The action is always exciting at the annual Methow Valley Memorial Day Rodeo, which will have a full field of competitors.
Two days of events on Memorial Day weekend
The Methow Valley’s Memorial Day weekend Rodeo returns for the 50th time to the rodeo grounds near Big Twin Lake on Saturday and Sunday (May 28-29). Featuring events like ranch saddle bronc, barrel racing and bull riding for the adult classes, and a slew of events for the junior stars of the future, the rodeo provides a wide range of events and an active menu for the avid and casual consumer.
The Methow Valley Rodeo began its run in 1972 when several local cowboys put the initial event together for the late May holiday weekend, just to see if they could pull it off. Local outfitter Claude Miller, Tom Graves, Allan Gardner, Sandy Haase, Bill Flagg, Don Dagnon and Miller’s two brothers, Swede and Carl, were in that first group organizing, arranging for stock, recruiting participants and building the first arena on the Sunny M Ranch just off of Wolf Creek Road near Winthrop.
“I’m always hesitant to list people because I’ll forget somebody,” said Claude Miller by phone, the lone surviving Miller brother. “Bonnie Dagnon kept the books. I think the first rodeo prize was about 200 bucks. It wasn’t very much.”
“We built the arena and got the thing going,” Miller recalled, “But I think it was around 1980, no, ’81 when we moved to the current place on Twin Lakes. The county relocated Wolf Creek Road and took out the arena down there [on Sunny M Ranch]. Jim Pigott [owner of Moccasin Lake Ranch] gave us the rights to build and maintain the arena.”
Miller’s recollection was triggered by the memory of working at the Sunny M location, on Sunday, May 18, 1980, during the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, while getting things ready for the following weekend’s activity.
Miller’s participation in the rodeo has mostly been as an organizer and supporter, but has taken part at least a couple of rodeos. “I tried steer roping one year. My horse was not used to being in the chute and tried to jump the barrier,” he said with a chuckle. It didn’t cause his disqualification, but he also didn’t win any prize money.
RODEO FACTS
What: 50th annual Methow Valley Memorial Day Rodeo
When: Saturday and Sunday (May 28-29); competition starts at 1 p.m. each day
Where: Rodeo Grounds are just off of Twin Lakes Road, about a mile west of Liberty Bell High School
Events: Bull riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, junior events including mutton busting
Prices: $10 for adults, $5 for kids 7-12, free for kids 6 and younger
More information: www.methowvalleyrodeo.com; www.facebook.com/methowvalleyrodeo
Long-time participants
Miller also said that Tom Graves has been instrumental in the survivability of the rodeo over the years as president of the Methow Valley Horsemen, which organizes the twice-yearly event (the other annual rodeo is on Labor Day weekend). Graves, in his early 90s, helped lead the Methow Valley Horsemen contingent at this year’s ’49ers Parade, carrying the flag along the route for the umpteenth year. Both Miller and Graves have been at or around the rodeo for nearly all of its 50 years. “I think Tom may have missed one or two years out working fires, and I may have missed one or two outfitting trips in the mountains,” Miller said.
The rodeo is in the blood of current Methow Valley Horsemen President Dennis Gardner, in his eighth year at the post. Gardner’s father is the Allan Gardner, mentioned earlier as one of the original group of Horsemen. Gardner reports that the roster is nearly full for entries this year in the adult classes.
“We’ve had a good response with entries. So far, several of the events are full, and others are close to full,” he said.
The crowd is weather-dependent, of course, and the early forecast looks promising.
“We were overwhelmed last year” with about 600 attendees, said Gardner of last year’s Memorial Day event. Gardner thinks the rodeo came along at the right time last year, as people were beginning to emerge from the early pandemic and get out and about.
