Hello Everyone!
I am so happy to hear so much positive feedback on my blog! But, everyone is always asking for more and more pictures! Well, what's a cowgirl to do? Put up more pictures that's what! So here are all the fun moments and pictures taken during my travels to Portland, St. Paul, Union, and Sisters! So please browse, scan, read, and leave comments! It is always fun to hear what you think and what you like!
Portland Rose Festival
Portland, Oregon
June 6th, 2009
The Portland Rose Festival is a big deal both in Portland and Nationwide! There are so many things to do and see. But the kick off is truly amazing, they kick off the festival with fireworks on the waterfront! Living so close to Portland I take full advantage of attending the festival and it's events! This is a beautiful view of downtown Portland at night, thanks Dad for taking such great pictures!
The biggest event of the Portland Rose Festival is the Grand Floral Parade! It is viewed by millions of people worldwide. A very special thing about the Rose Parade this year is that we celebrated Oregon's 150 anniversary! Fifteen Floats, One-hundred and twelve horses carrying riders or pulling carriages, and nineteen marching bands, including the famous "One More Time Around" band, parade through Portland! But this is only a fraction of what you can see at the Rose Parade....the list goes on and on and on.
The most interesting fact of it all is that we are required to use live flowers or natural materials when putting together our flower arrangements. Which can cost a pretty penny! But what is really crazy is that all the floats in the parade are also required to use natural materials. WOW! That cannot be cheap!
My Rose Parade Team! Complete with Transco Inc. Hats and Knez Building Materials t-shirts! Thank you to my sponsors for making my team look professional! And of course a HUGE thank you to my team for helping me get all my flowers on Oakley and for making us look so good! 
David and Joey! They were recruited to scoop poop, sweep and clean up anything that was messy! Thanks guys you rock! I wish we would have had the camera ready when they caught Oakley's "natural" debris in a bucket before it hit the ground! Not once...3 times! Woohoo!
Lynn Haynes making sure all of Oakley's hairs are in place! Thanks Lynn!
Amber and Susan! Helped with all the last minute necessities! Thanks Ladies! 
With the beautiful NPRA Queen Mackenzie Carr and her horse Pedro!
Clackamas County Fair and Canby Rodeo Court! Looking good ladies! Queen Becca with Princesses Liz and Ashley!
Hello stunning St. Paul Rodeo Court! Queen Kimmie with Princesses Ashley and Nicole!
It started to rain. The Canby girls and I found shelter.
This is me...not being a dork! Ok, yes, I am as usual! But there was a helicopter and I just had to wave. Who knows I could have been on T.V. for a couple seconds.
So after the Canby girls and I found shelter, we were kicked out. So I found an umbrella! You could say it just fits the webfoot Miss Rodeo Oregon Style!
For those of you who do not know, the Rose Parade is a very long day for any equestrian entry. There is alot of sitting and waiting to be done.
A great shot of 2009 Canby Rodeo Princess Elizabeth Sloop riding Jig!
Finally we are done! YAY! That was fun!
The Canby Girls and I with our awards at the luncheon! Great job ladies!
I am always having a great time with my St. Paul Girls! Especially with that crazy Ashley Fults, love you girl!
With the winners! St. Paul Rodeo Court, #1 entry in rodeo queens and courts!
The very next morning after the Rose Parade I was off to the St. Paul Trail Ride! This was my very first time going to the trail ride, and I had tons of fun! It was awesome! To kick off the trail ride St. Paul has a cowboy breakfast at 8am and naturally if there is good food I am there! You would be there too if you had the choice of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and chocolate milk compared to the cold Poptart and Diet Coke I would have been eating on my drive there.
I tried to take a picture horseback. This is what I got... attractive isn't it? 
Over 500 people rode in the St. Paul trail ride
Canby Girls! Becca, Liz, & Ashley
Me, Jeff Eastman, and Gary Linton from Canby Rodeo
Aunt Joann enjoying the scenery and thinking about those hops!
St. Paul Rodeo Queen Kimmie Ernst's parents on the trail ride together, what a great couple! I think so! I was so bummed because I didn't get my camera out fast enough, right before this picture they were holding hands and enjoying the day! I loved it. I'm not going to lie, it gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.
This is my dog Carli!
My Rose Parade Team! Complete with Transco Inc. Hats and Knez Building Materials t-shirts! Thank you to my sponsors for making my team look professional! And of course a HUGE thank you to my team for helping me get all my flowers on Oakley and for making us look so good! David and Joey! They were recruited to scoop poop, sweep and clean up anything that was messy! Thanks guys you rock! I wish we would have had the camera ready when they caught Oakley's "natural" debris in a bucket before it hit the ground! Not once...3 times! Woohoo!Lynn Haynes making sure all of Oakley's hairs are in place! Thanks Lynn!Amber and Susan! Helped with all the last minute necessities! Thanks Ladies! With the beautiful NPRA Queen Mackenzie Carr and her horse Pedro!Clackamas County Fair and Canby Rodeo Court! Looking good ladies! Queen Becca with Princesses Liz and Ashley! Hello stunning St. Paul Rodeo Court! Queen Kimmie with Princesses Ashley and Nicole!
It started to rain. The Canby girls and I found shelter.
This is me...not being a dork! Ok, yes, I am as usual! But there was a helicopter and I just had to wave. Who knows I could have been on T.V. for a couple seconds. So after the Canby girls and I found shelter, we were kicked out. So I found an umbrella! You could say it just fits the webfoot Miss Rodeo Oregon Style!For those of you who do not know, the Rose Parade is a very long day for any equestrian entry. There is alot of sitting and waiting to be done.The Schedule:
5:00am - arrive at the equestrian parking lot
groom, tack up, attach flowers, primp
7:30am - Judging (from judging on -you do not get off your horse until the end of the parade)
8:00am - assemble for parade
8:30am - move toward parade entry feed in area. The Coliseum, and wait...
10:00am - PARADE STARTS!
2:00 pm - end of the 4.5 mile parade route
3:30 pm - Equestrian Awards Banquet and Luncheon
This is Oakley and I in the Coliseum, it is very loud and you ride on slick concrete. This can be scary for some horses, but luckily my trusty steed handled it well. We were fed into the parade right behind a very loud but handsome Marine marching band.
Crossing the Burnside Bridge into Downtown Portland! There are slats in the bridge that are about two inches wide, don't look down or you will see the Willamette River below
Oakley enjoying the view! How many people do you know that can say they rode their horse over the Burnside Bridge into Portland...not many! I CAN!
Crossing the Burnside Bridge into Downtown Portland! There are slats in the bridge that are about two inches wide, don't look down or you will see the Willamette River belowOakley enjoying the view! How many people do you know that can say they rode their horse over the Burnside Bridge into Portland...not many! I CAN!
A great shot of 2009 Canby Rodeo Princess Elizabeth Sloop riding Jig!
Finally we are done! YAY! That was fun!
The Canby Girls and I with our awards at the luncheon! Great job ladies!
I am always having a great time with my St. Paul Girls! Especially with that crazy Ashley Fults, love you girl!
With the winners! St. Paul Rodeo Court, #1 entry in rodeo queens and courts!Rose Parade is always an experience. For some it is good, for some it is bad. In my personal opinion just entering, and completing the whole parade is an award in itself! It takes a team of people and a strong individual to get through the day.
Thank you to my Rose Parade Team: Mom, Dad, Aunt Joann, Joey, Susan, David, Gary, Amber, and Lynn! I couldn't have gotten through the day without you.
St. Paul Trail Ride
St. Paul, Oregon
June 7th, 2009
Queen Kimmie Ernst
Princess Nicole Bruntz & Princess Ashley Fults
The very next morning after the Rose Parade I was off to the St. Paul Trail Ride! This was my very first time going to the trail ride, and I had tons of fun! It was awesome! To kick off the trail ride St. Paul has a cowboy breakfast at 8am and naturally if there is good food I am there! You would be there too if you had the choice of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and chocolate milk compared to the cold Poptart and Diet Coke I would have been eating on my drive there.
My Mom and her best friend and my roping partner, Aunt Joann!
I tried to take a picture horseback. This is what I got... attractive isn't it? 
Over 500 people rode in the St. Paul trail ride
Canby Girls! Becca, Liz, & Ashley
Me, Jeff Eastman, and Gary Linton from Canby Rodeo
Aunt Joann enjoying the scenery and thinking about those hops!
St. Paul Rodeo Queen Kimmie Ernst's parents on the trail ride together, what a great couple! I think so! I was so bummed because I didn't get my camera out fast enough, right before this picture they were holding hands and enjoying the day! I loved it. I'm not going to lie, it gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.We finally made it to the river, which is the half way point, then its another 1.5 hours back into town. I would have had more pictures after this one but right before my Mom and I were going to take pictures of each other in the river on our horses, we dropped the camera in the river... Uh oh! Oops! I guess Clumsiness runs in the family!
After the trail ride, they feed you lunch and beverages in the tack room, while you eat your lunch you can sit in the stands at the rodeo grounds and watch the youth rodeo! That was probably my favorite part because those kids are the future of rodeo and they are very talented.
Eastern Oregon Livestock Show & Rodeo
Union, Oregon
June 11-12th, 2009
Queen Kaylie Graves
Princesses Kimberlie Graffunder, Sadie Lewis, & Erin West
Princesses Kimberlie Graffunder, Sadie Lewis, & Erin West
This is my dog Carli! You will be seeing alot of her in my travels. I decided this rodeo season I needed another fun travel companion and cuddle buddy! Carli is a 4 year old blue/red heeler mix. And im not going to hide it, I take lots of pictures of or with my dog. Some people say im obsessed but I just think I love my pup!
The newley elected Queen of the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show!
The newley elected Queen of the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show!Queen Kaylie Graves
I was excited to go East and hang out with all the courts on that side of the state! 
Levi Strauss Building
Parade time! Me and the 2009 Eastern Oregon Livestock Show Court
At the Parade I ran into long time 4-H and OHSET friend Miss Beth Puckett! She moved over to LaGrande for College, and then she moved her horses over, and then she got engaged, and will be getting married this 4th of July! Congrats to Beth and Chris!
Warming up!
Family friends Rod and Becky Rickert! They live right down the road and we finally get time to hang out and catch up...in Union, who would have thought!
During the Rodeo they run actual horse races that you can bet on! I believe its 2 or 3 heats during the rodeo in-between events. This is me and Oakley winning one of the races... I never knew he was so fast, you can't even see the other horses! Im just kidding! They allow Miss Rodeo Oregon and The EOLS Court to do their rodeo runs on the track, and it was SO fun!
Oakley and I pushing cows!
All done! He was a good boy! 
I wasnt kidding, I take a LOT of pictures of Carli!
Carli Driving! Hahaha! I thought this was hillarious! You would too if you were on the road and bored...really bored.
Coming down Cabbage Hill into Pendleton.
I was excited to go East and hang out with all the courts on that side of the state! Especially my favorite Joseph Girls!
2009 Chief Joseph Days
Queen Sarah Butterfield & Princess Meagen McKenzie
Enjoying the EOLS Court Coronation! And thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the EOLS Arena Director, Clyde Longfellow, he is a kick in the pants!
Enjoying the EOLS Court Coronation! And thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the EOLS Arena Director, Clyde Longfellow, he is a kick in the pants!
Levi Strauss Building
Parade time! Me and the 2009 Eastern Oregon Livestock Show CourtQueen Kaylie Graves
Princesses Sadie Lewis, Erin West, & Kimberlie Graffunder!
All of you did a wonderful job that weekend, and each and every one of you is a great little lady! Keep up the good work representing rodeo, EOLS, and the town of Union!
At the Parade I ran into long time 4-H and OHSET friend Miss Beth Puckett! She moved over to LaGrande for College, and then she moved her horses over, and then she got engaged, and will be getting married this 4th of July! Congrats to Beth and Chris!
Warming up!
Family friends Rod and Becky Rickert! They live right down the road and we finally get time to hang out and catch up...in Union, who would have thought!
During the Rodeo they run actual horse races that you can bet on! I believe its 2 or 3 heats during the rodeo in-between events. This is me and Oakley winning one of the races... I never knew he was so fast, you can't even see the other horses! Im just kidding! They allow Miss Rodeo Oregon and The EOLS Court to do their rodeo runs on the track, and it was SO fun!
Oakley and I pushing cows!
All done! He was a good boy! I wasnt kidding, I take a LOT of pictures of Carli!Carli Driving! Hahaha! I thought this was hillarious! You would too if you were on the road and bored...really bored. Coming down Cabbage Hill into Pendleton.From Union we had to drive to Sisters overnight, its about a 5 1/2 to 6 hour drive. We arrived in Sisters at 1:30am and got to bed by 2:00am.
After getting into Sisters so late we got a little cat nap and were up early for the Parade through Downtown Sisters.
Sisters Rodeo
Sisters, Oregon
June 13-14th, 2009
June 13-14th, 2009
Queen Cassie Saunders
After getting into Sisters so late we got a little cat nap and were up early for the Parade through Downtown Sisters. This is Alex Carey, she is basically the little Sister I never had! She drove over from Bend to hang out for the day.
Sisters Rodeo Board riding in style!
The other Queen Mum, Brenda, with her daughter Queen Kami Rae Smith of The Santiam Canyon Stampede!
MRO's all #1 - Way to go Jr & Teen!
Right before run-ins! Queen of the Sisters Rodeo, Miss Cassie Saunders!
Rodeo Royalty, Lookin' Good Ladies!
Chatting it up with Clown JJ Harrison, just giving him a few ideas... you know maybe add a dog or two to his act...Carli is available (inside joke). JJ you're the best!
With beautiful Miss Sarah McCrae
Goofing around with all the girls!
Waiting to shag cattle!
Hah! My favorite picture! This is right after Trevor Brazile's 6.0 second Tie Down Run (he is on the horse with the red boots)....I pushed his cow out. This is probably one of my favorite highlights of the year!
Run Oakley Run
Carl Smith and My Dad. They were getting ready to go to the fabulous Kiwanis Cowboy Breakfast Sunday morning. I wouldnt miss that breakfast for the world!
My Cousin Nicole and my Aunt Erin! Nicole took Oakley for a stroll through the campsites getting autographs from all the rodeo royalty.
!WhoooooHoooo!
Love it!
Sisters Rodeo Board riding in style!The other Queen Mum, Brenda, with her daughter Queen Kami Rae Smith of The Santiam Canyon Stampede! MRO's all #1 - Way to go Jr & Teen! Right before run-ins! Queen of the Sisters Rodeo, Miss Cassie Saunders!Rodeo Royalty, Lookin' Good Ladies! Chatting it up with Clown JJ Harrison, just giving him a few ideas... you know maybe add a dog or two to his act...Carli is available (inside joke). JJ you're the best!With beautiful Miss Sarah McCraeGoofing around with all the girls! Waiting to shag cattle!Hah! My favorite picture! This is right after Trevor Brazile's 6.0 second Tie Down Run (he is on the horse with the red boots)....I pushed his cow out. This is probably one of my favorite highlights of the year!Run Oakley RunCarl Smith and My Dad. They were getting ready to go to the fabulous Kiwanis Cowboy Breakfast Sunday morning. I wouldnt miss that breakfast for the world! My Cousin Nicole and my Aunt Erin! Nicole took Oakley for a stroll through the campsites getting autographs from all the rodeo royalty. !WhoooooHoooo!Love it!
Live it!
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. -Albert Schweitzer
