Sisters Rodeo offers thrills to huge crowds

In the words of the Garth Brooks song, "It's bulls and blood, it's dust and mud, it's the roar of a Sunday crowd... and they call the thing rodeo." Sisters had all that, except the mud, last weekend at the 68th annual Sisters Rodeo.

A sterling lineup of contestants worked hard and entertained sellout crowds under perfect blue skies and calm evenings. The contestants weren't the only hard workers. The bucking horses, roping calves and steers, and bulls were in great shape and on Saturday afternoon proved that on some days, it's the stock that wins. There were several no-times and no-scores, all taken in stride by the competitors.

The arena action may change with each performance, but there are evergreen moments happening each year. The Pepsi Girls opening with their precision drill, the queen's wave, the presentation of the Stars and Stripes, and Peggy Tehan singing the National Anthem are Sisters Rodeo traditions. Tehan didn't falter even a note on Saturday afternoon as her horse danced around, spooked by the commotion in the chutes behind him.

The annual Buckaroo Breakfast was held Sunday before the start of the finals by the Sisters Kiwanis Club.  Jim Smith, the event chairman, reported that the Kiwanis served over 1,100 "all you can eat" breakfasts consisting of pancakes, eggs to order, sausage, bacon, juices, milk and coffee. 

Smith reported that 190 dozen eggs were served along with 315 pounds of bacon, 15 cases of sausage patties, 190 pounds of pancake mix, 14 gallons of syrup, 15 gallons of milk,15 gallons of orange juice and over 2,500 cups of coffee.

The Sisters Rodeo runs like clockwork, with a cadre of volunteers who get the job done with a smile. There were visitors from around the country and across oceans sitting in the stands at each performance, making memories of Sisters this weekend at the rodeo grounds.

Announcers Curt Robinson, in the announcers booth, and Wayne Brooks, on horseback in the arena, made sure fans were well-informed throughout the show. They dug into their arsenals of contestant information and trivia, providing commentary to make the contestants more than just a flash through the arena. Rodeo funny man, J.J. Harrison made sure there were no flat moments as he got fans waving, cheering and dancing in the stands.

John Payne, The One-Armed Bandit, once again proved his mettle as a trainer as he entertained the crowd midway through the performances. Riding either a mule or a paint horse, both flawlessly trained to leg cues, he did spins, stops and a fast gallop around the arena, ending up on the roof of his specially designed stock trailer. A pair of mature bison added to the excitement as Payne and his mount herded them around the arena and onto the trailer.

The saddle bronc competition provided moments of high drama as Nathan Bayes of Adrian, Oregon put up a score of 80 to get into the money, only to find the score eclipsed by his brother Noah, who racked up an 82, which looked like it would hold for the high score.

But Ryan Gray climbed aboard the notoriously tough Faded Dice and recorded an arena record 83 for the win.

That was just one of many highlights of a premier Sisters Rodeo that has seen its share of historic battles between man and beast.

One of those was celebrated in a special video. Twenty years ago, Lane Frost rode the legendary unridden Red Rock into history in a challenge ride at Sisters Rodeo. The moment of glory was made all the more poignant when Frost was killed in a bullriding wreck at Cheyenne Frontier Days the next summer.

A video clip of Frost's famous ride ran on the arena scoreboard and the crowd erupted in a roar every bit as loud as the one the crowd put up in Sisters in 1988.

Another anniversary was that of the Sisters Reride Association celebrating 30 years of meeting, greeting and eating together at the rodeo. Started by Jim and Dorene Fisher, the Reride Association now includes a wide network of family and friends.

As the Sisters Rodeo wound down and the cowboys and cowgirls hit the road, fans and contestants alike mulled over memories of more than six decades - and added a few new memories from "The Biggest Little Show in the World."