The Pendleton Round Up starts today…Let ‘Er Buck! Round Up Fever is in the air…it is rodeo time…come on get your boots and hats on! The rodeo begins today at 1:15…running every day through Saturday the 17th.
In the late summer of 1910, a group of area ranchers and farmers gathered in Pendleton to celebrate the end of harvest. This was the beginning of the World Famous Pendleton Round-Up. Last year we celebrated a 100 years of Round Up and today the 101st Pendleton Round-Up is gearing up for another year of the cowboy. Hang on to your hats…be prepared to see incredible cowboy and cowgirl events…life in the real west…the excitement…the heritage…the history…the tradition…a rodeo like no other…welcome to Pendleton…Let ‘er Buck!
I grew up with the Round Up as my Dad was very involved his entire life with the rodeo. He was the Grand Marshal for the Westward Ho parade in 1986…on my mare Shez Alotta Leo….”Lottie.”
I love Round Up for the heritage and the history…part of that history is your life as it involves your family. The worst part of the rodeo is the traffic as Pendleton is a small town of 15,000 population all year long except for the week of Round Up…it then swells to over 50,000 population…so if you are in a hurry to reach the other side of town…forget it.
This is my cowgirl outfit…if you go to Pendleton this week my trailer is not that long compared to some of the trailers you will see….horsetrailers so dang long you wonder if the end of the trailer is in CA. There are huge trailers and semi trucks all over town as well as cool pick ups and motorhomes and campers and cars and people…did I say people…Round Up for locals like me is like Portland coming to visit us for a week…sort of fun but by the last day we are ready to go back to a sleepy cow town…quiet…boring…the Pendleton we know.
I love looking at all the horses and trailers that do come to the Round Up….you see some amazing horses that the cowboys own and compete on. Our trailer is a four-horse trailer with living quarters and tack room…I will show you in another blog….did you note the bug shield with ghost flames….and the inserts on the pick up have flames too.
Lets head back in history a bit to the 1963-1964 Pendleton Round Up
The Round Up President and his family on the cattle ranch…and me in my dorky glasses…and short hair…with horses Snip and Gypsy.
My Dad moving cows on the summer ranch on Bucky with his dog Blue.
And in the Round Up arena on Gypsy the week before Round Up.
Ok now let’s go back in history to the 1940’s for some rodeo trivia.
While Dad was involved in the Round Up and Happy Canyon he also was involved out here in the 1940’s with a rodeo right here….yeah…where we live now…it was called the Juniper Joust. I blogged about this before on our Holton Secret Lab Blog…sorry to bore those of you who saw it a few months ago but…I need to mention this on this post.
This picture was taken right across from my house…when they had the rodeo they fed the spectators and contestants with a bq beef that was cooked in the ground for several hours over night…Mom made up gallons of potato salad…I am sure that Jean also made up gallons of macaroni salad too.
I need to do a reunion of the Juniper Joust…seriously I do…if you are reading this and had family involved or were involved with this let me know. I will update this on a different blog…rodeo has been a big part of my life and heritage.
Dad and Jingle….1940’s roping here in the arena across the road. The Juniper Joust eventually became the Mustangers.
Dad roped all over the NW…he was one of the founding members for the AQHA for this area of Eastern Oregon and Washington.
Me doing my thing on Red at the Mustangers….pole bending race.
Running the barrel race too!
Back to The World Famous Pendleton Round Up
The beginning of each day of the rodeo…riders come into the arena presenting the flags.
Racing around the track.
Finally entering the middle of the arena as the national anthem is sung.
Then the Round Up Court comes out….first the Princesses jump the fence and do the run in across the arena.
Another Princess makes her entry jumping the fence.
Then the Queen follows her court jumping the fence!
Another shot of the Queen racing around the track waving to the crowd as she goes by them.
The President of the Round Up follows chasing the five gals around the track and out the gate.
I love seeing the run in each day at exactly 1:15 for the kick off of the rodeo. It is thrilling to watch!
The grand stands are full with a cowboy-cowgirl crowd ready to see some rodeo.
Pendleton is ready to boogie!
And this lights your fire…the United States of America flyover at the beginning of the rodeo on Saturday.
Round Up is blessed each year to have the fly over…it brings tears to my eyes and makes me proud of who I am here…and of the heritage of where I live…and my personal family history. There are many of us who grew up here…left to go to college and experience life away from here…only to come back home following in our families footsteps…we are the lucky ones. Many left and can not come home again or come back…so if you are reading this and you live here….grew up here…and your life is here now…you are blessed.
Slack started Monday at the rodeo grounds with steer roping and barrel racing.
Look at her go….she is turning and burning!
Slack continued Tuesday with steer wrestling.
And calf roping for the 2011 Round Up.
This picture was taken last year at the rodeo for one of the Indian Relay races.
The winners making their victory lap!
Tough Enough To Wear Pink Day is Thursday of Round Up….the cowboys and the crowd all wear pink shirts that day to honor breast cancer survivors and raise money for TETWP.
Wild Bill and I with our pink shirts on and the pink beads that are given away on Tough Enough Day.
Another picture of my Dad on my mare Lottie in 1986. Dad was inducted into the Round Up Hall Of Fame in 1990….his plaque names him as “The Cowboy President”….the cowboys who came to compete liked him as Dad was able to make changes that helped them out as well as talk to them as a cowboy himself.
Wild Bill when he used to help with the Round Up’s Oxen…this picture was taken during the Westward Ho Parade…he also helped take a team of oxen through Happy Canyon each night…Happy Canyon is a night pageant that runs nightly during the rodeo week.
That’s me riding my mare Lottie escorting one of the wagons through the Westward Ho Parade. This parade is awesome to see as there are no motor vehicles….just people, horses and livestock.
So now on to how I get ready for Round Up each year…hmmm.
Ok this is a hair clip my hubby gave me…I tried to take a picture of it in the mirror…not sure if you can see the bucking horse on my hair clip…but it is there.
These are my shoes…pretty much boots and outside shoes here…cowgirl stuff as in daily grind…for Round Up I will shine up my Boulet boots in the back corner.
These are my favorite ones to dress up in…Old Gringo…love these boots!
Look how awesome they are….it is like wearing a work of art!
Uh….hmm…these are Wild Bills shoes…ok…where did you put your boots WB….come on…no I mean your Justins…ok fine your lace ups….no what about your Buckaroo boots…come on…give it a cowboy try…please:)
Wild Bill looks good with his cowboy stuff on… he is my cowboy hubby.
I had to shop a bit before the crowds devoured everything! Skyhawk Rugs are my pick….I have had them now for many years and they last….great pile…and amazing durability…and I am PICKY.
Minnie was named one of their best models this year…her stripes blend and match their Navaho Cross rug…my very cool girl…you are beautiful…”Diva Minnie”.
And I had to go to HAMLEY’S Western Store! Where you find incredible jewlery….incredible clothes.
Wild Bill gave me this for Christmas…it matches my hair clip…I love the Pendleton bucking horse on them.
I am ready to head to the rodeo!
As Kiah is trying to say….Let ‘Er Buck!!!
Hot Rod Cowgirl 
Sep 03, 2013 @ 18:49:06
If you’re headed to Pendleton this year , check us out in the vendor space http://www.crazycowboycompany.com
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Sep 10, 2013 @ 14:02:46
I will look for you! Where are you located at? I was in yesterday taking pictures of slack and behind the scenes…it was quieter than usual. Wishing you a great week and Let’er Buck!!!
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May 22, 2013 @ 03:09:46
Love the story and photos both yours and the historic ones too. Makes me want to be there to see and experience the Rodeo in person. Thanks for sharing.
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May 22, 2013 @ 10:34:35
Thank you so much:) Always makes my heart happy to hear that the story and photos that I share makes the reader want to be there too! The rodeo week, well actually almost two weeks, is amazing…and it has gone on for 103 years, every year since 1910, with lots of history and memories. There is so much to see and take in, even though I grew up around it, I still find myself in awe of the contestants and their families, the visitors and various groups of people who come to see the action and the livestock…I love going behind the scenes to take pictures. Have really enjoyed doing that the last couple of years. The rodeo officially begins on Wednesday and runs four days in a row, beginning at 1:15 each day, with Saturday being the biggest day due to the awards etc. It is so worth seeing the rodeo and if ever you can come, be sure to take in all four days. Then each night we have The Happy Canyon Night Pageant. There is a local cast of people who live here, playing the parts in the night show of how the west was settled…beginning with the Indians. Our local Indians here participate in the show as well and most of the parts are parts that the actor’s grandfather performed in. The pageant lasts from about 7:45 until 9-9:30 and then the dance begins afterwards in the convention center. On Monday and Tuesday of the week, sometimes Saturday and Sunday too depending on the number of contestants that signed up,the Round Up runs slack days so that all contestants have a chance at winning the rodeo. Slack begins in the morning and runs all day at the rodeo grounds. It costs 2 dollars to get in and you can sit where ever you want…I like going to that too. Bring your camera, be sure you have plenty of time and come enjoy the rodeo week…and Let ‘Er Buck!
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May 21, 2013 @ 20:45:00
Love rodeo. Wish we had more here. We used to have more, but I guess there wasn’t enough interest so they stopped including us. Thanks for reminding me how much fun it used to be.
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May 21, 2013 @ 20:49:46
Every year the Round Up begins the second week in September:) You need to come see it…and Happy Canyon is the nightly pagent that runs Wednesday night through Saturday night….it is the story of the West played by local actors…very good and moving….funny and fun to go to. I love the yearly rodeo as I see everyone I know….it is the one time each year that I see local people:) Always fun to see the cowboys and their families too…and I love their horses…their horsetrailers.
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Oct 17, 2012 @ 10:36:24
My husband wanted to tell you that he really loves your site. His heroes really have always been cowboys. Literally. We used to ride together before my back got too bad for me to ride at all and he refused to ride without me. I guess it didn’t feel right, because it was something we’d always done together. There are many horses around here. Lots of breeding, especially of Percherons and other huge horses … Just the smell of the paddocs an barns bring back wonderful memories of when we used to ride. I so miss it! I think so does Garry. I think he tried to leave a comment for you, but it doesn’t look like it made it. Maybe he got tagged as spam?
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Oct 17, 2012 @ 12:57:46
Hi and thank you so much:) Also thank you for re-blogging my Pendleton Round Up posts….I think you did two of them? That was very kind of you to do and like you I love the Round Up as it was always such a part of my family:) Yes I did get your husbands comment and will be answering him next I grabbed Wild Bill and loaded him into the car and we are on the Oregon Coast for a few days so I am pretty good about checking my computer but I have been shooting lots of pictures too:) I am sorry for your back causing you pain and misery, I know how hard that is on people….so far I am ok with that but I have to take lots of calcium etc. as my low back has shown some signs of osteopina? Not sure on spelling but it is a pre-curser to osteoporious….and I do not want that. yOu husband not riding as you can not is very sweet of him….and I know what you mean about the smell of horses:) I love their smells:) Thank you again for the re-blog and for stopping in:)
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Oct 17, 2012 @ 08:48:06
Love your Rodeo/family blog!! You got to do what us Eastern “Pilgrims” only played or dreamed of doing as kids. As my Wife, Teepee 12, noted — we did a little rodeo stuff here a few years back. Strictly amateur but I loved it. My Wife made me look good in the saddle (??) and we even did a local TV piece on our adventures. Your wonderful pictures and anecdotes resonate with this Cowboy wannabe! Thank You!!!!
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Oct 17, 2012 @ 13:11:56
Howdy and thank you so very much:) I do feel very blessed as growing up with my Dad being a real mans man cowboy was the greatest…and Mom was his Lady and a wonderful mother to me:) I did not realize until I was older how blessed I was to have grown up every summer herding and moving cattle on an isolated mountain ranch…no phones, no TV, no radio except at night late Dad could pick up some talk radio show called Ira Blue…I think he was out of CA. but not sure and it would fade in and out. Oh and no running water or power….so my parents and I had a great life up there and I have some great memories of working cows with my Dad and also others when they would come up to help gather and also brand etc. Dad had me on a horse before I could walk…and I loved it and still do…my horses are my family and I love each one of them:) Once when I was barely 2 years old some friends of my parents came to visit for the afternoon and they had a young son about 14-15 years old who wanted to go see Dad’s horses…Dad had 6-7 horses at that time…well I went with this young man to walk down to the barn to see the horses. We had been gone a hile and as our parents were talking in comes the young man…without me…Dad immediately asked where I was and the young man said he left me with the horses….Dad ran as fast as he could and sure enough I had crawled through the fence to see the horses and was laying face down on the ground under them, not moving…Dad grabbed me and saw I was plugged up with dirt and manure so he held me by my heels and swatted my back to get me to spit out the manure and etc. so I could breathe…I had one hoof print on my chest that went away and a broken shoulder but it did not stop me from loving horses and riding them:) I am sure Mom wished I would not but she trusted my Dad and as I grew up she knew I was a good rider and Dad always taught e about safety with animals. Again thank you for stopping by and for re-blogging the rodeo blog too….the Pendelton Round Up is always fun and such a tradition to go to and see:)
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Oct 16, 2012 @ 20:19:18
Reblogged this on Serendipity and commented:
I love the rodeo. We used to get some around here, but not in the last few years.
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Oct 16, 2012 @ 22:54:01
Thank you much for reblogging this:) I truly appreciate it and love it:) Thank you:)
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Sep 16, 2012 @ 04:12:06
I was intrigued to think you were writing about Victoria Pendleton, but I see you had a different Pendleton in mind!
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Sep 16, 2012 @ 18:30:33
🙂 I bet I had you truly wondering what???? Yes we live 20 miles from Pendleton….once a year they have a HUGE PRCA Rodeo….town goes from 15,000 to 55,000….it is a crazy week and to us who have lived all our lives it is just Round Up….time to go see old friends and have fun watching the events.
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Sep 08, 2012 @ 18:47:08
FANTASTIC shots! It must have been quite a crowd! Say, I was wondering if you know or ever met Ty Murray or if your dad did? I read and wrote a review of a book about him. It’s not that long and you might enjoy it: http://www.epinions.com/content_215209643652 How is that foot of yours doing?
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Oct 18, 2012 @ 14:21:05
I wish the best for the both of you, Marcy (HRCG). Be well.
Marcella (Marcy)
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Oct 18, 2012 @ 15:43:25
Boy I was a wordy little thing when I answered you on that post…I think part of my reason I write is that it gives me a connection to others as somedays if WB is not around I may not open my mouth to talk all day…forgive my wordiness and TMI Marcy:) Have a blessed evening and weekend:)
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Oct 18, 2012 @ 16:24:37
Yes it would be awesome to meet all our favorite bloggers:) Are you far away from Oregon…..I should know but lately with all the medical stuff with WB I can not remember things I should…I think it is stress. I like you too Marcy and it is very cool that we both spell our names the same…I do not know any other Marcy Marcys:) Thank you as I do get wordy at times:) I enjoy the blogs as I learn about other’s lives and memories…their stories and history, heritage. I do so enjoy getting know others and I enjoy visiting with you:) As my neighbor who is 2.5 miles from me and like my sister….we call it yakking:) When we get a bit lonesome we yak:)Have a peaceful and wonderful night Marcy….I wish I could give you the beautiful sounds I am hearing of the ocean….there is something about the ocean that puts me to sleep and wakes me with peace:) I love it and I love God’s mountains too:) Thanks for dropping by:)
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Oct 19, 2012 @ 14:24:53
It’s 5:25 PM here. Three hours, I think.
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Oct 19, 2012 @ 14:46:59
Yes you are right on:)
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Oct 19, 2012 @ 14:26:30
You have a peaceful evening too. It has been raining here all day. That’s OK. Sometimes I like a rainy day for a change. I like to hear it rain. It’s relaxing.
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Oct 19, 2012 @ 14:46:35
Yes raining here too but I still love the sound of the ocean and the sound of the rain:)
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Mar 31, 2012 @ 12:01:08
I like this post, really a Wild West Show! Ann
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Mar 31, 2012 @ 16:39:19
Yes, truly the yearly Pendleton Round Up is very well done and lots of fun for the entire family:)
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Feb 05, 2012 @ 18:30:11
You have captured the event so well. I can feel the excitement in the air. Great shots!
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Feb 05, 2012 @ 18:57:28
Thank you:)
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Jan 30, 2012 @ 14:51:27
Great pics!
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Jan 30, 2012 @ 16:40:45
Thank you 🙂
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Jan 25, 2012 @ 20:51:49
So happy you came by! Would you believe I have been to Roundup! and to the Let’er Buck room…hiarious. One of my very best friends John Duff is from Pendleton and a close friend from Grad School was from there too, Brooke Burns? I am not sure if you would know them, but it’s not huge so you never know! Love your tag line:)
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Jan 25, 2012 @ 21:18:25
Hi Shannon….Let ‘er Buck! It is great to meet you and thank you for stopping in. I was given your blog link by a wonderful friend and I am reading it as I write….you are an incredible lady:) I do know the Duff family and also I think I know Brooke…lived here forever…family has been here forever and we are big U of O fans too! It is a small world and will keep in touch:)
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