Sweet Home Rodeo returns to enthusiastic response

By Satina Tolman
For The New Era

The bleachers reverberated with the sound of cheers from more than 1,500 rodeo fans as the gates at the Sweet Home Events Center slammed open for the first time in 13 years.

The Sweet Home Rodeo, once a summer ritual, had finally returned.

Families lined the fences, children pressed against the rails, and the smell of popcorn mingled with damp Oregon soil. Overhead, a gray sky threatened rain but never delivered, leaving the grounds cool and perfect for rodeo.

Sweet Home welcomed back its beloved rodeo with mutton busting, bucking broncs, barrel racing, and bull riding Saturday as “Sweet Home Rodeo and Events” and the “Hell on Hooves Roughstock Rodeo Tour” teamed up to revive a tradition that was standing room only.

For longtime rodeo-goer Diana Meyers, the event’s return was emotional.

“I was so excited when I heard they were bringing it back, I think I might have even screamed,” Meyers said as she waited for the event to begin. “Our whole family is really looking forward to it, it’s going to be so great.”

A Patriotic Start

The voice that carried the rodeo into motion belonged to Wayne White of Creswell, a man who knows the sport inside and out. White has spent 40 years behind the microphone after competing in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as a bull rider for 12 years. A veteran and PRCA Gold Card member, White’s baritone voice set the tone with a patriotic address before the national anthem.

Sterling Long, a 9-year-old cowgirl from Creswell and a third-generation rodeo rider, was decked out in red, white, and blue sequins as she rode her horse, Sooner. Smiling for the crowd, she circled the arena carrying the American flag as it waved proudly behind her. Veterans saluted, and spectators stood with hats and hands over their hearts.

White, known for humor and quick wit, kept the crowd engaged throughout the night. He also praised organizer McKenzie Reynolds for spearheading the rodeo’s return.

“She’s the type of gal that would go after Moby Dick in a 14-foot rowboat and bring the tartar sauce with her,” White said of Reynolds.

Family Traditions and First-Time Riders

The rodeo festivities began with mutton bustin’ during the afternoon, in which children clung for dear life to sheep provided by Maurice Short of Brownsville’s Bullseye Ranch. Short brought his two dogs, Molly and Lil Sis, to help keep the sheep in line. Before their turns, the dogs shook with excitement; once unleashed, they glided into their work, calmly herding with expert precision.

Some riders left the chute in smiles, others in tears, but 6-year-old Travis Parks, riding a sheep named “Steel Wool,” summed it up simply: “It was a lot of fun!”

First-time rider William Benedict of Lebanon won the overall title after holding tight on to “Ram Jam.” He was stepped on during the ride, but said he was unhurt.

“It was intense,” Benedict said.

When the Sportsman’s Holiday Junior Court presented him with his winner’s belt buckle, Benedict’s jaw dropped, and he was all smiles as he exclaimed, “I’d get on 100 more. More than 100!”

White told the cheering crowd, “That there is a future cowboy. He’s sure tough.”

Bareback and Bronc Riding

The evening program opened in front of a capacity crowd with bareback bronc riding. Competitors must last eight seconds on a horse using only a rigging, which is a padded leather handle, while judges split scores evenly between rider and animal performance.

White compared the event to “riding a jackhammer with one hand tied down,” calling it one of the most punishing contests in rodeo.

Garret Blackwell of Sandy won the event with 80 points on the horse “Uptown Funk,” continuing a strong season on the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association circuit.

Saddle bronc riding, considered the most technical event, followed. Riders must maintain rhythm and form while spurring in time with the horse.

Matt Shannon of Prineville, OR, won the competition with an overall high score, edging out Seth Hart of St. Helens. Shannon, a five-time Hell on Hooves champion, praised the Sweet Home crowd.
“This rodeo was great,” Shannon said. “I’ll definitely be back next year.”

Pick-up men Cooper DeWitte, who supplied the bucking horses, and Ricky Shannon, Matt’s father, ensured safe dismounts and helped guide broncs back to the pens.

Local Win in Barrel Racing

The arena shifted from brute strength to speed and grace as the barrel racers thundered in. Riders guided their horses around three barrels in cloverleaf patterns before charging back across the line.

Amanda Bane of Powell Butte won the Hell on Hooves Tour barrel racing on her horse, Skittles, with a time of 13.24 seconds. Once an English-style jumper, she turned to barrels more than a decade ago, drawn by adrenaline.

The crowd roared as much for the local girls as for the pros.

The invitational barrel racing brought a hometown victory. Sweet Home’s Emry Vannice, the youngest competitor at 16, won her division on her horse, Sage, with a time of 13.79. Beaming after the run, Vannice credited her mother as her coach and mentor.

Energy Builds Toward the Bulls

The Canyon Riders Drill Team kept the energy alive during intermission with a performance that combined pageantry and horsemanship. Their horses galloped in tight formations to loud music and cheers, riders waving flags with practiced precision.

The night closed with bull riding, the traditional rodeo finale.

Fans watched as bulls weighing one to two tons burst from the chutes, bodies twisting, dirt flying in arcs from their hooves. Cowboys clung to braided bull ropes, trying to last the required eight seconds against animals bred for strength and aggression. Part of the crowd held their breath as the rest erupted in deafening cheers for the 8 seconds between the gates opening and the sound of the buzzer.

White’s voice boomed above the noise: “The bulls spin so fast they make the cowboy look like a frog in a blender!”

Silverton rider Thane Kuenzi emerged the victor, scoring 83 points and winning his first-ever buckle and a $3,000 check. Just three years into his career, he grinned as he held his prize.

Protecting Riders in the Ring

Every bull ride ended the same way, with two men stepping between cowboy and beast. Bullfighters Drew Payne of Wellpinit, Wash., and Jimmy Merriott of Reardan, Wash., distracted bulls, pulled riders free, and at times used their own bodies to draw danger away.

“I’ve always liked helping people, plus I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie,” Payne said of his 14-year career.

Merriott, who started six years ago, said he joined when his brother began bull riding: “I wanted to be the one to protect him.”

Community Celebration

For newcomers Justine, Cameron, and Tyler Figueroa and Terry Whisenhunt, the night was likely the start of a new tradition.
“It was a good setup,” Justine said. “The food carts are close enough you don’t have to walk forever, but it still feels open with plenty of space.”

Tyler praised the bronc riders as “especially entertaining,” while Cameron said she liked the small-town feel and family-friendly atmosphere. Whisenhunt, already planning to return, had only one complaint: not enough bleachers.

Organizers acknowledged the same in a Facebook post.

“After more than a decade without a rodeo in our town, we didn’t just bring it back, we brought it back STANDING ROOM ONLY!” the group wrote. “The support from our community was absolutely overwhelming. We’ve heard the feedback loud and clear — more bleachers for next year? If you know, you know.”

As the dust settled, country singer Trevor Tagle strummed his guitar, filling the cool night air with “I Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” Fans swayed, danced, and sang along under the fading light.

As the sky grew darker, marking the end of this successful return to Sweet Home Rodeo, the future looks brighter than ever.

Organizer Reynolds said this year’s success is just the start.

“Sweet Home Rodeo is back,” she said, “and this is just the beginning.”