!!!CANBY RODEO!!!

August... oh the end of August... This time of year is exciting for me because it means that my favorite rodeo is here! Canby Rodeo! This is where it all started...In 2006 I held the title of the Clackamas County Fair and Rodeo Princess representing the 100th fair. I went on in 2007 as Queen and represented the 50th Rodeo. And then I had the wonderful opportunity to go back to the Clackamas County Fair and Canby Rodeo as Miss Rodeo Oregon representing the PRCA and Oregon in its 150th Anniversary! SO EXCITING! The beginning of fair/rodeo week is kicked of with the Kiddie Kaper parade through downtown Canby that is then followed by opening ceremonies to open the fair to the public and promote the rodeo to all of our fans around Canby!Darrel Ricksger and I at the opening ceremoniesThe girls and I after racing off our horses to opening ceremonies, luckily we had Dwight Knapp, Canby Rodeo Associate and Fair Volunteer, to pick us up in the Golf Cart, we then had pie with him many times through out the week!Tuesday night through Saturday night holds two and a half hours of dirt flyin', horse kickin', quick ropin', rowdy rodeo fun! WooooHoooo Let's Rodeo Canby!Fans get your tickets!Cowboys get ready!Wayne Brooks kicks the night off by introducing some sponsors and welcoming fans! The Rodeo Fly Girls Drill Team then busts out of the bucking shoots and sets flags for visiting royalty and team penners to race around for the ultimate grand entry!Oakley and I running the Oregon Flag! :) With all four feet off the ground! My heart was racing!
Tiffany Gary, Canby Rodeo Associate, and 2007 Rodeo Court Princess and good friend, runs Old Glory on her super fast horse, Jazz! Beautiful Job Tiffany! Seeing her run that flag to John Waynes voice gives me goose bumps every time! Then to hear local youth sing the national anthem with the whole crowd singing back brings tears to your eyes, I still have yet to find a grand entry that moves me the way the grand entry at Canby Rodeo does.Canby draws in the world top cowboys! Like Trevor Brazile, seen here raising his hat to the crowd! Team Penning, a special event at Canby. Right after grand entry a heard of cows enter the arena, the royal court holds them until "cattle are ready, your number is 4, number 4" is called out by Wayne Brooks. The court then races back to a holding pen while 3 cowboys or cowgirls work as a team and sort/cut out their number from the heard and put the cows with that number in the pen on the other end of the arena. And if they are good they will have all 3 cows with that number in the pen. What a exciting event to watch when executed with speed and skill.
But we can't forget the Canby Crazees! This is our rowdy bunch of rodeo fans! If you sit over here be sure that you will be yelling the loudest, starting the wave, hootin', hollerin' and having a great time!My Girls! Canby Rodeo Court, Princess Ashley Howe, Princess Elizabeth Sloop, and Queen Rebecca Thompson!Only the best Pick Up men! We like to take care of our cowboys! Mitch Coleman, Sunny Hansen, and Flint Hemstead is probably on the other side of the arena waiting for the stock to blow out!Hello Visiting Royalty
What a pretty little lady in her red hat! But she sings even prettier than she looks. We were lucky enough to have her sing The National Anthem at our rodeo! She went on and sang beautifully at the 2009 Pendleton Round Up!
Another night of rodeo, another night of awesome rodeo action!
Santiam Canyon Stampede Queen Kami Smith and I busting a move on horseback! I think we were doing the robot?
Dick Mero and I right before warm up. Dick is an amazing horseman and friend, he has helped me tremendously with my horse Oakley and I cant thank him enough for everything that he has taught me. I learn more and more every time we ride and talk about horses and most of all life! What a great man, it's an honor to know and train with him.

Waiting to rodeo, chatting with friends and family in the stands! This rodeo is my home :)

Me, Kami, and St. Paul Princess Nicole Bruntz, with helper and rodeo friend Emily Widmer in the back right corner with a huge smile on her face! She is always having a good time!

A day at the fair is filled with ice cream, cotton candy, 4-H, FFA, Les Schwab boys which are always fun to chat with about new wheels and tires for my dodge...for free? In my dreams!

Then I mosey on over to the National Guard and they asked if I wanted to go on their "bouncer". Its basically like a slingshot that you are harnessed into and you bounce around and do front flips and back flips on. It was really fun! I'm just happy I didn't eat too many corn dogs before flipping that many times.
Crazy Canby girls and I goofing around

Tough Enough To Wear Pink Night!
Interview during the rodeo with Wayne
Tiffany Gary and I enjoying our night working the Canby Rodeo

I cannot thank all of the directors, sponsors, associates, volunteers, rodeo contestants, and every individual that makes this rodeo happen enough. Canby Rodeo is a part of me, and it will be the rest of my life! It, along with the Clackamas County Fair has given me so many opportunities and has taught me so much over the years, all I can do is give back to them and that's all I want to do is help make it a bigger and better event! I cant wait for the future and all my years of Canby Rodeo to come!

The week after Canby Rodeo is when I sent my Miss Rodeo America Application. This is part of my application and explains how much Canby means to me...

A rush of emotion and pride runs high as I sit in the middle of my hometown rodeo arena in Canby, Oregon. When I put my hand over my heart, when I see Old Glory fly, when I hear the whole crowd sing the National Anthem, I am proud of the values that rodeo and America embodies. Patriotism and pride, a strong handshake and a kind heart are the things that Miss Rodeo America stands for while she encourages and builds a love of the sport in the youth of America. It is a lifestyle that cowboys and cowgirls from all over the country represent and these are the values that Oregon elevates and inspires. I would be honored if given the opportunity to represent the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and its rich heritage as the first lady of professional rodeo.

Thank You Canby!