatest respect for them," said Harrison.

The quality of the rodeo competitors was set to a very high standard.

"Its nice to see some of the young and upcoming rodeo professionals, the high school students, the college students, the people who are not really the pros in the NFR (National Finals Rodeo). These finals have really showed us some real talent from all over," said Bob "Bucky" Buckmann of the Sisters Rodeo Association.

A chiropractor and a masseuse tended the bruised and abused. Doctor Jenn Nyberg was present with a masseuse, and they were doing a brisk business with hurtin' cowboys. Nyberg believes all rodeos should have on-site chiropractic medical care, along with the traditional medical trauma teams that are always on stand-by for the rodeo competitors.

"This is the first time we have come to the finals. We have done the Philomath rodeo for the last three years. The contestants absolutely love having the chiropractic care and massage. We have multiple people that are repeats and have come back to see us after seeing us at the Philomath rodeo," said Doctor Nyberg.

The whole NPRA operation was impressively run for a first attempt by Outlaw Productions.

"The people that are here have been very professional and nice. Ryder (Gauteraux, co-owner of Outlaw Productions) has done a great job. The organization has worked out really well for us. Their staff has been easy to work with," said Mike Osborne of the Sisters Rodeo Association.

Consensus was that the Sisters Rodeo Grounds were working out well for the NPRA Rodeo and that the partnership between the two organizations may continue.

"I think the success of this show is going to catapult for the next five or 10 years. We are really happy that they are doing so well and wish that they will stay here for as long as they want," said Buckmann.

Rodeo offers old-fashioned fun

Rodeo spirit is much more than just cowboys testing their skills against wild critters and cowgirls showing impressive equestrian skills. It is also all about food, entertainment and parties. Especially parties.

The barbecue at the Northwest Pro Rodeo Association (NPRA) finals on Saturday evening had a waiting crowd that stretched back for more than 100 yards, but no one was complaining as the food came out hot, fast and tasty. The food was prepared by a new Sisters business that has been quietly producing quality catering without a fuss since the spring of the year. The business is called The Left Handed Chef and proves that sometimes thinking outside the box can net its own reward.

Sisters-based Roy Slicker is The Left Handed Chef and has been hands-on since the inception of the business. He has gained a reputation by word of mouth, hungry and very satisfied mouths.

"We started officially in March of this year. The trailer was picked up in November, and the barbecue was picked up in December. The trailer came from a custom builder in Virginia who builds most of the NASCAR trailers, and I went back and picked them up personally," Slicker said.

One of the trade secrets Slicker divulged is the use of dry rubs and cooking over real wood.

"I use only hickory wood for my smoking, as it is the best. I can do 90 briskets at a time and do prime rib or baby back ribs. I am completely self-contained. I don't require power or water, so I can go anywhere and do remote horseback riding events or events anywhere," said Slicker.

The early entertainment during the barbecue was provided by two locals, well-known singer-songwriter Anastacia (Scott) and Dyrk Godby, a newcomer to the Sisters music scene. Godby proved a treat to those who had not heard him before. He is not only a musician and songwriter but also a talented Western artist, whose work appears on the walls of many local businesses.

Godby's music has a wholesome and timeless country feel that has grown from his life.

"I play the kind of music that comes from where I grew up. It is rural and Western cowboy. It's farmers and ranchers. It is the way I grew up, and so I write that way. Almost everything I sing, I wrote, and I have been playing now for 20 to 30 years," said Godby.

Somewhat more controversial was the choice of Sunny Ledfurd for the main music event, as were some of the activities that surrounded Ledfurd's performance.

"The crowd at the Sunny Ledfurd concert was not a normal Sisters crowd, but I will say that he has a real good following. He is kind of the Kid Rock of the rodeo crowd," said Mike Osborne of the Sisters Rodeo Association.

The varying tastes in entertainment proved the old adage of different strokes for different folks. "Man, you should have seen it outside the Ledfurd concert. The chick fights were great, complete with hair pulling and ripped blouses. What a show watching them try to pull them girls off each other," said Jim Johnson, from Hermiston.

Although Ledfurd seemed a little controversial to some of the older, family minded fans, he did not seem to be a problem for many.

"I understand that the Sunny Ledfurd concert was pretty wild and the language was a little rough, but I didn't mind. I just went home and went to bed," said Curt Kallberg of the Sisters Rodeo Association.