Competitors from all over the West descended on the Oregon State Fairgrounds Sept. 21 to showcase their talents at the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association's (NPRA) Rodeo of Champions. The NPRA runs a gauntlet of activities at each competition, from wild cow milking to bull riding, ensuring a variety of riders get their chance to perform on the sandy stage of glory. The championships feature the top cowboys and cowgirls who competed at one of the NPRA’s 40 yearly rodeos.
“I love all the events, so it’s hard to pick a favorite, but bull riding is definitely an event to keep an eye on this year,” said Dave Witherell, an Oregonian and NPRA staff member. Wilder, Idaho’s Trey McFarlane, a seasoned competitor, took home the championship with a score of 82.00.
The strive for greatness was evident this year. In steer wrestling, Samuel Mundell earned 6.3 points, sealing his championship buckle. Following close behind him was BoDee Foster with a 6.7, Haydn Maley with 7.3, and Cord Gomes with a 7.7. The winner of the bareback bronc event was a four-time winning 17-year-old high school graduate. The 2024 Rodeo of Champions not only presented exhilarating experienced horsemanship, and let outsiders peer into the greatness of the Northwest’s young riders.
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