By Mike Maltais
Professional bull and bronc rider Aaron Hammer of Twisp leveraged his single-day appearance at the 43rd annual Methow Valley Labor Day Rodeo into an All-Around title with his score in the ranch saddle bronc event on Sunday.
It was a bad-news, good-news outing for Hammer when he failed to make the buzzer in the bull-riding event, and then had to pass on saddle bronc when he couldn’t find a loaner saddle with the proper fit. However, Hammer’s fifth-place score of 73 in the ranch saddle bronc was good enough to earn him a $500 payday when that figure, averaged with his previous ride from last May’s Methow Valley Memorial Day Rodeo, totaled 154, enough to win him the All-Around title for both shows.
The 43rd annual Methow Valley Labor Day Rodeo concluded its two-day run Sunday with a less-than-record crowd that watched an impressive turnout of rough-stock riders, barrel racers and mutton busters. Over a dozen cowboys signed up for the ranch saddle bronc event alone.
“I’m heading to Newport [Washington] next,” said Hammer, who will compete in the Rough Stock Invitational Rodeo there on Sept. 13.
