| Pendleton Round-Up | |
|---|---|
Calf roping participant of the Pendleton Round-Up |
|
| Begins | September |
| Frequency | annual |
| Location(s) | Pendleton, Oregon |
| Years active | 101 |
| Inaugurated | 1910 |
| Attendance | 50,000 |
| Genre | rodeo |
| Website | pendletonroundup.com |
The Pendleton Round-Up is a rodeo held in Pendleton, Oregon, United States, during the second full week of September each year, since 1910. The rodeo brings roughly 50,000 people every year to the city of Pendleton.[1] The Pendleton Round-Up is a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).
The Round-Up was incorporated as a non-profit organization July 29, 1910, as the "Northwestern Frontier Exhibition Association."[2]The rodeo was primarily a creation of local ranchers led by Herman Rosenberg.
Bronc rider Bonnie McCarroll (1897-1929) died in a rodeo accident at Pendleton. The PRCA, formed in 1936, initially scheduled no events for women as a result of her death.[3]
Contents |
There are ten events in which cowboys (and girls in Barrel Racing) from all over the United States and Canada compete:
Every Round-Up week begins with the Dress Up Parade, on the Saturday before the rodeo, in which different groups throughout Eastern Oregon, including Boy and Girl Scouts, Pendleton High School Band, the Children's Rodeo, and many local businesses, build floats and compete for 1st place. 2009 President's Choice Award was given to the PHS band.
Friday of Round-Up week is the Westward Ho! parade, in which every entrant must be in a non-motorized vehicle, most of which are authentic covered wagons and horse-drawn buggies, though some choose to ride horseback or walk.
The Monday and Tuesday before the rodeo begins the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) come and compete in the Happy Canyon Arena.
Wednesday is when both Round-Up and Happy Canyon begin.
The rodeo starts with an extreme run in on horseback of flag bearers; the Flag of the United States, the Flag of Oregon, the Flag of Canada, and the flag of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, then the Round-Up Queen and her court run in on their horses at full speed, make two jumps and stop just before the fence in front of the south grandstand.
The current announcer of the Pendleton Round-Up is Wayne Brooks, while the bullfighters are Joe Baumgartner, Lloyd Ketchum, and Keith Isley all with numerous accolades.
The Pendleton Round-Up has several officially licensed products. These include Pendleton Woolen Mills, Pendleton Whisky (owned by Hood River Distillers), a line of jewelry by Vogt Silversmiths, and most recently Let'er Buck Cologne, which was launched in 2010 at the centennial Round-Up.