Let 'Er Woof
Round-Up Reflections
Hello dog guardians! September has been especially busy but I have not forgotten my lovely subscribers!
I’m sharing a few photos from Eastern Oregon's premier western event called The Pendleton Round-Up.
Every September for the last 111 years, Pendleton has been home to one of the best rodeos on the planet. People come from all over the world to see professional cowboys, as well as tribal Indians, share their talents, culture, and traditions. The motto for Round-Up is “Let 'Er Buck,” which also serves as the town’s slogan as well.
Let 'Er Buck means that it’s desired for a horse (or bull) to kick out wildly so the rider can ride each buck with skill and determination. It’s a saying that also serves as a reminder to let loose, get wild, and be free, so that one doesn't get too pent up. It's about being mindfully out of control for a time and riding that moment with all you have. Then you go back to your regularly scheduled mundanity.
As a professional dog care provider and keen watcher of both human and animal behavior, I love this saying because every creature needs space to be unruled from time to time. With dogs, training helps mitigate sometimes severe problems, yet I can attest to the importance of letting a dog have free time to sniff, run, and yes, even bark a little.
The weeklong event has two parades including the Westward Ho! parade which is one of the largest non-motorized parades in America.
Professional Bull Riding begins early in the week followed by four days of Round-Up competition. Round-Up events include: bareback and saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, wild cow milking, women's barrel racing, and Indian horse relays. A carnival happens each day and night for the last half of the week. Tribal artisans as well as western aficionados sell their wares from places like Texas and Arizona.
Many bars and restaurants have dancing, drinking, a little gambling, and even ladies dressed in old time “working girls” outfits. The Happy Canyon play occurs most nights, which depicts Native American life before reservations as well as what Pendleton was like as it was being formed during the dawn of western settlement. The play is both bittersweet and entertaining.
Pendleton Round-Up is truly a uniting and very American tradition. Those who have never seen the rodeo spectacles, human/animal working relationships, and indigenous crafts and dancing, miss out on one of the most classic examples of community out there. Now that I have been, I can't wait for more! Let 'er buck indeed!
Looks like you all had a great time! Wishing I'd been ther so I could be mindfully out of control! Sounds like a near-nirvana state! Great photos, too. Especially those extra wide horns with a renown rider safely ensconced away from the pointed ends!
Thanks for another edition of Dawg Mama...