Cowboys and Indians

Cowboys and Indians
I was probably among the more gullible of children. I grew up in the days of The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, Fury, and Sky King. Because I lived in rural Central Oregon, many of our neighbors rode horses, and I truly believed we lived in the era of "Cowboys and Indians." Even when I was in high school, the cool kids were either skiers or rodeo princesses. The wild west imagery has definitely faded over the years, and there are only a few remnants of this culture. The county and state fairs sometimes showcase rodeo events, and some showcase Native American shows.

One of those is the 93rd annual Pendleton Roundup. This year, the Round-up runs from September 12-15, with the Professional Bull Riders Classic on September 10 and 11, and the Music Festival in September 8. Tickets have been on sale since July, so call soon if you want to go. Pendleton is in North-central Oregon along the Columbia River.

When my Dad was growing up, he and his family were neither cowboy, nor Indian, but instead they herded sheep. They moved their flocks from Oregon to Washington, to Idaho and Montana and back to Oregon. I can imagine that a lot of their fleece went to the famous Pendleton Woolen Mills.

I love the fast action of the rodeo and really miss watching these events on television. I refuse to spend money on cable and now everything that isn't absolutely mainstream is relegated to a cable channel, way down the list. I really enjoy the speed of the calf roping, the way time seems to stand still for the bronc riders, and the elegance of barrel racing. These


Cowboys
The logo for the Pendleton Round-up has been a bucking bronco designed by Wallace Smith with the words, "Let 'er Buck," since 1924. The Rodeo is run by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and the Bull Riding competition by the Professional Bull Rides (PBR). The rodeo events include racing, bare-back riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping, barrel racing, brahma bull riding, and wild cow milking. Every night from September 10-15 at 6:00 the cowboys will be putting on a free show on Main Street. Don't miss the Cowboy Breakfast being served at 6:00 a.m. on the 12-15th and the barbecues are fired up for dinner on the 12th and 13th.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic