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2019 Press Releases

Champs in St. Paul

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus

319-321-2152

CHAMPS IN ST. PAUL
Nevada, Oklahoma, Nebraska cowboys among big winners at Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. (July 6, 2019) – Some of the biggest names in the world of rodeo come to St. Paul to compete for over $375,000 in prize money.

But it was a circuit cowboy who took the bareback riding title.

Trenten Montero, Winnemucca, Nev., scored 87 points on the Korkow Rodeo horse Onion Ring to win.

It was the second time for him to ride Onion Ring, and he had an idea how the ride might go. “I knew that horse was going to feel really good at the start, then get heavy as he went,” Montero said. “The last time I got on him in Ft. Worth (Texas), he got a little bit ahead of me and cost me a few points. So I knew at this kind of rodeo, I couldn’t make that mistake if I wanted to be in the money.”

Montero talked himself through the ride. “I had to keep thinking in my head, you’d better gas it right now because he’s about to give it to you if you don’t.”

The 27-year-old cowboy has been competing for the past eight years, but this is the biggest win of his career. “It feels awesome,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. I sometimes feel like I’ve run into a brick wall, but today I’ve busted that wall down.”

Two Okies tied for the steer wrestling win. Riley Duvall of Checotah and Blake Mindemann of Blanchard both had times of 8.8 seconds on two head to be steer wrestling champs for St. Paul.

For Duvall, the win came at an opportune time. “It’s been a long week,” Duvall said. In the last seven days, he’s competed in Greeley, Colo., Red Lodge and Livingston, Mont., Cody, Wyo., and Prescott and Window Rock, Ariz., and only won a little money out of Red Lodge.

Duvall, who is 27 years old, loves coming to the ‘Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July Rodeo.’ “I never miss this rodeo,” he said. “I love this rodeo. It’s old school. I really like the performances here, and I like how packed it is. It’s one of my favorites, honestly.

“I’m pumped,” he said. “I’m so excited about this and I love St. Paul.”

Duvall has competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) twice (2016, 2018). He is currently ranked eleventh in the PRCA world standings.

A Texas bull rider took a gamble and won.

Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Texas, scored 90.5 points on the Corey and Lange Rodeo bull Tequila for the title.

It was the second bull he got on in St. Paul.

He scored 77 points on his first ride but after the judges awarded him a reride, Campbell decided to take it, even though 77 points would have won him a check.

“I asked the judges what 77 was placing, and they said fifth or sixth (place), and I said, that’s not first, so go ahead and give me another one.”

Campbell, who is twenty years old, has competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo the last two years and is ranked tenth in the world standings.

An arena record was broken at the St. Paul Rodeo this year.

Saddle bronc rider Cort Scheer made an 89 point ride on Big Stone Rodeo’s Kool Toddy to break the record by one point.

It was the fourth time for the two to meet up. In past years, he’s ridden the bronc at the Calgary Stampede, the WNFR, and Cloverdale, B.C. winning money on the horse each time. “She’s treated me pretty good,” he said.

St. Paul was Scheer’s fourth rodeo back after sitting out for a month to heal four broken ribs he suffered after being smashed in the chute at a rodeo in LeDuc, Alberta.

“I tried to ride for a week (after the injury) and figured out I wasn’t riding as well as I should, so I might as well take the time off and heal up. With rodeos like St. Paul coming up, I took a month off and waited.”

Scheer, who has made six trips to the WNFR, loves coming to St. Paul. “This is the best rodeo over the Fourth and we love it. (The committee) works really hard. It’s unbelievable. The atmosphere blows your mind.”

The broken ribs hurt, but Scheer blocks out the pain. “On horses like that, your adrenaline just takes over. We’ll worry about (the pain) tonight when the adrenaline kicks off.

“I’m a little bit sore but I’ve been able to sleep in a bed the past three nights, so I’m happy. I’m not sleeping in a chair anymore.” Scheer is from Elsmere, Neb.

Other 2019 St. Paul Rodeo champions are tie-down roper Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. (18.5 seconds on two head); team ropers Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz. and Paden

Bray, Granbury, Texas; (10.3 seconds on two head) and barrel racer Amberleigh Moore, Salem (17.29 seconds).

The 85th annual St. Paul Rodeo will take place June 30-July 4, 2020. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.

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Results from the 84th annual St. Paul Rodeo, July 2-6, 2019.

All-around champion: Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah

Bareback riding champion: Trenten Montero, Winnemucca, Nev.

1. Trenten Montero, Winnemucca, Nev. 87 points on Korkow Rodeo’s Onion Ring; 2. Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif. 85.5; 3. Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba 84.5; 4. Clint Laye Cadogan, Alb. 84; 5. Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas 82.5; 6. (tie) Jesse Pope, Marshall, Mo., Jamie Howlett, Rapid City, S.D. and Chance Ames, Big Piney, Wyo. 82 each.

Steer wrestling co-champions: Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla. and Blake Mindemann, Blanchard, Okla.
1st round
1. Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla. 3.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La. and Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alb. 3.8 each; 4. Stephen Culling, Ft. St. John, B.C. 4.0; 5. Will Lummus, West Point, Miss. 4.1; 6. (tie) Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. and Don Payne, Stephenville, Texas 4.4 each; 8. (tie) Nick Guy, Sparta, Wisc., Bridger Chambers, Stevensville, Mont., Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho and Stan Branco, Chowchilla, Calif. 4.5 each.

2nd round
1. Jace Melvin, Ft. Pierre, S.D. 3.9 seconds; 2. Cimarron Thompson, Hobbs, N.M. 4.0; 3. (tie) Blake Mindemann, Blanchard, Okla., Tyler Pearson, Atoka, Okla. and Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan. 4.1 each; 6. John Green, La Grande, Ore. 4.2; 7. (tie) Curtis Cassidy, Donald, Alb. and Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas 4.3 each.

Average leaders (on two head)
1. (tie) Blake Mindemann, Blanchard, Okla. and Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla. 8.8 seconds on two head for each; 3. Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho 8.9; 4. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La. 9.2; 5. Don Payne, Stephenville, Texas 9.7; 6. Andy Weldon, Greenleaf, Idaho 10.1; 7. (tie) Bridger Chambers, Stevensville, Mont. and Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. 10.3 each.

Bull riding champion: Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Texas

1. Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Texas 90.5 points on Corey and Lange Rodeo’s Tequila; 2. Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah 87; 3. Cole Melancon, Liberty, Texas 86.5; 4. Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah 86; 5.Trey Kimzey, Strong City, Okla. 84.5; 6. Chase

Dougherty, Prineville, Ore. 83.5; 7. Austin Allred, Cleveland, Utah 81; 8. Jesse Petri, Palestine, Texas 80.5.

Tie-down roping champion: Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash.

1st round
1. Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla. 8.7 seconds; 2. Cody Craig, Wendell, Idaho 9.1; 3. (tie) Treg Schaack, Stinnett, Texas and Cooper Mathews, Cleburne, Texas 9.2 each; 5. (tie) Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. and Hudson Wallace, George West, Texas 9.5 each; 7. (tie) Justin Smith, Leesville, La. and Cade Swor, Winnie, Texas 9.6 each.

2nd round
1. Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif. 8.2 seconds; 2. Stetson Vest, Childress, Texas 8.6; 3. Cooper Martin, Alma, Kan. 8.8; 4. Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas 8.9; 5. (tie) Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. and King Pickett, Stinnett, Texas 9.0 each; 7. Justin Brinkerhoff, Corinne, Utah 9.1; 8. (tie) Ryan Thibodeaux, Stephenville, Texas and Justin Smith, Leesville, La. 9.5 each.

Average leaders on two head
1. Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. 18.5 seconds on two head; 2. Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla. 18.8; 3. (tie) Cody Craig, Wendell, Idaho and Cooper Martin, Alma, Kan. 18.9 each; 5. Justin Smith, Leesville, La. 19.1; 6. Ryan Thibodeaux, Stephenville, Texas 19.6; 7. (tie) Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas andTaylor Santos, Creston, Calif. 20.0 each.

Saddle bronc riding champion: Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb.

1. Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb. 89 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Kool Toddy; 2. Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah 86.5; 3. Colt Gordon, Comanche, Okla. 85.5; 4. Logan James Hay, Wildwood, Alb. 84; 5. Roper Kiesner, Ripley, Okla. 84; 6. Lefty Holman, Visalia, Calif. 83.5; 7. Mitch Pollock, Winnemucca, Nev.83; 8. Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M. 82.

Team roping Champions: Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz. and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas
1st round
1. (tie) Dustin Dqusquiza, Mariana, Fla./Jake Long, Coffeyville, Kan. and Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont./Travis Lee Graves, Jay, Okla. 4.4 seconds each; 3. Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla./Ryan Motes, Weatherford, Texas 4.8; 4. Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./Cody Doescher, Webbers Falls, Okla. 5.0; 5. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas 5.1; 6. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 5.2; 7. Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas 5.4; 8. (tie) Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. and Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif./Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas 5.8 each.

2nd round
1. Tyler Wade, Terrell, Texas/Billie Jack Saebens, Nowata, Okla. 4.6 seconds; 2. (tie) Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D./Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. and Kolton Schmidt, Barrhead, Alb./Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alb. 4.7 each; 4. Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif./Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas 5.0; 5. (tie) Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas and Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Cole Davison, Roosevelt, Utah 5.2 each; 7. (tie) Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. and Lane Santos Karney, Creston, Calif./Bucky Campbell, Morristown, Ariz. 5.3 each.

Average leaders on two head
1. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas 10.3 seconds on two head; 2. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 10.5; 3. Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas 10.6; 4. Cody Snow, Stephenville, Texas/Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, Texas 10.8; 5. Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. 15.8; 6. Lane Santos Karney, Creston, Calif./Bucky Campbell, Morristown, Ariz. 16.5; 7. Joshua Torres, Ocala, Fla./Jonathan Torres, Ocala, Fl. 19.2; 8. Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D./Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. 19.9.

Barrel racing champion: Amberleigh Moore, Salem, Ore.

1. Amberleigh Moore, Salem, Ore. 17.29 seconds; 2. Jana Bean, Ft. Hancock, Texas 17.51; 3. Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo. 17.61; 4. Colleen Kingsbury, Powell Butte, Ore. 17.62; 5. Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho 17.63; 6. Jessi Fish, Franklin, Tenn. 17.66; 7. Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas 17.71; 8. Tracy Nowlin, Nowata, Okla. 17.72; 9. Danyelle Williams, Vale, Ore. 17.73; 10. Angie Hardin, Cottonwood, Calif. 17.74; 11. Rainy Robinson, Caldwell, Idaho 17.76; 12. Jill Welsh, Parker, Ariz. 17.77; 13. Megan McLeod-Sprague, Marsing, Idaho 17.78; 14. (tie) Bobbi Correa, Echo, Ore. and Shane Falon, Yakima, Wash. 17.79 each.

** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.

Cutline:
Nebraska’s Cort Scheer is the 2019 St. Paul Rodeo saddle bronc riding champion. He scored 89 points, setting a new arena record for the rodeo. Photo by Hoot Creek.

Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla., split the steer wrestling win at the 2019 St. Paul Rodeo with fellow Oklahoman Blake Mindemann. Both cowboys had times of 8.8 seconds on two head. Photo by Hoot Creek.

Boudreaux Campbell is the 2019 St. Paul Rodeo bull riding champion. The Crockett, Texas cowboy bested the field with a score of 90.5 points. Photo by Hoot Creek.

Trenten Moreno scored 87 points to win the bareback riding title at the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo. Photo by Hoot Creek.

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Christmas Presents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
California cowboy leads St. Paul Rodeo’s
bareback riding, is having best Cowboy Christmas of his career

St. Paul, Ore. (July 5, 2019) – It’s Christmas time for Clayton Biglow, and Santa’s being good to him.

The Clements, Calif. bareback rider is in the lead after five of six performances at the 84th annual St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo.

He scored 85.5 points aboard the Bridwell Pro Rodeo horse West Point Girl on Friday night, and it was just another good ride he’s made over Cowboy Christmas, the name given to the weeks before and after Independence Day, when some of the biggest rodeos in the nation take place.

Biglow, who is 23 years old, has won checks at three of the five rodeos he’s hit in the last week: (third place at Cody, Wyo., and Mandan, N.D. and fourth at Red Lodge, Mont.) and still has three more rodeos before he will take a break.

It’s the best Fourth of July run he’s had in his career and it helps cement his spot in the top fifteen bareback riders in the world, those who qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December, where world champions are crowned. Before the week, he was ranked fifth; after a check at St. Paul, he should move up in the standings.

Biglow would love for his score to hold through tomorrow night’s competition. “I’ve always wanted to win this rodeo,” he said. “My dad (Russ Biglow) rode here, and he’s won money here.” Biglow has competed in St. Paul the last five years, but hasn’t ever won a check there. “I’ve never won a dime (in St. Paul),” he said. Tonight “was the first time I’ve ever been over eighty (points.) It’s nice to break the ice. It took a while, but I got it done.”

He’s staying healthy and injury-free, “and that’s the main thing. I feel like I’m riding good. I just keep building on that, trying to get better every day.”

Biglow will ride in Oakley City and West Jordan, Utah tomorrow, then goes on to Prescott, Ariz.

Other high scores and fast times from the July 5 slack and performance at the St. Paul Rodeo are steer wrestler Curtis Cassidy, Donald, Alb. (4.3 seconds in the second round); bull rider Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah (86 points); tie-down roper Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas (10.3 seconds in the second round); saddle bronc rider Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M. (82 points); team ropers Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D. and Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. (4.7 seconds in the second round); and barrel racer Jill Welsh, Parker, Ariz. (17.77 seconds).

The Wrangler Network offered live video coverage for last night and tonight’s shows. The performances are archived at www.wranglernetwork.com and can be viewed by visiting the website.

The final night of the 84th annual St. Paul Rodeo is Saturday, July 6. The performance begins at 7:30 pm. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the website at www.StPaulRodeo.com or call the rodeo office at 800-237-5920.

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Results from the slack and evening performance, St. Paul Rodeo, July 5, 2019

Bareback Riding

1. Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif. 85.5 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s West Point Girl; 2. Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev. 81; 3. Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman, Neb. 78; no other qualified rides.

Steer wrestling

1st round
1. Tanner Milan, Cochrane, Alb. 3.8 seconds; 2. Stan Branco, Chowchilla, Calif. 4.5; 3. Andy Weldon, Greenleaf, Idaho 4.6; 4. Colin Wolfe, Wenatchee, Wash. 8.0.
2nd round
1. Curtis Cassidy, Donald, Alb.4.3 seconds; 2. Kody Dollery, Caldwell, Texas 4.4; 3. Scott Guenther, Provost, Alb. 4.8; 4. Andy Weldon, Greenleaf, Idaho 5.5.
Average leaders (on two head)
1. Blake Mindemann, Blanchard, Okla. 8.8 seconds on two head; 2. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La. 9.2; 3. Andy Weldon, Greenleaf, Idaho 10.1; 4. (tie) Bridger Chambers, Stevensville, Mont. and Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. 10.3 each.

Bull riding
1. Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah 86 points on Big Stone Rodeo’s Power Stroke; 2. Trey Kimzey, Strong City, Okla. 83.5; no other qualified rides.

Tie-down roping
1st round
1. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas 9.7 seconds; 2. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas 10.9; 3.Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas 11.1; 4. Kyle Dickens, Loveland, Colo. 12.6.
2nd round
1. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas 10.3 seconds; 2.Cory Solomon, Prairie View, Texas 12.8; 3. Michael D. Pederson, Hermiston, Ore. 15.5; 4.Roger Nonella, Redmond, Ore. 19.1.
Average leaders on two head
1. Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. 18.5 seconds on two head; 2. Cody Craig, Wendell, Idaho 18.9; 3. Justin Smith, Leesville, La. 19.1; 4. Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas 20.0.

Saddle bronc riding
1. Taos Muncy, Corona, N.M. 82 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Smooth Sailin; 2.Tate Owens, Colbert, Wash. 81.5; 3.Leon Fountain, Socorro, N.M. 77.5; 4. Wade Kane, Ellensburg, Wash. 67.

Team roping

1st round

1. Spencer Mitchell, Orange Cove, Calif./Cody Doescher, Webbers Falls, Okla. 5.0 seconds; 2. Joshua Torres, Ocala, Fla./Jonathan Torres, Ocala, Fla. 7.1; 3. Lane Santos Karney, Creston, Calif./Bucky Campbell, Morristown, Ariz. 11.2; 4. Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D./Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. 15.0.

2nd round
1. Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D./Lane Siggins, Coolidge, Ariz. 4.7 seconds; 2. Lane Santos Karney, Creston, Calif./Bucky Campbell, Morristown, Ariz. 5.3; 3. Colton Campbell, Klamath Falls, Ore./Dalton Pearce, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 9.7; 4. Jason Stewart, Heppner, Ore./Calgary Smith, Adams, Ore. 10.3.
Average leaders on two head
1. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas 10.3 seconds on two head; 2. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 10.5; 3. Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alb./Cole Davison, Stephenville, Texas 10.6; 4. Cody Snow, Stephenville, Texas/Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, Texas 10.8.

Barrel racing
1. Jill Welsh, Parker, Ariz. 17.77 seconds; 2. Tyra Kane, Weatherford, Texas 17.84; 3. Jody Tucker, Ellensburg, Wash. 18.02; 4. Fallon Taylor, Collinsville, Texas 18.11.

** All results are unofficial. For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com.

Chomping at the Bit

Chomping at the bit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152

CHOMPING AT THE BIT
Horsepower helps Oregon cowgirl, Louisiana cowboy jump to the lead at the St. Paul Rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. (July 4, 2019) – Amberleigh Moore’s horse hasn’t been to the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo for two years, but she knows her way around.

When Paige, her ten-year-old quarter horse got to the arena, she knew where she was going. The quarter horse, who is exceptionally smart, Moore said, never forgets a rodeo arena and where she was stalled at each rodeo.

And she did her job well, too. She carried her owner and rider from Salem, Ore., to the top of the leaderboard in the barrel racing with a time of 17.29 seconds.

“She hasn’t been to this arena since 2017,” Moore said, “and she was pretty excited to be back on the grounds.”

And she’s got a long list of rodeos to remember. Moore got the mare five years ago and began barrel racing across the nation and qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), pro rodeo’s world championship three times (2016-2018).

Moore loves the horse, whose registered name is CP Dark Moon. “She means the world to me,” she said. “She loves her job so much, she makes it easy for me. We definitely have a bond and I think she reads me as much as I read her.”

The mare was out last year from March through the end of July due to bruised feet, so Moore did not ride her at St. Paul in 2018. Moore has competed in St. Paul since 2015 and was the top money winner from Oregon a few years ago, which earned her a unique gun from the rodeo committee. She hopes her time this year will hold for the win, after two more nights of rodeo. “Maybe we can repeat that and get my husband another gun,” she said.

Over the Cowboy Christmas season, the busiest time of the rodeo year for cowboys and cowgirls, Moore is doing OK. She won third at the Molalla, Ore. rodeo and is winning the Eugene, Ore. rodeo. She’ll head to a rodeo in Toppenish, Wash. on Saturday, then go on to the Calgary Stampede next week.

In the first round of the steer wrestling, a Louisiana man took the lead.

Two-time world champion Tyler Waguespack had a time of 3.8 seconds to top the board.

“It was a good run,” Waguespack said. “I had great horsepower underneath me. Scooter (the horse) ran him, kept my feet on the ground in a great spot, and we did the rest from there.”

Scooter, the horse Waguespack rode, is owned by fellow steer wrestlers Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin and is the 2018 American Quarter Horse Association Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. The horse is just what a steer wrestler wants. “He gives anybody who gets on him the chance to win. He runs extremely hard and tries his heart out every time, no matter how many runs he’s had on him that day.”

In St. Paul, Scooter was ridden by Waguespack, Irwin, Pearson and Ty Erickson. And his owners and riders make sure he is treated well. “He gets better care taken of him than me, I can guarantee you,” Waguespack said. “We sure are blessed to be able to use him.”

The evening performance was Patriot Night, and Honor Flight volunteers and Marine Cadets picked up donations. Over $5,000 was raised to fund flights for veterans to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C. free of charge.

Other high scores and fast times from the July 4 matinee and performance at the St. Paul Rodeo are bareback rider Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas (83.5 points); bull rider Chase Dougherty, Canby, Ore. (82.5 points); tie-down roper Justin Smith, Leesville, La. (9.5 seconds); and team ropers Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz. and Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas (5.1 seconds). In the saddle bronc riding, Cort Scheer, Elmere, Neb., set a new arena record with a score of 89 points on Big Bend’s Kool Toddy.

Two more rodeo performances remain: July 5 and 6 at 7:30 pm each night. Tickets are available online at https://www.stpaulrodeo.com or at the ticket office at the rodeo grounds. For more information, visit the rodeo’s website or call the rodeo office at 800-237-5920.

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Results from the matinee and evening performance, St. Paul Rodeo, July 4, 2019

Bareback Riding
1. Clint Laye, Cadogan, Alb. 84 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeos Scarlet Lady; 2. Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas 82.5; 3. (tie) Chance Ames, Big Piney, Wyo. and Jesse Pope, Marshall, Mo. 82.

Steer wrestling
1st round
1. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La. 3.8 seconds; 2. Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. 4.4; 3. Bridger Chambers, Stevensville, Mont. 4.5; 4. Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas 5.8.

2nd round
1. (tie) Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss.and Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan.4.1seconds each; 3. Levi Rudd, Chelsea, Okla. 4.9; 4. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La. 5.4.

Average leaders (on two head)
1. Blake Mindemann, Blanchard, Okla. 8.8 seconds on two head; 2. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La. 9.2; 3. (tie) Bridger Chambers, Stevensville, Mont. and Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont. 10.3 each.

Bull riding
1. Chase Dougherty, Canby, Ore. 83.5 points on Corey and Lange’s Punk; 2. Jesse Petri, Palestine, Texas 80.5; no other qualified rides.

Tie-down roping

1st round
1. Justin Smith, Leesville, La. 9.6 seconds; 2. Tanner Green, Cotulla, Texas 10.3; 3. Ryan Jarrett, Comanche, Okla.12.7; 4. Matt Shiozawa, Chubbuck, Idaho 13.4.

2nd round

1. Justin Smith, Leesville, La. 9.5 seconds; 2. Chad Finley, Mt. Vernon, Ore. 10.5; 3. Blake Chauvin, Raceland, La.11.7; 4. Chad Finley, Mt. Vernon, Ore. 17.9.

Average leaders on two head
1. Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. 18.5 seconds on two head; 2. Cody Craig, Wendell, Idaho 18.9; 3. Justin Smith, Leesville, La. 19.1; 4. Treg Schaack, Stinnett, Texas 20.6.

Saddle bronc riding
1. Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Neb. 89 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Kool Toddy; 2. Chet Johnson, Douglas, Wyo. 81; 3. Josh Davison, Miles City, Mont. 77.5; 4. Reed Neely, Sanger, Calif. 75.

eam roping

1st round
1. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas 5.1 seconds; 2. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 5.2; 3. Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. 5.8; 4. Marcus Theriot, Poplarville, Miss./Coleby Payne, Lipan, Texas 7.3.

2nd round
1. Erich Rogers, Round Rock, Ariz./Paden Bray, Granbury, Texas 5.2 seconds; 2. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla./Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev. 5.3; 3. Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C./Paul Eaves, Lonedell, Mo. 10.0; no other qualified runs.

Barrel racing
1. Amberleigh Moore, Salem, Ore. 17.29 seconds; 2. Colleen Kingsbury, Powell Butte, Ore. 17.62; 3. Jessi Fish, Franklin, Tenn. 17.66; 4, Danyelle Williams, Vale, Ore. 17.73

Cowboy Central - Contestants Story

Cowboy Central - download

Austin Foss - BB Champ at 2014 St Paul Rodeo
by Hoot Creek Photography

Amberleigh Moore at the 2017 St Paul Rodeo
by Hoot Creek Photography

Media Contact:
Ruth Nicolaus
319-321-2152
For the St. Paul Rodeo

COWBOY CENTRAL
St. Paul plays host to Nation’s Greatest 4th of July rodeo, turns into cowboy town

St. Paul, Ore. (July 1, 2019) – If all the rodeo cowboys and cowgirls who will compete at the St. Paul Rodeo this week stuck around, they would outnumber the population of the small town thirty miles of Portland.

More than 600 rodeo athletes will swarm into St. Paul for the 84th annual St. Paul Rodeo July 2- 6, and among them are world champions, those in the top fifteen in the world standings, and Oregon natives.

Amberleigh Moore is one of those contestants who will make her way to St. Paul.

The cowgirl, a barrel racer by trade and a resident of Salem, will compete in the matinee performance on July 4.

She rides a ten-year-old quarter horse mare, CP Dark Moon, whose barn name is Paige. Paige, who is very good at her job, is the reason Moore started pro rodeo five years ago. “When you get that one special horse, you take your chance and go play,” Moore said, of her rodeoing.

She is currently ranked twenty-first in the barrel racing world standings, and it’s because of her horse, who is exceptionally smart. “Any time she’s been somewhere, she knows where she’s at. If we’ve been to a rodeo and we return, she will literally get off the trailer and drag me to where she thinks her stall is,” Moore said. “She is very smart, which makes her good at her job.”

Moore has competed at the pro rodeo world championships, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), three times (2016-2018), and she’d love to qualify again. But a barrel racer must be in the top fifteen in the world standings as of October 1, and Moore says qualifying for the WNFR isn’t easy. “You can’t force it and you can’t make it happen,” she said.

Before she gets to St. Paul, Moore will have competed in Ponoka and Airdrie, Alberta, and Molalla and Eugene, Ore. After St. Paul, she has a couple days off before heading to the Calgary Stampede.

And Paige will be with her. “She doesn’t like staying home,” Moore said. If she takes a different horse to run barrels on, “when I get home, she won’t talk to me. She snubs me.”

Three hours east of St. Paul lives another contestant, bareback rider Austin Foss.

The 27-year-old has been coming to St. Paul the last eight years and won his event there five years ago.

Foss has qualified for the WNFR three times (2013-2015), and is on a trajectory to make it again this year. He’s ranked seventh in the world standings with more than $57,000 won, and he loves coming to St. Paul. “It’s a pretty neat rodeo,” he said. “It’s the only rodeo that they have small shrubs (arbor vitae) in the arena. That’s kind of cool.”

For Foss’ wife Bridget, St. Paul is a kind of a homecoming. A Salem native, she served as the St. Paul Rodeo Queen in 2012. Foss’ sister lives in the Carlton area, northwest of St. Paul.

Foss and his traveling partners will be hitting as many rodeos as they can, trying to earn as much money as possible to stay in the top fifteen in the world. Before he gets to St. Paul, he’ll compete in Prescott, Ariz. on July 1; in Red Lodge and Livingston, Montana on July 2; at Oakley City, Utah July 3; then to Cody, Wyo. on July 4. After that, they head to Oregon, where they’ll be in Eugene on the fifth and St. Paul on Saturday, July 6. Then there’s two days off, then they rodeo every day, July ninth through the fourteenth. “You become nocturnal this time of year,” he said, because of the nighttime driving they do.

The week leading into the Fourth of July and the time after is often referred to as Cowboy Christmas, for the high number of rodeos that take place. But Foss has another name for it. “It’s a cowboy marathon,” he said. “The whole month of July, you can go to a rodeo every day.”

Out of the nine reigning PRCA world champions (Women’s Pro Rodeo Association champion for the barrel racing), seven of them will compete in St. Paul. They are: bareback rider Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa; steer wrestler Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La.; team ropers Clay Smith, Bowie, Texas and Paul Eaves, Millsap, Texas; saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa; barrel racer Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, and bull rider Sage Kimzey, Salado, Texas.

All of the 2018 St. Paul Rodeo champions return to defend their titles. They are bareback rider Tim O’Connell; steer wrestler Tyler Pearson, Atoka, Okla.; tie-down roper Cooper Martin, Alma, Kan.; team ropers Garrett Rogers, Baker City, Ore./Russell Cardoza, Terrebonne, Ore. and Kolton Schmidt Barrhead, Alberta/Cole Davison, Roosevelt, Utah; saddle bronc rider Chase Brooks, Belgrade, Mont.; barrel racer Tracy Nowlin, Nowata, Okla.; bull rider Stetson Wright, Beaver, Utah and all-around hand Clayton Hass, Weatherford, Texas.

The 84th annual St. Paul Rodeo, the Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July rodeo, is July 2-6. Performances begin at 7:30 pm nightly, with a matinee on July 4 at 1:30 pm. Tickets start at $16 and are available online at www.St.PaulRodeo.com and at the gate.

For more information, visit the website or call the rodeo office at 503.633.2011.

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Cutline: Amberleigh Moore, Salem, Ore., competes at the 2017 St. Paul Rodeo. She is one of six-hundred-plus cowboys and cowgirls making their way to St. Paul for the Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July rodeo. Photo by Hoot Creek Photography.

Cutline: Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., won the 2014 St. Paul rodeo with an 87 point ride. Foss will compete at this year’s rodeo, held July 2-6. Photo by Hoot Creek Photography.

Honoring Special People

Hall of Fame - Honoring Special People

Bob Gregory

Butch Knowles

Richard Ernst

Elaine Smith

Grant McKillip

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HONORING SPECIAL PEOPLE

St. Paul Rodeo to induct five into its Hall of Fame

St. Paul, Ore. (June 26, 2019) – The St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo has announced its 2019 inductees into its Hall of Fame.

They are Bob Gregory and Elaine Smith, in the category of Rodeo General Membership; Grant McKillip, Rodeo Directors/Officers; and Richard Ernst and Butch Knowles, both in the Riding Event category.

Bob Gregory, of Woodburn, fell in love with the St. Paul Rodeo at the age of twelve, when he rode his horse from Donald to St. Paul and camped near the rodeo carnival. At the age of eighteen, he competed in the rodeo’s wild horse race, and in 1965, he and his wife Karen joined the St. Paul Rodeo General Membership.

Throughout his time as a rodeo volunteer, he worked as a gateman and with the livestock committee. His wife Karen passed away in 2009, and five years later he married Sharon. Bob’s daughter Tami Kuntz is on the rodeo queen and court committee, and Bob’s niece Sally Gregory Knowles is the mother of rodeo steer wrestling great Trevor Knowles.

Elaine Smith, St. Paul, was born into a family committed to helping with the rodeo. Her dad, John W. Smith, was a rodeo director from 1946 to 1952, and her mother, Kathleen, was co-chair of the rodeo ticket committee. Smith remembers selling rodeo tickets in Salem as a youngster, and served as the St. Paul Rodeo Princess in 1947 and Queen the following year.

Smith married David C. Smith in 1954 and they spent their married life as St. Paul Rodeo members, with Smith continuing as a member after her husband’s passing. They worked in the ticket office, served the trail ride lunch, and in 1975, their daughter, Sally Smith Johnson, was the St. Paul Rodeo Princess. Their granddaughter, Rebecca “Sis” Johnson was queen in 1998 and her sister Camie was princess in 2000 and queen in 2001. Camie went on to serve as Miss Rodeo Oregon.

Being part of the rodeo was natural for Elaine. “Of course we were involved,” she said. “In the early days, rodeo activities were the only game in town.” Her son Dave is a current rodeo director.

Grant McKillip goes into the Hall of Fame in the category of Rodeo Directors/Officers, following in his dad and granddads’ footsteps as a director. His grandfathers: John G. McKillip, Sr. and Maurice Smith were rodeo founders in 1936, and his dad, Ted, was a rodeo director for thirty years.

McKillip and his wife Debi currently serve as chairmen for the hospitality, fireworks and insurance committees. In the past, they have chaired the queen and princess committee and the Barbecue Cook-off committee. Their children: Matt, Cody and Katlyn, are all St. Paul Rodeo members.

Two men enter the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame in the Riding Events category.

Richard Ernst, St. Paul, won the wild horse race at the St. Paul Rodeo seven times during an eleven year span, from 1971-1981. He did well in the wild horse race at the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up as well, winning it in 1977-1980 and again in 1989.

He and his wife Carolyn have served on the queen and royal court committee, the parade committee, the hospitality committee, and he has been the wild horse race and wild cow milking judge for over two decades.

Their daughter, Kimmie, served as the St. Paul Rodeo Princess in 2008 and queen the next year.

Ernst loves his hometown rodeo, appreciating “the neat, clean and well-kept facilities.”

Butch Knowles, Heppner, Ore., is best known as one of the faces and voices broadcasting the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), but at St. Paul, he is the 1979 saddle bronc riding and all-around champions.

1He competed at the WNFR four times, winning the saddle bronc riding average in 1987, and began a broadcast career in 1988. He has been the color analyst for the WNFR every year since then. He and his wife Mary have a ranch near Heppner with sons Brian and Blake.

Knowles loved competing at St. Paul during his pro rodeo days. “I won’t ever forget the great feeling of arriving at the best and most prestigious Fourth of July rodeo. It was like coming home after being on the road. The sell-out crowds and the nostalgic feeling I got competing in that arena is something I’ll never forget.”

The 2019 class will be honored during the rodeo’s annual Hall of Fame barbecue on July 1 at 5 pm at the rodeo grounds. A meal will be served and live and silent auctions will raise funds for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. Tickets for the meal are $32 and are not available at the door; they must be purchased in advance. They can be purchased online at www.StPaulRodeo.com.

This year’s rodeo runs July 2-6, with performances each evening at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4. Tickets are on sale online.

For more information, visit the website or call the rodeo office at 800.237.5920.

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Cutlines:

Bob Gregory began his involvement with the St. Paul Rodeo at the age of twelve, when he rode his horse from Donald to St. Paul to watch the rodeo. He has worked as a gateman and with the livestock at the rodeo. He is a 2019 St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee.

Elaine Smith, St. Paul, is a 2019 inductee into the St. Paul Rodeo Hall of Fame. Born into a family heavily involved in the rodeo, she has been a St. Paul Rodeo member since 1954.

Grant McKillip, St. Paul, was treasurer for the board for many years, and, along with his wife Debi, currently chairs the hospitality, fireworks and insurance committees. Photo by Emily Haven Photography.

Richard Ernst won the St. Paul Rodeo wild horse race seven times; he and wife Carolyn have been volunteers with the rodeo on several different committees.

Butch Knowles is the 1979 St. Paul Rodeo saddle bronc riding and all-around champions, and has served as the color analyst for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo every year since 1988. He and his wife Mary live near Heppner, Ore.

Treating the Injured

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TREATING THE INJURED

Oregon native volunteers time as an athletic trainer at St. Paul Rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. (June 24, 2019) – Kelly Whitney-Babcock loves her job at the St. Paul Rodeo so much, she drove all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, to do it.

And for no pay.

The Albany, Ore. athletic trainer was living in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., last year, but wanted to help out in the sports medicine trailer at last year’s St. Paul Rodeo, so she drove 3,500 miles in four days, just to work the rodeo.

She’s been helping in the Justin Sportsmedicine trailer since 2014, taping up cowboys and cowgirls, prepping them for their rodeo performance and treating them for injuries.

She got her start as a youngster in Tillamook County, when she went to the local rodeo and rode horses as she participated in 4-H.

After high school, Whitney-Babcock went to college to become a massage therapist. She worked at local barrel races, but when cowgirls came to her after accidents, because she was the only person with any medical knowledge on site, she knew she needed to learn more.

So, at age 28, she went back to school to become an athletic trainer.

She attended Oregon State University, graduating in 2015, then got her master’s degree from Indiana University two years later.

Her paying job was at a college in Florida, helping with the women’s soccer team and the men’s and women’s swimming teams.

But rodeo is in her blood.

Since becoming an athletic trainer, Whitney-Babcock has worked the St. Paul Rodeo four times and rodeos in Florida, like the Silver Spurs Rodeo, the Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo and the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo.

She loves working with the rodeo athletes, in part because of their demeanor and their toughness. “They are kind and respectful,” she said. “If you ask them to do something, they do it. They’re amazingly tough. They’re very motivated to get better which makes my job that much easier.”

The athletic trainers on site at the St. Paul Rodeo are part of the Justin Sportsmedicine Team. Their duties vary. Before the rodeo, they help rodeo athletes stretch cramped muscles and tape strains and sprains, stabilizing them, “making it a little more comfortable for them,” Whitney- Babcock said. “The less pain they’re in, the better they can perform.”

During the rodeo, Whitney-Babcock and the other trainers watch the action, taking note of how a rodeo cowboy might dismount from a horse or bull, and noting any potential injuries.

Then after the rodeo, they might help cut off athletic tape and make note of bumps or bruises. Because the cowboys and cowgirls are headed to the next rodeo, Whitney-Babcock and the trainers might take pictures of the taping they did. “Sometimes the tape jobs we do aren’t necessarily the standard tape jobs,” she said. “So finding what works for them, and making sure whoever they see next can reproduce it, is good. We’ll take pictures of the tape and send it to the cowboy’s phone, so the next person knows how to do it.”

Rodeo is a tougher sport, said Whitney-Babcock, and that’s evident in the injuries. “There’s no other sport that has this amount of impact and collisions,” she said. “Not even football sees these types of injuries.” And the rodeo cowboy isn’t guaranteed a salary, either. “These guys are all independent contractors. If they get hurt, they’re out of the money. I think they take it more seriously than most, because of that. They have more on the line.”

When she was working with the college women’s soccer team in Florida, the soccer players were curious about rodeo. Whitney-Babcock would show them videos and the injuries. “They’d get a little more quiet about their smaller injuries. I might show them a cowboy competing without an ACL, and a soccer player with a blister on her foot might decide it’s not as bad as she thought.”

Whitney-Babcock and her fellow athletic trainers will be in the Justin Sportsmedicine trailer, treating cowboys and cowgirls competing at the St. Paul Rodeo. And even though she’s donating her time, she loves it. “Being able to get the cowboys and cowgirls back to doing what they love” is what she enjoys. “Seeing them succeed is my favorite thing.”

Services provided by the Justin Sportsmedicine Team are free to all cowboys and cowgirls.

This year’s St. Paul Rodeo is July 2-6 with nightly performances at 7:30 pm and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4. Tickets start at $16 and can be purchased online (www.StPaulRodeo.com), at the rodeo office in St. Paul, and at the gate.

For more information, visit the website.

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Cutline: The Justin Sportsmedicine Team, with Whitney-Babcock on the left, gathers in their mobile sports medicine trailer at the 2018 St. Paul Rodeo.

Specialty Act for Performances

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Jessica Blair Fowlkes, Roman riding cowgirl entertains

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ROMAN RIDING COWGIRL TO ENTERTAIN AT ST PAUL RODEO

Kentucky Cowgirl, new mom is specialty act for

Nation's Greatest Fourth of July Rodeo

St. Paul, Ore. (June 17, 2019) – Glamour, glitter, style and substance will entertain at the St. Paul Rodeo this year!

Roman riding cowgirl Jessica Blair Fowlkes will bring her brand of entertainment to the Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July rodeo!

Fowlkes, a resident of Crofton, Kentucky, will perform a stunt that was done in the days of the Roman Empire. The rider stands atop a pair of horses, with one foot on each horse, as the horses gallop around the arena. Fowlkes, with her horses Moose and Wishbone, will ride into the arena, make some fast laps, do figure eights, and jump through a hoop of fire. She will also have fire stakes in the arena; she will split the torches between her legs as she rides. With the arborvitae in the St. Paul Rodeo arena, she will ride over them as well.

Fowkles’ two horses, matching gray geldings Moose and Wishbone, are her “boys,” as she calls them. Moose is a former team roping horse who is the “backbone” of her roman riding but is a determined horse. He tries to buck her off when she first gets on him, but she doesn’t mind it. “I just have to be ready for it. That’s part of his spunk. I worry when he doesn’t do it.”

Wishbone, her other gray, was a horse who had been neglected when she purchased him. He was skinny when he came home with her. She turned him out into a 100-acre pasture of Kentucky bluegrass, and “two months later, he was fat and happy,” she said. He replaced her previous horse, Goose, who wasn’t crazy about the fire hoop he jumped through. Within two weeks of Wishbone’s recovery, she had trained him to jump through the fire hoop. “He’s been an amazing horse.” She has a special relationship with her animals. “They’re good boys. We performed really hard last year and they gave me solid performances.

Fowlkes and her husband Preston III, have a son who is nearly three years old, and a daughter, born in late April. St. Paul is the first rodeo back for Fowlkes, after having a baby about two months ago. After her son was born, she was back into the arena in five weeks. “I’ll get back into shape and go back to work,” she said. She and her husband planned this baby, so that it would come before the busy rodeo season, when she is performing and her husband is working at his family business as a rodeo producer and livestock provider.Fowlkes’ mother will travel with her and her children to St. Paul. “My mom is my on-the-road nanny,” she said. After she is done riding in St. Paul, she’ll go onto Colorado Springs, Colo. and Cheyenne, Wyoming, to work those rodeos. “She’ll have her work cut out for her this summer,” Fowlkes said.

Fowlkes will perform during each performance of the St. Paul Rodeo. Performances are July 2-6 at 7:30 pm each night and a 1:30 pm matinee on July 4. Tickets are on sale and range in price from $16 to $26 and can be purchased online at www.StPaulRodeo.com and at the gate the days of the rodeo. For more information, visit the website or call 800.237.5920.

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Cutline: Roman rider Jessica Blair Fowlkes will entertain during each performance of the 84th annual St. Paul Rodeo. The Kentucky cowgirl and her horses Moose and Wishbone do fancy footwork and maneuvers in the arena. Photo courtesy Jessica Blair Fowlkes.

Parade Grand Marshall

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CHAMPS TO LEAD THE PARADE

St. Paul High School volleyball, girls basketball teams chosen as grand marshals for rodeo parade

St. Paul, Ore. (May 13, 2019) – The Oregon High School 1A State Champion volleyball team and basketball team, both from St. Paul High School, have been selected as grand marshals for the 2019 St. Paul Rodeo parade.

Both teams won their respective sports at state this year and both will be honored during the parade on July 4 through downtown St. Paul.

The girls on the teams were special this year, said their coaches, Coach Lesli Hiller (volleyball) and Coach Dave Matlock (basketball), and it wasn’t just because they were state champs.

“The way the kids conducted themselves, they were tough as nails,” said Matlock. “They didn’t back down to anybody. We’d get behind in some games, and come right back.”

Both teams were undefeated, each with overall records of thirty wins and no losses.

“We went into the (volleyball) season deciding we were always going to try to improve upon what we already were,” said Coach Hiller. “Going into state playoffs, our focus was to remain confident and calm, regardless of the score, and to always play one point at a time.”

Five girls played on both teams: Emma Connor, Erin Counts, Karlee Southerland, Megan Tuck and Isabella Wyss, and the seniors provided leadership. Matlock remembers Megan Tuck taking a leadership role without being asked. It was in the 2017-2018 school year and the team was playing Central Linn and down fifteen to six after the first quarter. Central Linn had made three three-point shots in a row, Matlock said. “I remember, Megan said, ‘hey, it’s ok, there are four quarters to this game, we’re all right.’ Without being prodded, she took it upon herself to be a leader.”

The basketball team never looked too far ahead, Matlock said. “Our mantra was one day at a time, one play at a time. They were able to work hard on the next thing and not get hung up on what was coming or looking back. It paid dividends, because we were tough to beat over 32 minutes.”

The St. Paul Rodeo is a fundraiser for the St. Paul High School Booster Club, and each high school team is required to volunteer time in the stadium concession stands and parking cars for the rodeo. The kids enjoy it, Matlock said. “You should see them parking cars. They’re everywhere, doing everything.” The athletes who are on more than one team volunteer multiple times, once for every sport.

Hiller’s team had one goal in mind, she said. “We came into the season, focused on that goal and how to get there. The team is a very mature, calm team. They never let drama come onto the team.”

Hiller, who has coached at St. Paul for the past nine years, spoke highly of her players. “They were very confident and able to motivate others. Sometimes high school kids are embarrassed and afraid to motivate others and put themselves out there. But this team had strong motivators and confident players. They didn’t worry about what other people thought.”

Matlock began as an assistant coach at St. Paul High School five years ago and moved into the role of head coach four years ago. He has a deep respect for the kids, the families and the sense of community in St. Paul. “I actually told the girls, you don’t know how good you have it here. This is a special place. This group of girls was probably the finest group I’ve coached, and it’s not just because they were state champs. When you add up the tenacity, mindset, character, talent, and work ethic, this team was heads and tails above everybody else.”

He says those characteristics are passed to the kids from their families. “You can enhance them, but they’re an innate thing that goes back to the traits they were taught in the homes of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. All these people have been teaching these kids for that moment.”

The rodeo is part of that. “That’s the beauty of the rodeo. It’s always looking to stay current, but it’s not losing its roots in the past. The kids and their families understand that and work really hard to help at the rodeo.”

“The rodeo very much embodies all of this, and that’s why it’s so special.”

Matlock loves his team and the community, and has coined a phrase for the team. “St. Paul is the oasis in the desert of life. I really firmly believe that.

“St. Paul is a very special place and the rodeo is a part of that.”

The St. Paul Rodeo parade kicks off at 10 am on July 4, followed by a rodeo matinee at 1:30 pm that day. Rodeo performances also take place at 7:30 pm each night of July 2-6.

For more information, visit www.StPaulRodeo.com or call 800.237.5920.

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The St. Paul High School volleyball team is the 2018-2019 1A state champion. The players, alongside the basketball team, will be grand marshals for the rodeo parade on July 4 in St. Paul.

The St. Paul High School girls basketball team, 1A state champs, will serve as grand marshals, with the state champion volleyball team, for the St. Paul Rodeo parade on July 4. The team was 30-0.

Tickets on Sale for St Paul Rodeo

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Saddle bronc rider Chase Brooks, Butte, Montana competes at 2018 St. Paul Rodeo

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TICKETS ON SALE FOR ST. PAUL RODEO

Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July Rodeo in St Paul for 84th year

St. Paul, Ore. (December 14, 2018) – Tickets are on sale for the Nation’s Greatest Fourth of July Rodeo and a fan favorite, the St. Paul Rodeo!

The bulls and the horses, the cowboys and the cowgirls stampede into tiny St. Paul, Oregon, July 2-6 for six performances of rodeo competition.

It’s the great American tradition of rodeo, on America’s birthday, July Fourth, with the independent determination of the American cowboy and cowgirl matching up against bulls and broncs, or working in tandem with the American Quarter Horse!

The St. Paul Rodeo, in its 84th year, is a tradition for many people in the Portland and Willamette Valley area. More than 50,000 people attend the rodeo and its related festivities each year, swelling the population of the village more than one-hundred times over the five day run!

The rodeo takes place each evening July 2-6 at 7:30 pm, with two performances on July 4, including a 1:30 pm matinee.

There’s more than rodeo going on in St. Paul during the holiday. Fireworks follow each evening rodeo performance and the Tack Room Saloon, voted one of the top twenty cowboy bars in the West, is full of fans looking to whet their whistle. The smell of barbecue wafts from the Great Western Barbecue Cook-off, and the parade takes place on July Fourth.

The Wild West Art Show beckons those looking for fine arts and crafts, and a family activity day is scheduled for the morning of the Fourth.

Rodeo seating is reserved, so purchasing tickets early is encouraged. Tickets range in price from $16 to $26 (plus a convenience fee) and can be purchased online at www.St.PaulRodeo.com and at the ticket office after May 1.

The rodeo is a fundraiser for many service and youth organizations around the area; it is produced by nearly one hundred percent volunteer labor.

For more information, visit the website or call 800.237.5920.

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Cutline: Saddle bronc rider Chase Brooks, Butte, Montana, competes at the 2018 St. Paul Rodeo. Tickets are on sale for the 2019 rodeo, which will be held July 2-6. Photo by Hoot Creek.