Rodeo memories

RODEO MEMORIES

Rodeo memories

BY DON GRONNING

Pend Oreille Valley people have been a part of the Newport Rodeo since it started, with some pretty accomplished competitors over the years.

We talked to as many local riders, ropers, royalty and committeemen as we could, from Washington and Idaho.

Here are some of their memories from the Newport Rodeo.

Greg Seeber STEER WRESTLER

As a kid, I spent countless hours playing in the Newport Rodeo Grounds. I dreamed it was me in that bucking chute on some double rank horse. Then I would say, “Let him out, boys,” and I would go spur the hair off that horse. Then I would come back to reality.

The Newport rodeo was a big part of my life as a kid. Mom and Dan always made sure I had tickets to every performance. I would watch the cowboys and cowgirls make amazing runs, always wishing I was out there with them. It was my favorite part of every summer.

Fifteen years later I was able to make Courtesy photo|Greg Seeber that dream come true, but not in the Newport’s Greg Seeber drops down on his steer at the ProWest Finals rodeo, held in Newport in 1983. Seeber won second at the Finals and finbareback riding. Because of my size, ished fifth for the year, capping a great year before his hometown fans. Today Seeber runs Seeber’s Pharmacy.

I did not make a very good bareback rider, but it sure was an advantage in moved me to fifth place in the ProWest the steer wrestling. My friend, Tom steer wrestling standing for the season.

Swannack, won the steer wrestling, For 12 years rodeo was all I did durbut I was able to place sixth. Sixth ing my summers. After I got married RODEO QUEEN, place doesn’t pay very much, but it and had a couple kids, I realized that it BARREL RACER, TIMER was a check from the Newport Rodeo. was hard to be gone all summer away It was everything I had imagined as from my family. The long days of travPicking rocks out of the a kid. The first time at the hometown eling to rodeos in the Northwest and Newport arena is one of rodeo was great!

Canada were starting to wear on me. my earliest memories of the My favorite memory of the Newport So, after a really good 2004 season, I Newport Rodeo. Over the Rodeo is of the ProWest Finals held in sold my steer wrestling horse to one years I have picked thousands Newport in 1995. After a long season of my traveling partners and stayed of rocks, painted seats, helped of going to every rodeo I could travel home. I still rope with my good friend put together the portable to, I was lucky to be in the top 10 and Doug Jared all summer, but mainly grandstands and sold T-shirts. make the finals. There I was in the fistay in the practice pen. We go to a As I got older, I barrel raced, nals in my hometown. It was awesome! few jackpot ropings, but not too much was in the panty pull with Courtesy photo|Pat’s Picture Shop I was riding a good horse owned by traveling. my sister and was chosen the Lola Earl, as she was known then, was the new Queen of the Dusty Kimble called Grumbley. I drew Newport has always been a wonderNewport Rodeo Queen. When Newport Rodeo in 1973. She is shown here with her older two really good steers that weekend. ful rodeo, with lots of good memories.

I was Queen, my brother Phil brother, the late Phil Earl. Today she works as a speech Dusty hazed great and Grumbley ran Hopefully, nothing changes and by the was the association president, therapist for the Newport School District. hard, which allowed me to be third time my kids enter their first Newport which made my reign even in both go-rounds and second in the Rodeo, they will have the same wonmore special.

Cusick. My dad was an original rodeo asaverage. The money I won at the Finals derful experiences I had.

The Newport Rodeo has been a family affair since it moved to Newport from CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Lola Rickey

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sociation member and carried the American flag every year for 40 years. Both my brothers have been rodeo association members and contestants. My sister was a past queen and competed in barrel racing.

My nieces, nephew and brother-in-law have also competed at the Newport rodeo.

My mom did not ride, but she made it possible for the rest of us to be where we needed to be and looking our best.

I am now a timer for ProWest Rodeo Association and I have had the privilege to time at the Newport Rodeo for several years. I am very proud to be a member of the Newport Rodeo Association and serve as their Queen Coordinator with Ricki Worley. We, the Earl Family, feel very honored to be named the Grand Marshals of the 2014 Newport Parade.

Tommy Petrie

town. It was a big outing with my family and still is. I always thought it would be great to ride saddle bronc or bareback at Newport in front of an almost hometown (I’m from Cusick) crowd.

Eventually it turned into a ProWest show and a lot easier for a wanna-be like me to enter. I rode at Newport a number of times in both events and won about as much money doing it as I will writing this little article. But I had fun and am proud of the fact I added a little “local” aspect to the rodeo, like many others from around our area.

When I first started riding in 1990, a few of us went down to Rockford to ride broncs (or what could have been called spoiled saddle horses) a couple of days a week. Greg Seeber, and Tye Shanholtzer were among that group of guys. This picture was one I ran across from those days. The strained look on my face is from “try.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Courtesy photo|Tommy Petrie

SADDLE BRONC, BAREBACK RIDER

My early memories of the Newport Rodeo were of when it was a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) show and some pretty big names came into

Right: Tommy Petrie used to compete in the bareback and saddle bronc riding at rodeos like Newport and Cusick. These days he is on the production side, heading up the Pend Oreille County Fair Rodeo, held in Cusick, Aug. 16-17.

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Courtesy photo|Joyce Montgomery

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Right: While she is better known for her photography these days, in 1982 Joyce Montgomery, then Joyce Anderson, was the Queen of the Newport Rodeo.

She is shown here with Princess Cami Wickwire.

Joyce Montgomery 1982 NEWPORT RODEO QUEEN

As a little girl I always looked forward to the Newport Rodeo. Back then it was called the Pend Oreille County Rodeo held the first weekend in August, and was part of a string of PRCA-sanctioned rodeos in the Northwest. I remember my Dad (Jim Anderson) taking my sister (Jill Anderson, 1987 Queen) and me to the work nights.

Course we got all the fun jobs like hammering in nails and picking up rocks and garbage, but we were always rewarded for our hard work with a soda pop.

I loved the rodeo. There was nothing like it when it rolled into town. The rodeo grounds came alive with cowboys and cowgirls from all over competing for buckles, prize money and bragging rights.

My dream was to be the queen and I would practice all the time. I watched all the queens before me and how amazing they were and how awesome it would be to represent this rodeo that I loved so

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much. To hear the late Bob Chambers call my name out over the speakers as their queen and to watch Joe and Sonny Kelsey sort their stock in preparation for the three big performances here in our town.

I was lucky my dream came true and I reigned as the 1982 Queen along with my princess, Cami Wickwire. It was an amazing year. One I have never forgotten, filled with so many memories. Memories that I shared with my girls, giving my youngest daughter, Courtney, the dream of being the Newport Queen herself. She reigned in 2011.

Rodeo traditions run deep in these small-town rodeos and without generations upon generations of families to volunteer their time and efforts to put on the oldest sport on dirt, history could be lost. I look forward to the Newport Rodeo every year. Now a ProWest-sanctioned rodeo, and two performances, but still the desires and dreams of so many continue to thrive.

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Miner photo|Don Gronning

Austin Krogh fought bulls at last year’s rodeo, as well as riding in the ranch bronc riding. Here Krogh, in green, goes in to try to help a bull rider during last year’s Newport Bull-A-Rama.

Courtesy photo|Jack Dunn

Austin Krogh SADDLE BRONC RIDER, BULLFIGHTER, RANCH BRONC RIDER

I started fighting bulls about four years ago for Mel (Layton). I fought bulls last year at the Newport Rodeo. Colton Worely got hung up and I got kicked in the head.

Three years ago I started entering the ranch bronc riding. Last year I was really enthused about saddle bronc riding, so I bought a bronc saddle. I’ll be in two events at the Newport Rodeo – the saddle bronc riding and the ranch bronc riding.

I really look up to Jacob Stacy and Caleb Nichols, two pro bronc riders. Those two have really helped my saddle bronc riding.

He might be a newspaper reporter now, but for years Don Gronning competed as a professional bull rider. Here he is on Oscar at the 1979 Newport Rodeo.

Don Gronning BULL RIDER

When I was a kid I came to the Newport Rodeo with my dad, Gordon Gronning, who was entered in the calf

roping. My most vivid memory that year was watching the great Colville Indian bull rider Larry Condon spur a bull that seemed to me was jumping as high as the stands behind the bucking CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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Chris Jones

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

chutes.

Later I ended up competing at the Newport Rodeo in the bull riding many times in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s when it was a PRCA rodeo, never winning first but finishing second, third and fourth, if I remember right.

I do remember being behind the chutes the first year I entered looking at the huge bulls from the Joe Kelsey rodeo string and wondering how much I really wanted to do this. It’s a feeling young bull riders must have today when looking at the monster bulls Mel Layton brings to Newport.

I rode more bulls than threw me off at Newport over the years, but the last one was a wreck. In 1984, the National Finals bull Double Clutch jerked me down on his head, striking me in the face with a horn.

It knocked me out and broke five bones in my face, requiring surgery. I saw double for a month.

When I was rodeoing, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

I loved the travel, the adrenalin and the fact that I did something for decades that very few people have the nerve to do. It might not have been the smartest thing to do, but it sure was fun while it lasted.

TIE DOWN ROPER

Courtesy photo|Doug Jared

Right: Doug Jared doesn’t have too many photos of himself competing at Newport, but he has roped here a lot. In this Polaroid photo, he is shown capturing the heels for Keith Magnus in 1978.

Doug Jared TEAM ROPER

Back when it was a PRCA rodeo, Newport didn’t have team roping, so my dad, Russ Jared, and Glen Earl and Bill Bonzer talked the rodeo committee into having a team roping before the rodeo and the top 10 would rope

during the show. They were instrumental in starting team roping in this area.

I roped at Newport for probably 10 or 15 years. I worked in this area and if I missed, I heard about it all year long. They’d say ‘I came here to watch you rope and you missed. I wasted a good ticket.’ When I did good, I didn’t hear anything.

From Newport to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, it takes four types of people to put on a rodeo. Each will argue that he or she is the most important, but the sport of rodeo will come to a screeching halt if we were to ever lose just one. Contestants, Stock Contractors, Spectators, and Committees are the groups, and you can decide which is more important.

Contestants are easily defined, so it seems. They roll into town for one weekend in June, compete in their event and head out. What is not always known is where they came from or where are they going. Now, I’m not talking about where they live, I’m talking about what rodeo they were just at and which one they are going to next.

Contestants will try and compete in as many rodeos in one weekend as they can physically make or afford to compete in. If you are winning you can make more shows, if you are in the middle of a dry spell, you’ll have to slow down. You enter as a group so you can CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Courtesy photo|Joyce Montgomery

Chris Jones of Newport catches one at the 2011 Newport Rodeo. Jones trained his horse, Trona, a 14-yearold gelding, which turned out to be a top rope horse. Jones, who works as operations manager for the PUD, says Trona is used for a variety of events for his kids, who participate in junior rodeos.

travel together and save some money on fuel or eat a fried burrito from a gas station instead of having a good meal, whatever it takes to stay on the road as long as you possibly can.

Rodeo is very addicting to those of us who have competed. It is unlike any other sport, where your competition will loan you a horse or give you advice to help you win. They’ll shake your hand and congratulate you when you take their money or they’ll give you a hard time when you flat miss the best calf in the pen. Competitors have their own reasons for competing, but if you were to ask them, most would tell you it’s the people they see every weekend.

Stock Contractors are the ones who supply the stock to every rodeo. Again, there are a few things going on behind the scenes that are not thought about.

The majority of the rodeo season lasts four months, which only leaves eight months where you have to continue to feed enough stock to supply a rodeo.

The stock you see at the Newport Rodeo is only a small portion of what the contractor owns. They are always looking for the next great animal. To do this they must continually buy and

sell, and find cowboys to “try out” new and upcoming stock, all along crossing their fingers hoping they made the right choice.

Oh yea, don’t forget the whole pasture of cows needed to supply the calves for the Tie Down Roping and the Breakaway. So if you are looking for hard work with a small payday, being a contractor may be just the ticket.

What defines a spectator? Is it anyone willing to pay a few dollars to come and watch a show? What is more important, their money or their applause? As a committee member, you hope for a good crowd so there will be money in the bank to pay the $40,000-plus in expenses and still have enough money to fix a few broken boards on the holding pens before the next show. However, as a committee member there is nothing better than hearing a Saturday night crowd in Newport. You, the spectator, have been coming year in and year out to support the contestants and the committee. You are the reasons the contestants want to come to Newport. I have been to a lot of rodeos in the Northwest CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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and Newport has the best crowd, bar none. You are the reason why Newport has been voted Rodeo of the Year in the ProWest multiple times. Just this year the Colville Rodeo shut its doors and turned out the lights. There are multiple reasons why this happened, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to spectators. We need you! Come and enjoy the show and support your town.

The Committee is the engine that pulls the train. Anyone can put on a rodeo, but without a committee it won’t last Newport has a committee that has been working together for over 50 years. Some have moved on, but new members have replaced them. All are volunteers, but not all are “cowboys.” They all work to put on a successful show for the remaining three groups and at the end of the day, they work for a “thank you.” Because anyone that has ever volunteered knows what that means, there is satisfaction and a sense of pride in earning those two words. The Newport Rodeo Committee works 365 days a year to bring Newport a two-day rodeo. In a world where the big shows seem to flourish and the smaller shows are dying off, the Newport Rodeo stands strong. It is known as one of the

best rodeos in the Northwest and will continue to grow with the help of our committee.

Have you made your choice? I have had this conversation repeatedly as a contestant, committee member, committee president and ProWest Board member and there is not a clear answer.

All I can say is the great sport of rodeo will not continue without the support of all groups. This year will be the first year in as long as I can remember that I will not be competing in the Newport Rodeo.

My daughters have begun their “rodeo journey” and I will be traveling with them. I can see that I will miss it greatly, but will still be there to help where I can and cheer with the greatest crowd in the Northwest.

Sara Zwarg

grounds for the stick horse racing and carnival rides. When I turned 16, I had the opportunity to try out for Newport Rodeo Queen and was more than honored to carry the title for the 2004 season.

Because I was already traveling to the rodeos as a queen, I decided to compete in the barrel racing, as well. This year will be my tenth year as a competitor at the Newport Rodeo.

The one thing that sticks out to me as a competitor at the Newport Rodeo is riding under the catwalk into a packed arena.

The past two years I feel l have had a few extra fans in the crowd, those fans being my students from Stratton Elementary where I have the opportunity to teach kindergarten and first grade. I have also had the honor of presenting flags during the Grand Entry over the years, still riding my Queen horse Trippy, who now CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

RODEO QUEEN, BARREL RACER

When I was asked to share my experiences of the Newport Rodeo, I immediately thought back to when I was 4 and riding my pony Shorty in the rodeo parade. I was joined by my mom, Debbie, Aunt Myrna, Cousin Leah and numerous other family members.

Afterward, we headed to the rodeo

Courtesy photo|Sara Zwarg

Right: Sara Zwarg makes a run at the Newport Rodeo when she was Rodeo Queen in 2004. In addition to being a rodeo queen, Zwarg also competes in the barrel racing. She’ll compete in her tenth Newport Rodeo this year. For her day job, she teaches kindergarten at Sadie Halstead Elementary School in Newport.

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packs my son Louden down the rodeo trail. I have had some tough luck with horses this last year, but plan on entering the rodeo this year, competing on my 9-year-old gelding Bear Cat. Unlike me, Bear Cat is not a fan of the catwalk, lights or crowd, but we will do our best and hope to see everyone at this year’s rodeo.

The Newport Rodeo is an amazing family event that everyone should have the chance to experience. I want to thank Newport equipment (Steve and Debbie Smith) and Unicep (Marcus Anderson) for sponsoring me in the past and present.

John Swenson RODEO COMMITTEEMAN

I was involved with the rodeo from 1967 until about four years ago. One of the things I used to do was run the chalkboard, going between the judges to get the score so the announcer could tell the crowd. One year I wasn’t looking and Joe Kesley came by with a bronc and about run me over. So I leave that to the younger guys now.

The rodeo takes some work to put on.

We used to start working on the grounds

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Johnson Swenson has been a fixture at the Newport Rodeo for nearly a half-century, handling nearly every aspect of staging the rodeo.

Here he is shown with his familiar chalkboard, used to show the announcer the score.

about Mother’s Day if the weather was good, about Memorial Day if it wasn’t.

I took care of rodeo royalty for about 12 years, handled advance tickets and gate ticket sales for about 15 years, and sold advertising for the program for about 20 years. I ramrodded the show for about 18 years. I remember a lot of good years and a lot of good rodeos.

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Mike Haptonstall SADDLE BRONC, BAREBACK RIDER, CALF ROPER

I don’t think I ever won first, but I placed several times in the bareback and saddle bronc riding. I even placed third in the calf roping here one time. We had huge turnouts then, with multiple world champions coming.

I remember world champion bull rider Donnie Gay flying into the old airport. My wife, Linda, barrel raced here, as well.

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Above: Susan Willenbrock, a city girl, entered the calf panty pull at the 1986 rodeo. In the panty pull, contestants try to put pantyhose on a cantankerous calf. It looks like she is doing better than her partner, Steve Linton.

Susan Willenbrock PANTY PULL CONTESTANT

Courtesy photo|Pat’s Picture Shop

Mike Haptonstall may be better known as a Newport High School teacher and martial arts instructor, but in the 1970s and ‘80s, he was also a pro saddle bronc rider. Here he rides one during the nighttime performance.

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Shortly after moving here in 1986 from Western Washington, I was asked to be in the “Panty Pull,” a new event at the Newport Rodeo. The chamber and rodeo association were working on getting more local business people involved in the show.

I thought, ‘what an honor for a girl from the city who had never even been to a rodeo until moving here.’

Now I was in the rodeo. I could play cowgirl for an evening. I searched for the perfect partner and found Steve Linton. I sought professional advice and found cowboy and pro rodeo roper Phil Earl. Phil demonstrated how to secure the calf in a headlock and emphasized wearing leather gloves so the rope didn’t shred my hands. I found the word shred unnerving; the first sign that this wasn’t going to be a walk through the park.

As we entered the rodeo arena with the crowd roaring and the cowboys laughing on the fences, the little calves huddled helplessly in the corner looked so cute. They had ropes dangling from their necks.

The closer we got, the bigger they

looked. Nobody told me they weighed 300 to 500 pounds and were hardened contestants. They didn’t like people. The calm turned to bolting and bucking madness. It was total mayhem.

It seemed like it took forever to catch one, but once Steve and I did, it was all about hanging on for dear life.

My brave partner Steve put that calf in a headlock.

I pulled on the rope and put the glove in my mouth for some reason: my one hand was holding the rope without a glove: I learned what shredding meant.

I imagine Phil Earl shaking his head behind the fence. Steve took down the calf and moved to the rear to put the pantyhose on. The legs were moving and hooves shredded the nylon.

I felt myself on the rope pulling until the little beast bolted for me, getting right up under my chin. My teeth slammed together biting my tongue. I saw stars and tried to stay standing. I remember the crowd roaring.

We didn’t win. I haven’t tried it again. Steve hasn’t asked me, either.

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Courtesy photo|Al Earl

Al Earl has had a lot of jobs at the Newport Rodeo. He’s been a contestant, and worked behind the scenes promoting and organizing the rodeo. After he quit competing, he worked as a pickup man, taking riders off their bucking horses at the end of the ride. Here he is shown working at the Newport Rodeo in 1983.

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The Newport Rodeo Committee has always worked to deliver the best entertainment possible. In the beginning, working with Joe Kelsey brought a great deal of respect to the rodeo production here.

After Joe passed away, the Newport Committee knew that to keep their rodeo successful, and to continue providing the spectators and sponsors with a quality event, a change would be needed. The move to sanctioning with the Professional Western Rodeo Association jumped the Newport Rodeo from a small fish (in the national PRCA) into THE big fish in the Northwest rodeo schedule.

And ProWest recognized the professionalism provided by the Rodeo Committee and selected Newport to host the ProWest Finals in 1995 and 1996. Those events were very successful only because of the strong support of this community, and a tremendous effort headed by John Swenson. It is recognition like this that has been the key to the Newport Rodeo’s growth, and future.

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