With July here, the rodeo cannot be far away! This years rodeo is July 18-19 at the Clatsop County Fair Grounds. Endorsed by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the two-day event is about as much excitement as you can have in Clatsop County during the summer.

The PRCA event is no back yard rodeo. It features professional athletes from around the country competing in events ranging from bronco busting to bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and calf roping. It is a premier event for Clatsop County first brought to this area by Fair Manager Angela Sidlo two years ago. The Clatsop County Rodeo is part of the Columbia River Rodeo Circuit that takes in the states of Washington, Idaho and Oregon, and culminates in Redmond, Oregon in September for the regional championships.

According to the Clatsop County website, the rodeo is sponsored by the Clatsop County Rodeo Association, which provides college scholarships and supports rodeo education and children’s programs. The motto for the rodeo is, Where the Wild West Meets the Northwest.

For the cowboys participating in the rodeo, a good horse, skill, and a bit of luck can mean an excellent score. For a few, the dusty, bruising evenings will bring success and a paycheck. For other cowboys, the evenings bring a combination of disappointment, elation, sore muscles, and occasionally, serious injuries. Two years ago, local bull rider Jim Johansen, had six broken ribs, and a collapsed lung after his event Friday night.

Fans of rodeo can enjoy the excitement of a truly American sport, born on the western plains. The rodeo cowboy is a special breed of athlete that is rare in todays world of hyper salaries and hyper egos. Rodeo cowboys arent paid much for all the punishment their bodies go through. They are a quiet bunch, mostly, who enjoy the thrill of riding on top of 1,000 pounds of quivering muscle that is itching to throw them to the ground. The cowboys dressing room isnt fancy, just a shady patch of grass behind the pens. His stage isnt hardwood or artificial turf, just a dusty oval. A cowboys greatest praise comes from his fellow athletes who know better than anyone does what it takes to do a good job in this rough sport.

Support your local cowboy and come to the rodeo in July. For more information on professional rodeo, go to www.prorodeo.org.