Children's Rodeo September 15, 2010

The Pendleton Round-Up may best be known for its heart-pounding rodeo and the professional cowboys who compete in it, but there’s another event that’s changing the lives of its participants. The Children’s Rodeo offers special needs children the opportunity to be cowboys and cowgirls for an hour of fun inside the famous Round-Up Arena.

The Children’s Rodeo will kicks off Wednesday, the first day of the Round-Up. 
The 40 or so children who participate in the Children’s Rodeo are special education students with either mental or physical handicaps. Each child receives a trophy, T-shirt, lariat, cowboy hat, scarf and a photo with a cowboy.

The Round-Up Association funds the event, while the Umatilla-Morrow Education Service District (ESD) co-sponsors it each year. Nearly 80 volunteers from the ESD, Round-Up Association, Western Trails Therapeutic Riding Center and others involved in the community and with the Round-Up help to make the event a success.

Children from all over Eastern Oregon and beyond will ride horses, challenge their balancing skills on a hand-rocked bucking bull, rope pretend steers, barrel race on stick ponies and participate in goat “un”-tying. In addition, each child will have his or her picture taken with a Round-Up cowboy or cowgirl. 
Children’s Rodeo Director Karen Parker said she’s hoping a large crowd will turn out to watch event, in which these special children are stars for a day.

Official Website: http://pendletonroundup.com