SISTERS ARTS | CULTURE | EVENTS
A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE TOWN OF SISTERS
SPRING 2014
INSIDE: COMPLETE
SISTERS
RODEO GUIDE!
XTREME BULLS BOBBY KERR MUSTANG ACT RODEO PARADE BUCKAROO BREAKFAST TOUGH ENOUGH TO WEAR PINK & MUCH MORE! Endorsed by
Advertising Supplement to The Bulletin | Published Friday, May 23, 2014
The 74th Annual PRCA Sisters Rodeo will attract some of the nation’s top rodeo cowboys.
The biggest
LittleinShow the world
by Gregg Morris / The Bulletin Special Projects As spring gives way to summer, Central Oregon weather becomes more consistently sunny, kids get out of school, and the Sisters Rodeo brings the old west to life. Traditionally held the second weekend in June, the 2014 Sisters Rodeo, June 11-15, is coming up on its 74th year of highlighting the cowboy culture. A member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association since 1988 and Columbia Circuit Rodeo of the Year in 2009, the Sisters Rodeo was the inspiration for the city of Sisters’ western theme. With the exception of the announcers and the stock suppliers, the Sisters Rodeo has remained an all-volunteer production since its inception. It takes roughly 200 volunteers to make sure all facets of the event run smoothly. “We’ve had our hearts in this for a long time,” explained Sisters Rodeo Board Secretary, Bonnie Malone. In the ongoing effort to improve upon the rodeo, a new, more inviting, entry was built for the grounds. In addition, the rodeo has the biggest purse in the nation for that weekend, which usually brings in the best cowboys in the sport. “It’s tradition, or a reunion,” Malone said. “People try to get the same seats.” Kicking off the five-day spectacle at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night is the PRCA Xtreme Bulls competition. The only officially sanctioned bull riding tour of the PRCA, the event uses only bucking bulls and played to a packed house last year. Bullfighters Rowdy Barry and Danny Newman, alongside barrelman/ clown JJ Harrison will help keep the bull riders as safe as possible, considering the fact they are riding one-ton animals. The evening concludes with the Rodeo Dance at 9 p.m. Page 2 Sisters Magazine | 74th Sisters Rodeo 2014
Thursday, the fun begins at 8 a.m. with free admission to the “Slack” performances. Breakfast concessions open at 7 a.m. as timed event competitors get an opportunity to score. Slack allows contestants who didn’t get chosen for the rodeo competition to compete before the rodeo begins. Friday, June 13, is the Les Schwab Family Night. Children 12 years old and younger are free for this open-seated, 7 p.m. performance. “Kids love the rodeo,” said Malone. “They love to do the cowboy thing.” The night’s show is the culmination of the Sisters Rodeo day of giving back to the community. During the day, the specialty act, the rodeo queen and clown go to the Sisters Elementary School to talk to the kids about hard work and character. Saturday begins at 9:30 a.m. with the very popular Sisters Rodeo Parade. Leading the way will be the color guard, the 2014 rodeo queen and the specialty act. Last year, 22 current and former rodeo queens participated in the parade. The
afternoon rodeo performance begins at 1 p.m., while the evening’s show begins at 7 p.m. Sunday wraps up the rodeo with the Pepsi & Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort Day. The Kiwanis Buckaroo Breakfast runs from 7-11 a.m., the Cowboy Church Service starts at 9 a.m., and the final rodeo performance starts at 1 p.m. “Sunday is the best day to come,” said Malone. “There’s so much going on, the crowds are smaller, and the weather’s usually nice.” The specialty act of this year’s rodeo is the Bobby Kerr Mustang Act. Bobby will bring his amazing equine performance to Sisters as he highlights the athletic abilities of his spectacularlytrained mustangs. “Central Oregon has an extensive passion for Mustang Rescue,” said Malone. “They’re going to love his act.” Oregon State University student Brooklyn Nelson was crowned the 2014 Sisters Rodeo Queen in September at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds. In other royalty news, 21-year-old Sisters High School graduate Sara Marcus, the 2012 Sisters Rodeo Queen, has been named Miss Rodeo Oregon 2014. Sara will represent Oregon in rodeos throughout the United States and Canada in 2014 and then compete in the 2015 Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas. This is the second time a Sisters Rodeo Queen has been named Miss Rodeo Oregon. While the Sisters Rodeo has been around for more than seven decades, Central Oregon has become a hub of cowboys and cowgirls. Locals, including Trevor Knolls, Steven Peebles and Brenda Mays have been adding to the excitement of the rodeo circuit for years. The rodeo expects roughly 6,000 people to attend each show, some from as far away as Germany. The announcers for the event will be Curt Robinson and Wayne Brooks. “I’m looking forward to another great big rodeo with all of the top contestants competing,” said Sisters Rodeo Board President Glenn Miller.
SISTERS RODEO: SPECIALTY ACT
Wild Mustang
The Bobby Kerr Mustang Act will wow audiences with horse skills & antics. In what promises to be an incredible show, this year’s Sister’s Rodeo specialty act features the Bobby Kerr Mustang Act. Kerr is renowned throughout the nation for his unique ability to turn wild Mustangs into horses that bring audiences to their feet, gasping and laughing as they witness the horses’ skills and antics. Through tricks and riding, Kerr honors the American Mustang, demonstrating the incredible trust and courage he gains with these formerly wild horses. After training horses for 40 years, Kerr attended the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2010. This event assigns wild mustangs to trainers who then have 120 days to get their horse ready for a sophisticated competition. The horse and rider perform a variety of skills, including trails, cow class and reining. The highest scoring horses advance to the Legends division, where they face final judging based on freestyle performances. Kerr was “blown away,” as his wife, Susan described it, by the training accomplished in just 120 days, and also by the quality of the wild Mustangs. “He had always thought Mustangs were like ponies,” Susan explained. “So he’d never had an interest in them.”
Fun
That all changed. In his first competition a year later, Kerr’s mustangs, Poncho and Lefty, placed fourth and fifth. While placing was exciting, he was even more pleased when he was voted “fan favorite.” Since then, he has never looked back, turning his new-found interest in Mustangs into a career. His stable of these talented horses grows every year. In 2012, Kerr won the Champion of Legends division at the Mustang Makeover. And, for the second year in a row, he won “fan favorite” — this time with his horse Maypop. The Mustang Heritage program, supported by the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro program, sponsors the Mustang Makeover. Through the program’s competitive demonstration of the beauty, versatility and trainability of the wild Mustang, more than 5,000 horses have been adopted. In addition to his participation in the annual Mustang Makeover competition, which attracts the best horse trainers in the nation and draws fans from across the states, Kerr has taken his Mustangs even further by performing at rodeos and horse events nationwide. In January, he won the IPRA Contract Act Showcase — Dress Class, during the
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International Finals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with Poncho. Poncho, Jinglebob and Trigger will be performing with Kerr at the Sisters Rodeo during all performances. “I’m really excited about coming
to Sisters,” Kerr expressed. “All I hear about from other performers and rodeo competitors is how much we’ll love it and how beautiful the setting is.” — Courtesy of Bonnie Malone, Sisters Rodeo
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SISTERS RODEO: The Talent
BEST BEST
the of the
JJ Harrison, Rodeo Clown — many faces and many careers. JJ Harrison celebrated the honor Sisters has enjoyed his professional of being the bullfighter/clown at work for 21 years. Wrangler National Finals Rodeo The Washington rancher is in 2012. Other PRCA bullfighters also a painter and sculptor, whose vote for this selection. When he works are now among the most learned he was hired, one of his collectible in Western art. He has first calls was to Sisters Rodeo been the artist behind two Sisters President Glenn Miller. Sisters Rodeo posters. Barry began bullRodeo was JJ’s first contract in the fighting when he was 14. “I enjoy PRCA, and he wanted to express what I do, and I take it to heart,” his gratitude. he says, always ready “In an areto go to work. Wayne Brooks na, there is Barry has twice no lagtime, no been recognized as the downtime, with JJ Wrangler BullfightBullfight there,” said Sisters ing Champion in the Arena DirecDodge National Circuit tor John Leavitt. Finals Rodeo, and in “That’s a big part of 1992, competed in his job, and nobody the National Finals does it better.” Rodeo (NFR). In A former school 1999, he was voted teacher himself, by the bullriders of Harrison has learned the PRCA to protect them at the NFR, that you can accomand in 2000, he was plish much with wit, chosen as an alternate at the event. humor and antics. His rodeo You always know Barry in the act is a high-energy family rourodeo arena because he has a fetine that’s fun for all ages, and he tish for red-striped socks to dress keeps the fans entertained with no up his white shirt. break in his action. “It’s not an act; it really is just Danny Newman, Bullfighter who I am. And I’ll never miss Sis— This year, bullfighter “Dangerters,” he says with a big smile. ous” Danny Newman is making his Along with his 2012 NFR honninth visit to the Sisters Rodeo to ors, JJ has been named the 2005 help in the protecting of performand 2006 NPRA Barrelman of the ers. He first appeared in the Sisters Year along with being selected to Rodeo in 2004. work the Pro-West finals in 2005. From Eatonville, Washington, He was their Specialty Act of the Newman has been a bullfighter Year in 2006. since the late 1980s and has perRowdy Barry, Bullfighter — formed at a number of prestigious rodeos. In 1992, Newman was the Rowdy Barry is a cowboy with Page 4 Sisters Magazine | 74th Sisters Rodeo 2014
NPRA Bullfighter of the Year. He joined the PRCA in 1990 at the age of 20 and has since worked in rodeos across the country. From 1993 to 2000, Newman was a top-10 performer on the Wrangler Bullfight Tour. He has made nine appearances in the National High School Rodeo Finals and five appearances at the Columbia River Circuit Finals. He was also twice crowned the champion of the Cowboy Safety Competition.
Curt Robinson, Announcer — Curt Robinson has been announcing at Sisters Rodeo for 22 years. He is part of our rodeo family. He doesn’t just work here; he drives from his home in Pendleton for nearly every special event that the rodeo membership holds. His is appreciated as both a professional and friend. Robinson has been announcing rodeos for more than 30 years. He brings a mastery of statistics and history to the sport that is greatly appreciated by cowboys and cowgirls, whose stats and personal stories are shared with a rodeo crowd. Fans also appreciate learning more, and Curt never lets them down. He has worked National Finals Steer Roping more than a dozen times, Women’s National Finals Rodeos and College National Finals Rodeo. He is part of the ESPN broadcast news crew at the Wran-
Rowdy Barry
gler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and reports on the PRCA Hotline. He is a standard in the Columbia River Circuit and many other rodeo circuits in the west, southwest and Texas. Wayne Brooks, Announcer — Wayne Brooks has a smooth voice that resonates in the stands as he announces from horseback. Brooks was PRCA Announcer of the Year in 2005, 2010 and 2013. He has a knack for making the fans in the stands part of the rodeo by taking time to talk with them and get their opinions (which sometimes conflict with the judges’ opinions). It’s all done in the spirit of a good time. As a former contestant, Brooks has a great sense of how competitors feel and is able to share that with his audience. He is also quick to support judges in their scores, demonstrating competitor errors on instant replay. He has worked the Calgary Stampede, Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and even the Copenhagen Cup Tour Finale. He travels with his wife, Melanie, and their three children, Taylor, Sheridan and Ace, from Texas to all parts of the continent. The family likes to visit the Oregon coast after their stay in Sisters.
Xtreme Bulls
returns!
Xtreme Bulls, a bull riding-only event, will return to Sisters Rodeo on Wednesday, June 11. The PRCA event will begin at 6:30 pm at the Sisters Rodeo grounds, south of Sisters along U.S. Highway 20. The night’s final bull ride will be around 9 p.m. “We had great competition our first year of Xtreme Bulls,” said Sisters Rodeo President G.J. Miller. “The bulls were on their game and beat some world champion bull riders. We expect to have the same excitement this year, with the riders determined to take the night.” In addition to the PRCA bullriding events taking place during rodeo performances June 13-15, Xtreme Bulls aims to deliver more entertainment mid-week for the Sisters Rodeo. “We want to get more people out mid-week to enjoy this fun and exciting event,” said board member Cathy Williams, who manages the rodeo ticket office. “We hope this good deal attracts more families, even in a busy time of the year.” Bull riding has become the most popular event for fans of rodeo. Seventeen PRCA rodeos across the nation will participate in this competition, beginning in Fort Worth, Texas and including the cities of San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Ellensburg. Money earned in Xtreme Bulls counts toward Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) World Standings, which determines the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers. The total national purse for this event is $520,000, with Sisters awarding $10,000 in purse monies. Tickets for Xtreme Bulls are $20, with available box seats available at $32 and plaza seats set at $50. Kids under 12 get in free.
Sisters Magazine | 74th Sisters Rodeo Page 5
RODEO SPONSORS Team Bronc Riding
RODEO PERFORMANCES
RODEO EVENTS & SPONSORS Rodeo Parade:
Saturday, June 14, 9:30 a.m., Downtown Sisters Sponsored by St. Charles Health System
Buckaroo Breakfast:
(All You Can Eat — Hosted by Sisters Kiwanis) Sunday, June 15, 7-11 a.m.; Sisters Rodeo Grounds Cost: Adults - $10; Under 12 - $5; Under 3 - Free
Tickets:
Friday General seats $14 (box seats $32) *Kids 12 and under free Saturday & Sunday $14, $17, $20 (box seats $32) *All seats reserved *Infants must have a ticket.
Ticket Hotline: 541-549-0121 or 800-827-7522
PRCA RODEO PERFORMANCES/SPONSORS Friday - 7 p.m. ....................................................... Les Schwab Family Night Saturday - 1 p.m. ...................................................................Ray’s Food Place Saturday - 7 p.m. ........................................................................ Identity Zone Sunday - 1 p.m. ....................Bend/Sisters Garden RV & Pepsi Day/TETWP
PRCA XTREME BULLS
Wednesday, June 11, 6:30 p.m. ($20, box seats $32) This is an all-bullride evening! Rodeo Dance to Follow, $7, 9 p.m. Sponsor: Identity Zone
SPECIALTY ACT — BOBBY KERR & HIS MUSTANGS Sponsor: EarthquakeStore.com Announcers: Wayne Brooks (On Horseback) & Curt Robinson, sponsored by Advanced Credit Bullfighters: Dan Newman & Rowdy Barry Clown: JJ Harrison, Sponsored by WCP Solutions & Sisters Mainline Station/Chevron
Page 6 Sisters Magazine | 74th Sisters Rodeo 2014
Event Sponsors - Central Electric Coop., Lutton’s Ace Hardware Award Sponsors - Pepsi, KSJJ 102.9FM, Earl Brawner and Dale Martin, Takoda Restaurant & Bar
Steer Wrestling Event Sponsor - Kevin Spencer Masonry Buckle Sponsors - Press Pros Printing Co.
Tie-down Roping Event Sponsor - High Country Disposal Buckle Sponsors - Bob & Laurie VanderBeek in memory of Daddy Bill Farley
Bareback Riding (WPRCA) Event Sponsors - Sweeney Excavation, Inc., G.J. Miller Construction, Inc. Buckle Sponsors - The James Gang
Saddle Bronc Riding Event Sponsors - Wagner Mall Liquor Store of Bend Buckle Sponsors - May Trucking
Team Roping Event Sponsor - McDonalds of Sisters Buckle Sponsors Anchor Insurance & Surety, Inc., Dave Parker
Barrel Racing Event Sponsor - R&B Ranch, LLC Buckle Sponsors - Indian Head Casino
Bull Riding Event Sponsor - Dr. Bonnie Malone, DC Buckle Sponsors - The Bulletin, Sisters Rental
Xtreme Bulls Buckle Sponsor - Advanced Credit
Friends of the Rodeo
J. Chester Armstrong; Bend/Sisters Garden RV; Farleigh, Wada and Witt, Attorneys; Cathy Williams, Curt Robinson; Sisters Rotary Club.
National Sponsors
RAM/Smolich, Crown Royal, Justin, Coors/Columbia Distributors, Wrangler
All-Around Trophy Saddle: U.S. Bank All-Around Champion Buckle: FivePine Lodge, Shibui Spa
2014 SISTERS RODEO GRAND MARSHAL Dorro Sokol, a lifelong rancher and resident of Sisters Country, is proud to take on the role for Sisters Rodeo. A member of Sisters Rodeo Association since she moved to Sisters in 1971, Dorro Sokol has been an influential community member who has watched a town of about 400 residents grow into the thriving, diversified small city it has become. “People ask me if I’m not disappointed in the growth of this once quiet little town,” Sokol expressed, “but the caliber of people who have moved in is quite extraordinary. I have enjoyed them coming here.” The owner of Pine Meadow Ranch, Sokol tried cattle ranching on her 320 acres, but soon learned that the former mint farm was “not a good environment for raising cattle.” Winds leveled one of her hay barns and 39 pine trees in two different storms. So, Sokol revamped the ranch to grow hay. In the 1990s, she converted seventy acres within the urban growth boundary into the attractive Pine Meadow Village. Sokol began herding horses on her Shetland Pony at the age of four on her family’s ranch in San Paula, California, east of Santa Barbara. She graduated from Stanford University with a degree in physical therapy, working in that carrier while her husband, Don, matriculated Stanford Law School. The couple had ranching in their blood, so they moved a young family to the historic Oxbow Ranch in Prairie City, Oregon, where their four children learned to herd cattle on Shetland Ponies, descendents of their mother’s ponies. They had 2,000 cattle on 16,000 deeded acres and 140,000 total acres with leases
Photo by Gary N. Miller / Sisters Country Photography
of public lands. Her physical therapy degree came in handy on the cattle ranch, where she applied that knowledge in inventing a splint for newborn calves who had hip dysplasia. “I used Coke bottles as splints,” she explained, “tractioning the hind legs into a stretch that helped them stand and nurse. Otherwise, they’d have died.” She proudly states that this is a standard of veterinary medicine today, with casting replacing Coke bottles. While she raised four children (Eva, Doug, Chris and Mary), Sokol also herded and branded cattle, vaccinated, pulled calves and did C-section deliveries along with haying. Her husband was a pilot, having served in the Army Air Corp. When the Sokols decided to move to the Oxbow, an airplane made the civilized world accessible.Sokol became licensed to fly, too. The family flew to Bend for medical and dental services and to shop. When Mt. Bachelor Ski Area was about three years old, they began flying the kids there
to ski. They flew to Baja, “where there wasn’t yet a road,” to Canada, and even the Bahamas. They traveled all over the West. She speaks fondly of the airplanes she has owned, a Comanche, a Travel Air, and her prize, a Beechcraft Twin Engine Bonanza, which is now in an air museum in Nampa, Idaho. She flew her plane for the last time when she was 85-years-old. When the marriage ended, Sokol purchased the acreage in Sisters. “I had been friends with Sisters residents Dorothy and Harold Barkley for many years, a friendship that developed because we were all pilots. The decision to buy some land and relocate here with twenty cows was easy.” It fit her ranching life. “I’ve never wanted to live in a town. I like ranching and everything about that life.” Sokol became a member of Womens’ Oregon Trail Riders in the late 1960s, riding all over Oregon and in Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Northern
California. In the late 1980s, she quit riding and began hiking. “I didn’t want to haul long distances or ride someone else’s horse.” In Sisters, she served on the Sisters Planning Commission for ten years as the out-of-town commissioner. She was a member of Bend Rotary Club until she became a charter member of Sisters Rotary Club in 1990, serving as president in 2001-2002. In the late 1980s, Sokol trekked to Antarctica on a Stanford University excursion. She has done ten Stanford University expeditions, traveling mostly in third world countries. When her selection was announced, Sokol was speechless, a rare occurrence for this modern pioneer woman, who speaks her opinion and lives an eclectic life that sprawls from horizon to horizon. — Courtesy Bonnie Malone, Sisters Rodeo
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2014 Sisters Rodeo Poster Artist:
2014 Sisters Rodeo Queen:
The Art of
For the love of
Rodeo poster artist Dyrk Godby garners inspiration from his life as a rancher.
OSU student Brooklyn Nelson guided by Three Sisters monikers Faith, Hope and Charity.
Barrel Racing With his knowledge and mastery of the action of a horse, artist Dyrk Godby has captured the pure athletic skill of a barrel horse and its rider spinning around a barrel in his depiction of Women’s Barrel Racing for this year’s Sister’s Rodeo poster. Both physical and mental communication between the horse and cowgirl are easy to imagine through Godby’s painting of one of the most popular spectator events at the rodeo. The cowgirl aids the horse through balance and guidance, against the backdrop of a brilliant high desert sunset illuminating the sky amid the Three Sisters Mountains. The expansive mountain landscape has become a traditional aspect of the Photo by Kevin Prieto / The Bulletin Special Projects Sisters Rodeo posters. “Our beautiful outdoor setting is part of what brings old and new fans from his life as a rancher. A Western artist whose work is to our rodeo year after year,” said Tom Crowder, rodeo board member. “The desired by collectors nationwide, Godby mountain view makes our rodeo unique, was recognized by America’s Horse in Art, the American Quarterhorse Hall and we like to promote that.” Godby’s talent as an artist whose of Fame Museum in Amarillo, Texas paintings, drawings and leather tooling in 2009. He was also honored as the are often reflective of his own life American Paint Horse Association Artist experiences is an ideal match for the of the Year in 2006. He has repeatedly Sisters Rodeo poster, an honor he received Best in Show honors and enjoyed last year and is pleased to have People’s Choice honors at Western art shows across the nation. been selected for again. The 2014 Sisters Rodeo Poster can be “Sisters Rodeo brings the best in the sport to the rodeo,” he said. “Doing a purchased in Sisters at Leavitt’s Western Wear, Sisters Gallery and Frame Shop, painting for Sisters is an honor.” Godby has been painting for more Sno Cap Ice Cream and Open Range, than 30 years, with an attention to and in Bend at The Boot Barn and detail that brings cowboys and ranch Desperado Western Wear. — Courtesy of Bonnie Malone, animals to life on canvas. He paints Sisters Rodeo what he knows, garnering inspiration Page 8 Sisters Magazine | 74th Sisters Rodeo 2014
RODEO
Brooklyn Nelson 4-H Horse Judging recalls family Team that won the camping trips in state championship the Three Sisters this year. She Wilderness as the accompanied them to source of her fondest Louisville, Kentucky childhood memories. this fall when they The Three Sisters compete for the mountains, Faith, national title. She Hope and Charity, personally received became the principles the Future Farmers of that guided her life. America’s American As a child in Degree, the highest 4-H, Faith taught degree FFA awards, Photo courtesy Jerry Baldock her to not quit with while in Louisville. a rank horse that was stubborn and Nelson rides “Doc,” a seven-year-old a bit dangerous, even when everyone Buckskin gelding. The horse is owned recommended parting company with by her Aunt Angelique and Uncle him. Kevin. Angelique said Nelson “began She stuck with that horse for following me around when she was many years, winning a fair share of two and I was a rodeo queen.” The high points in Oregon High School bug bit. Equestrian Team and Future Farmers Nelson’s parents are Polly and of America competitions. Marty Crouch of Canby. “She makes “Hope,” she said, “is the desire being a parent easy,” said Polly, “she’s for something yet to come.” The just been an easy kid to raise. We’ve ambitious nineteen-year-old knew always told her to not try to be who she what she wanted, and graduated from thinks they want her to be, but to be Canby High School with so many herself. We are extremely proud of her. college credits that she was able to She tries and sometimes fails, but takes begin at Oregon State University as a the lesson and moves on.” sophomore. An honor student, Nelson Along with a younger sister, Addy, is now in her senior year. Nelson also has support from a family “Charity is about giving back,” she with multiple skills that will be an asset explained. She became a certified to the rodeo queen. horse judge to help young people in Her grandmother Laura is a 4-H learn horsemanship. She works seamstress who sewed most of the in the university horse program while rodeo wardrobe worn by Angelique, completing her degrees in agricultural and says she will begin having “sequin business and sciences. After graduation, dreams” again for her granddaughter. the next step is a masters program in She hopes to sew some of Nelson’s agricultural education. She will intern rodeo royalty creations. — Courtesy of Bonnie Malone, in the Redmond School District in 2015. Sisters Rodeo Nelson coaches the Clackamas County
SISTERS RODEO: The Traditions
Rodeo Parade & Buckaroo Breakfast
Tough enough
to wear pink Rodeo fundraiser has raised more than $14,000 for breast cancer research over the last 3 years.
Photo by Gary Miller, Sisters Country Photography See other rodeo and Sisters Country event photos at www.sisterscountryphotography.com
Rodeo Parade
Floats, marching bands, motor clubs and horses—lots and lots of horses—will highlight this year’s Sisters Rodeo Parade, an annual tradition that goes hand-in-hand with this year’s 74th annual PRCA Sisters Rodeo. Scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 14 in downtown Sisters, the hour-long parade will take place along Cascade Avenue. The parade is sponsored by St. Charles Health System. “There’s something about this parade that people love,” said Jeri Buckmann, parade coordinator. “There’s glitter and glamour, and yet it’s small-town.” Sisters Rodeo Queen Brooklyn Nelson will be on hand, as will rodeo grand marshal Dorro Sokol Per tradition, the grand marshals will ride in a Vis-a-Vis a horse-drawn carriage driven by Jackie Herring. “[Herring] is a long-time supporter and attendee of the rodeo, and he’s always been a part of the parade and the grand marshal tradition,” Buckmann said. An announcer’s booth will be located midway along the Cascade Avenue stretch of the parade route with R.L. Garriguez of KSJJ providing commentary for spectators. “It is such a fun parade with
Parade: Saturday, June 14, 9:30 a.m.
Buckaroo Breakfast: Sunday, June 15, 7-11 a.m. so many great entries,” Buckmann said. “I love organizing it each year.”
Sisters Rodeo Association is once again partnering with Tough Enough to Wear Pink, a national rodeo campaign to fight breast cancer and support women both during and after cancer treatment. The three-year partnership between the Sisters Rodeo and Tough Enough to Wear Pink has netted more than $14,000 in donations from the rodeo and its fans. Tough Enough to Wear Pink is an eight-year-old program begun by volunteers at rodeos across the United States and Canada. Nearly $6 million has been raised to benefit local breast cancer charities and the
Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The mission of the program is to fight breast cancer and support women both during and after cancer treatment. Spectators will be invited to donate money during the Sunday, June 15 rodeo performance. Everyone is encouraged to wear pink that day to honor breast cancer survivors. Funds will be donated to Sara’s Project, a charity that supports Central and Eastern Oregon women in education, support, volunteer advocacy and funding for diagnostics through the St. Charles Foundation. — Courtesy of Bonnie Malone
Buckaroo Breakfast
Beginning as a Sunday-morning Sisters Rodeo tradition in 1943, the Buckaroo Breakfast continues to feed rodeo-goers a hearty meal before the rodeo’s final show of the weekend. For more than 20 years, the Sisters Kiwanis have taken charge of the event, which is one of the club’s top three fundraisers each year. This year, the Buckaroo Breakfast will be served on the Sisters Rodeo grounds from 7 to 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 15. Anyone can come to the breakfast, but mostly the rodeo crowd attends, said officials of the organizations. Members of the Sisters Kiwanis serve more than 1,000 hungry rodeo-goers each year. The menu includes cowboy hotcakes, country sausage, ranch eggs, smoked bacon, range coffee, milk and juice. Cost for the all-you-can-eat breakfast is $10 for adults $5 for children under 12. Kids 3-and-under eat free. Sisters Magazine | 74th Sisters Rodeo Page 9
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:
A good neighbor for the Rodeo Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort proudly supports Sisters Rodeo with beautifully redesigned park. by John Cal / The Bulletin Special Projects “I’m an RVer myself,” said Celia Hung proudly, “and so I wanted to create an environment that was peaceful, fun for kids, and where people could feel like they were coming home.” Celia, owner and developer of the Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort located a few miles outside of Sisters’ city limits, just adjacent to the Sisters Rodeo Grounds, bought the property in 2005 as a Kampgrounds of America (KOA) branch. “We operated as a KOA for five years, but then became independent,” continued Celia. “After that it took 18 months of planning and permitting from 2007 to 2009, but then we started the extensive renovation.” Today, the RV park has a total of 102 fully landscaped sites, each with a personal patio and full RV hookups, including water, sewer, and 50-30-20 electric capabilities. “We can accommodate all kinds of power, any vehicle,” said Celia. “We redesigned the whole park and created a brand new layout.” Roads and parking spaces have been newly paved, and the landscaping design of the entire park was revamped. New walking paths and trails surrounding the park were created. Existing paths were cleaned and remodeled and new off-leash pet areas were installed — all while keeping many of the park’s mature, old growth trees. “We also have a 9-hole mini golf course,
Page 10 Sisters Magazine | 74th Sisters Rodeo 2014
heated pool, lighted spa, and an outdoor seating area with a shaded BBQ where people can BBQ,” added Celia. The park also boasts a well equipped children’s playground that is being expanded this summer. The RV resort also offers visitors the option to rent one of three cabins that can accommodate 4-6 people or one of its three fully furnished cottages that house up to four. “It’s not just for people who RV,” said Celia, who also upkeeps a fully stocked fishing pond on the property, teeming with Rainbow Trout. “It’s $10 a year to fish the pond, and it’s catch and release. … So, please don’t cook the fish,” laughed Celia. “When you keep and raise them so long, they begin to become your friends.” This hospitality is shared by both fish and guests alike, and while the facilities of the park are so well equipped, it’s their excellent customer service that has really put them on the map. “We have all kinds of customers,” said Tina Schultz, the park’s office manager. “We like to go the extra mile and escort all guests to their sites. … We also will deliver ice, firewood and fill and return propane tanks to your site. We’re here to serve our guests. If there’s something you need, we’re here to take care of it.” But it’s not just their guests they look after. The RV park has also been a great part of the town at large. “Bend/Sisters RV has been the best neighbor to the rodeo,” commented Bonnie Malone, Publicity Chairperson to the Sisters Rodeo Board. “[Celia] has loaned us equipment to help with improvements and
Photos by Kevin Prieto / The Bulletin Special Projects
even sent staff over to help.” A few years ago, Celia and the park helped to regress several acres of the neighboring rodeo grounds and donated use of her hydro-seeding machine as well as park staff to help operate it. “I’ve always loved being a supporter of the rodeo. They do so much and bring great excitement to the area. … There were also rodeo board members who helped me and gave me advice when I first came here, so I was happy to do it. It’s all of us helping each other.” This attention to care and detail, both at their own facility and in the community, is also what has earned the Bend/Sisters RV park the rank of “Top Rated RV Park” in the U.S. for the last three years from Good Sam Club, the foremost and largest organization of recreational RV owners. “We maintained perfect scores in 2012, 2013 and 2014,” added Celia proudly, “and we’re the only perfect score in Central Oregon.” The RV park has also recently been honored on the cover of “Trailer Life,” an RV magazine. “We were really excited when they called to include us,” said Celia. “We are very proud to bring neighbors from far and near to visit Central Oregon and to show them how great the area is.”
GE A R UP: RIDE FOR T WO RIV ERS
A charity bike ride for all to enjoy by Kelsi Shelton / The Bulletin Special Projects The fifth annual Ride for Two Rivers on June 7 not only gives cyclists of all ages an exclusive guided tour along the scenic McKenzie Pass to Belknap Hot Springs and back, but it also supports crucial wildland restoration projects on the Metolius River and Whychus Creek — both home to steelhead and sockeye salmon. This event gives participants an opportunity to soak up majestic forests and historic lava fields before the pass is open to vehicles. The restoration efforts of these two rivers are part of the National Forest Foundation’s “Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences” campaign, which has a twofold restoration purpose: to reconnect Americans to public lands and to restore millions of damaged acres back to health through crucial on-site projects. As one of the 14 designated sites for the national
campaign, the Deschutes Forest’s Metolius River and Whychus Creek are both nationally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, and have already undergone several restoration projects. Thanks to proceeds from the past Ride for Two Rivers, most of the current on-theground goals of the Deschutes restoration projects have been accomplished, Lisa Leanord, the National Forest Foundation’s Oregon program manager, said, adding that there are many other ongoing project plans with the Sisters Ranger District. About 250 people are expected to participate in the ride this year. “We are expecting great Photos by
weather and in the past the cycling group has included riders under 17 with their parents, as well as little ones being pulled in bike trailers,” Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Erin Borla said. The ride starts at 9 am at Creekside Park in Sisters and is fully supported including repair equipment, sag wagons, and vans. Riders can wind down after the day with a farmto-table dinner at 5:30 p.m. at FivePine Lodge and Conference Center and enjoy the bounty of Oregon’s farms. New this year is the opportunity to stick around Sisters Country on Sunday, June 8, and take part in many fun activities such as skeet shooting, golf, whitewater rafting and more. This is a great way for cyclists to be able to experience and support Central Oregon throughout the entire weekend. Early bird registration for the ride, before May 30, is $30 or after May 30 is $45. For the dinner, early bird is $35 or after May 30 it is $40. To register and for details visit www.sisterscountry.com.
Outlaw Photography
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OUTLAWS PHOTOGRAPHY
Experience the hospitality of the Old West. While you are here for the 74th Annual Sisters Rodeo, let us help you re-discover Sisters Country! We invite you to shop and dine our many owner-operated local businesses throughout our 1880s-themed town.
Shop Local. Shop Sisters. Visit us at www.SistersCountry.com for more information about local shops and restaurants.
Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce www.SistersCountry.com 866.549.0252 541.549.0251 Page 12 Sisters Magazine | 74th Sisters Rodeo 2014