Sisters Rodeo arena gets new chutes

Sisters Rodeo grounds looked like an Old West round-up on Saturday, April 8, when more than 40 members worked on improvement and repairs for the 2012 rodeo.

The place was buzzing with a multitude of independent crews who were focused on specific tasks, like cowboys dividing ranch jobs of branding, vaccinating and castrating cattle in the spring.

New bucking chutes were being installed after two previous weeks of arena preparation. Two-foot-deep trenches were dug, packed, leveled and graveled before the chutes began being placed on Saturday. When placement is finished, the trench will be filled with dirt, at the precise depth required.

The placement of chutes has very strict guidelines that every rodeo in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association must meet. The chutes are inspected by rodeo judges every year at every rodeo to assure the safety of bucking stock and cowboys. The new chutes at Sisters will be fitted with padding along the back and front that exceeds guidelines.

A new roping chute will be the final installation, again with intricate attention to guideline details. The improvement will be welcome by cowboys, and will enhancing visibility for rodeo fans, especially in the plaza area.

Another group began revamping two dispensaries - small false-front structures that will allow adults quicker access to drink service so they can get back to watching rodeo.

"We always have our fans in mind when we make changes or additions to the rodeo," said Curt Kallberg, director of rodeo construction. "We continually seek ways to improve their experience. It must be working; they keep comin' back."

On the other side of the arena, eight woman scrubbed and painted the interior walls of the east kitchen. Most of this crew, led by Bonnie Knox and Sharyn Bagley, have been painting what needs new paint or touch up for almost 20 years. Over the next several weeks, they will finish the kitchen and then visualy inspect every fence and building to keep the place attractive and protected from Central Oregon sun and snow.

Meanwhile, a costly but necessary upgrade in the rodeo arena electrical panel has begun, which will generate 1,200 amps of power, replacing the 600 amps that has somehow survived bigger demand over many years than the system should have tolerated.

"We've been loading our circuits so heavily that it's really incredible that the lights haven't gone out," said a laughing Tom Crowder, committee member and electrician assigned to this project. "With this expansion, we'll never have to worry about that again."

In the bleachers, as predictable as seasons, a crew Kallberg named "The Four Horsemen" many years ago has begun the annual replacement of boardwalk and seating planks. They will replace as many as 80 boards by the time they finish, an average they have learned to expect each year.

The four, with an average age of 74, were excited to have some much younger protégés in training for the future. They do this heavy work with the demeanor of work horses, quietly inspecting, ripping the old and setting the new, year after year.

Remodel, restoration and repair is the order of the day for rodeo members who volunteer their time every Saturday, every year, beginning in mid-March. They work from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., share a communal lunch prepared by a kitchen crew led by retired chef Hans Teufl, then either return to that day's job or take the rest of the day off for some personal time.

On this day, many members stayed until just shy of sunset to finish setting chutes. The reward for this intense labor is two months ahead, when the arena is proudly presented to contestants and standing-room-only crowds who appreciate the beauty and action of The Biggest Little Show in the World.

Sisters Rodeo begins this year on June 6 with Xtreme Bulls, followed by four rodeo performances June 8-10.

For tickets and information, call the ticket hotline at 541-549-0121 or 1-800-827-7522, or visit the ticket office, 220 W. Cascade Ave. in Sisters. For information, visit www.sistersrodeo.com.