Roundup delights kids of all ages

Logan Cook started Thursday night as the 17th ranked saddle bronc rider in the world and on the outside looking in.

With the rodeo season winding down, Cook needed a good ride on Family Night of the Lewiston Roundup to climb the standings and have a shot at finishing as one of the top 15 bronc busters who qualify for the National Finals Rodeo.

The bucking horse PT Barnum obliged. The horse kicked and jumped violently right from the start. Cook, from Alto, Texas, spurred and waved his off hand.

He scored an 84.5 and was awarded a Pendleton Blanket by the Nez Perce Tribe for winning the Jackson Sundown Saddle Bronc contest, named for the legendary cowboy and veteran of the Nez Perce War.

“I had a great time in Lewiston,” Cook said. “Great stock, great rodeo.”

The crowd, bustling with youngsters, was boisterous all night. Roundup ticket scanners registered 3,675 tickets from adults. But that doesn’t include an unknown number of kids who received free tickets without barcodes. Roundup Director Willie Deibel estimated a total crowd size that may have pushed 5,000.

“These kids are into it and they came to have fun. What a fantastic night,” he said. “We are looking strong into the next two nights too. If people don’t have tickets, I highly encourage them to buy early.”

Most of the kids were spectators but a select few competed in the wool riding event that also saw a new “record.” Cedar Swanson, riding backward, refused to let go during his crowd-pleasing ride. His sheep shot out of the chute, straight and fast as an arrow.

The Clarkston youngster, wearing a bright orange shirt, stuck to the animal like Velcro. The crowd cheered. The bell rang but Swanson, the son of Brittany and Austin Swanson, wasn’t done. The 5-year-old held tight and the crowd roared as he continued his sticky outing. Swanson wouldn’t loosen his grip until the animal reached the other end of the arena. He scored a 96 and, according to rodeo clown J.J. Harrison, set a Roundup record.

“It’s always exciting. I’m always nervous and he always does great,” said his mother, Brittany. “He’s very competitive. I think that’s reflective of his parents.”

TJ Gray won the Xtreme Bulls contest Wednesday, the opening night of the roundup, and repeated the feat Thursday. He was the only cowboy to stay on his bull for 8 seconds and finished in the money for the second night.

It was a night of blistering scores and lightning-fast takedowns in steer wrestling. Scott Guenther, of Consort, Alberta, Canada, tied a Lewiston Roundup arena record when he wrestled his steer to the turf in 3.7 seconds. Cody Devers, of Perryton, Texas, was right on his heels with a time of 3.8 seconds. But an Aussie cowboy blew them both away and exploded the Roundup record book in the process. Travis Munro, of Townsville, Queensland, leapt from the back of his horse and pinned his steer in 3.4 seconds.

Corvallis, Mont., bareback rider Caleb Bennet and Pickup Sticks, a 10-time National Finals Rodeo bucking horse, put on a show to open the night. The wild equine made massive, skyward leaps while Bennet, leaning back with his left hand held high, spurred like a mad man. It was good enough for an 85 and the top score of the night.

But not by much. Just behind him was Tilden Hooper, a long haired and mustachioed cowboy from Carthage, Texas, who has appeared on the television show Yellowstone. The bucking horse Soze gave him an electric ride that scored 84 points.

Mason Stuller, a 20-year-old bareback rider from Veneta, Ore., made his first appearance in Lewiston, scoring in the middle of the heap.

“I had an exceptional horse, but it was more of a common day for me,” Stuller said. “I’ve never been here before. It’s really pretty, and if it wasn’t so hot, it would be a really nice place.”

Peggy Garman, of Sundance, Wyo., had the fastest time of the night in breakaway roping. She roped her calf and straightened the rope in 3.6 seconds. Alex Pederson, of Clarkston, clocked a 2.7 but broke the barrier and had to endure a 10 second penalty.

Tabitha Neville, the 90th Lewiston Roundup queen, said her role is a dream come true.

“I’ve wanted to be a Roundup queen since I was 5,” she said. “I’ve been to rodeos all over the West this summer, and I may be a little biased, but I think Lewiston has the best crowd in the world.”