Let ‘er Buck | Holton Secret Lab Blog

By Holton Secret Lab
•
15 Sep, 2010

The “100th Anniversary Celebration Of The Pendleton Round Up” is underway this week with a story to tell that is rich with tradition and history. Holton Secret Lab salutes and celebrates “The Round Up” for surviving and thriving during the 100 years. Our family has been blessed to have been a part of it’s history and heritage through out the years.

Round Up week each September is a time to celebrate the end of harvest and summer. A time to meet old friends that you have not seen for a year and make new ones. A time of coming together to work on the famous rodeo, while celebrating and making memories that will carry you until next year’s Round Up.

The famous poster was created by Wallace Smith for the Round Up in 1925.

Aerial shot of the Round Up arena and also of Happy Canyon to the left of the arena.

Happy Canyon re-tells the story of the Wild West each night after the rodeo. It is well worth seeing as it is a delight for all ages! Local volunteers, both man, woman and animal, tell the story of the immigrants moving West to homestead the land and find a new life.

The Round Up and Happy Canyon is put on by area volunteers each year who truly live the western spirit, often a family tradition that is passed on to the next generation to do the same. This year our son Greg is working during the rodeo in the arena on the fence crew and during Happy Canyon on the gate crew. He is proudly following in his Grandpa’s and his father’s footsteps….and we are proud of him.

The beginning of the rodeo each day. The flags come in!

The Round Up Queen jumping the fence!

Her Court Princess running the track and waving at the crowd!

Ride em’ cowboy and hang tough.

My main involvement these days with the Round Up is Tough Enough To Wear Pink Day. This year it is September 16, 2010. There are many volunteers who work hard to make TETWP Day come together each year, my part of TETWP is organizing the Arena Presentation. During the last year I thought how great it would be if I could come up with 100 cancer survivors to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Round Up. As of tonight I have 165 survivors that will walk out into the arena to educate the public and encourage the crowd that we are surviving and thriving too!

Terry Wheatley who founded TETWP with Karl Stressman at the 2005 NFR in Reno, will attend our presentation this year along with her daughter Katie and daughter in law Lacey Wheatley. Her son Wade Wheatley is a contestant at the Round Up will carry one of the TETWP flags for us along with three others.

My plan this year is to have the group divide into two groups coming into the arena from two different gates. The groups will meet and form the pink breast cancer ribbon. Once the ribbon is formed the Wheatley’s will join us in the center and the four flag bearers will circle us on horseback. At the very end, the group will do the pink wave with pink pom poms! I will get pictures to post!!!

I am very happy that all is coming together for our 2010 “Pink Day”. We are thankful to have the support of the Pendelton Round Up along with the community of Pendleton and surrounding towns.