Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
Thousands attend event as temps soar over 100
Jake Olson of Silverdale had the only qualified bareback ride, scoring 63 points and taking home the $1,500 purse.
Wylie Karas of Zillah overshot his target in steer wrestling and the steer ended up jumping over him.
BASIN CITY - Thousands of rodeo fans turned out Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26, to watch the second Freedom Rodeo.
Temperatures neared 100 degrees at performance time Friday night and topped 105 at the start of Saturday's rodeo.
To keep cool, several fans put on canopies on the rim of the arena, while at least one family brought a toddler wading pool and filled it with water.
The event got underway Friday morning with slack competition and a vendor area, compete with giant turkey legs, elephant ears and, of course, shaved ice.
In addition to regular events, the Freedom Rodeo had a large field of young competitors in mutton bustin', calf riding, a calf scramble and a chicken scramble. Adults also took to the arena for two rounds of wild cow milking each night.
Competitors came from across the Pacific Northwest, as well as from as far away as Arizona and Oklahoma.
Area competitors included Dusty Porter of Basin City; Dylan Frimodt of Burbank; Tai Casey, Madison Hays and Sean Murphy, all of Connell; Trav Johnson of Eltopia; Jorge Anguiano of Othello; Brianna Carrigen, Skylar English, Kellee Meheen, Grant Shumway and Steele Shumway, all of Pasco; Lorenzo Myrick of Royal City; and Jared Cox, Charlie Dansie, Brandon Hunter, Dillon Leslie, Aubrey Skone and Bree Wilson of Warden.
In the two days of rodeo, not one cowboy completed a qualified bull ride, and only a couple managed broncs.
Jake Olson of Silverdale had the only qualified bareback ride, scoring 63 points and taking home the $1,500 purse.
In saddle bronc, up-and-coming cowboy Clay Buchart of Tonasket held on for the only qualified ride. He claimed $1,300 on his 67-point ride.
In tie-down roping, Nathan Clawson of Olympia led competitors with a 9.6 second run, good enough for $ 1,280.
Break-away roper Makenly Davis of Pendleton, Ore., made short work of her competition, out-pacing second place by nearly fourth-tenths of a second. Her run of 2.22 seconds was good for $1,450.
Ryan Bothum traveled from his hometown of Checotah, Okla., to Basin City to compete in steer wrestling, also called bulldogging. Diving from his horse and grabbing his steer by the horns, he wrestled it to the ground in 4.6 seconds, earning $1,000.
The fastest team ropers in the field this year were Jack Fischer of Ellensburg and Brent Falon of Yakima. The header and heeler combination lassoed their prey in 4.5 seconds to earn $1,173.
Omak's Krista Marchand was the fastest competitor in barrels, completing the clover leaf pattern in 17.50 seconds to take home $1,653.
Marchand added another $250 in prize money by finishing sixth in break-away roping in a time of 3.40 seconds.
With $1,903, she took home more money than any other cowgirl ... or cowboy.
Friday night's performance concluded with an arena dance and band.
Freedom Rodeo 2021 concluded Saturday night with a professional fireworks display over the arena.
Roger Harnack is the co-owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
Bareback Riding
1. Jake Olson of Silverdale, 63 points, $1,500
Tie-Down Roping
2. Nathan Clawson of Olympia, 9.6 seconds, $ 1,280
3. Justin Farber of Prosser, 10.8seconds, $960
4. Garret Sanford of Gig Harbor, 10.9 seconds, $640
5. Pacen Marez of Granger, 11.7 seconds, $320
Breakaway Roping
1. Makenly Davis of Pendleton, Ore., 2.22 seconds, $1,450
2. Andrea Miranda of Casa Grande, Ariz., 2.60 seconds, $1,200
3. Rachelle Herman of Port Angeles, 2.90 seconds, $950
4. Kassidy Bremner of Ellensburg, 2.97 seconds, $700
5. Sophie Dunn of Ellensburg, 3.34 seconds, $450
6. Krista Marchand of Omak, 3.40 seconds, $250
Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Clay Buchart of Tonasket, 67 points, $1,300
Steer Wrestling
1. Ryan Bothum of Checotah, Okla., 4.6 seconds, $1,000
2. Kaden Greenfield of Lakeview, Ore.,, 4.7 seconds, $750
3. Justin Kimsey of Kennewick, 4.8 seconds, $500
4. (tie) Trav Johnson of Eltopia and Cody McCleary of Walla Walla, 5.1 seconds, $125
Team Roping
1. Jack Fischer of Ellensburg and Brent Falon of Yakima, 4.5 seconds, $1,173
2. Clayton Hansen of Weiser, Idaho, and Phoenix Everano of Pendleton, Ore., 4.7 seconds $1,020
3. Clayton Hansen of Weister, Idaho, and Chase Hansen of Homedale, Idaho, 5.6 seconds $867
4. Jake Stanley of Hermiston, Ore., and Matt Funk of Hermiston, Ore., 6.1 seconds $714
5. Mason Chambers of Goldendale and Shane Crossley of Hermiston, Ore., 6.3 seconds $561
6. Jake Raley of Brush Prairie and Christopher Lopez of Alfalfa, Ore., 6.6 seconds $408
7. Jett Uldrikson of Wickenburg, Ariz., and Bryson Alder of Wickenburg, Ariz., 7.1 seconds $255
8. Troy Murray of Hermiston, Ore., and Matt Funk of Hermiston, Ore., 7.2 seconds $102
Barrel Racing
1. Krista Marchand of Omak, 17.50 seconds $1,653
2. Allison VanKoll of Brush Prairie, 17.77 seconds $1,368
3. Anne Meek of Wenatchee, 17.79 seconds $1,083
4. Corynn Kayser of Goldendale, 17.89 seconds $798
5. Cassie Bergevin of Ellensburg, 17.98 seconds $513
6. Caden Diefenbach of Omak, 18.00 seconds $285
Bull Riding – No qualified rides
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