The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

It wasn't televised, but it sure was dramatic... Photo by Jeff Sperber

As always, the Sisters Rodeo was a big success, and big cowboy names made the annual pilgrimage to town.

However, one of the rodeo's more recent claims to fame disappeared almost as quickly as it came. Two years ago, the Sisters Rodeo was picked as part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) tour.

With that, came the spotlight of ESPN television coverage and a legitimate claim to the big time. All that's gone now.

The big ESPN van, with its ubiquitous cameras, miles of cables, and flashy commentators was conspicuous by its absence this year.

Rodeo is big business and, to a certain extent, Sisters just isn't keeping pace.

"They're goin' where the really big money is," said Oregon PRCA representative, Edie Longfellow. "The tour rodeos add $12,000 or more per event, and it's really hard for a rodeo in this size town to come up with that kind of money."

The "added" cash is the additional amount that sponsors kick in on top of the pooled entry fees to supplement each event's total prize money.

Longfellow has been working rodeos for more than 35 years and has served as the PRCA Sisters Rodeo Secretary for more than 10.

She says that expectations for the "add" have risen considerably in recent years: "$12,000, that's what the PRCA is shooting for now," she said.

Another Oregon rodeo, St. Paul, is on the tour this year. St. Paul, of course, is an even smaller town than Sisters, but they apparently have some pretty big backers.

According to figures provided by Longfellow, the Sisters Rodeo prize money totaled about $119,000 this year. Last year, St. Paul paid out $234,000 in prize money.

"All the tour rodeos are probably over $200,000 this year," she said.

So, even if you are the Biggest Little Show in the World, "little" is still the operative word.

Although the Sisters Rodeo remains a PRCA sanctioned event, it could take nearly a quarter of a million dollars in annual sponsorship to put Sisters back on the PRCA's elite list; and that's a lot of money to raise in a small town.

"It left kind of a bad taste in my mouth," said Rodeo Association President, Glenn Miller. "I don't feel the PRCA treated us right."

Miller said that two years ago the Association was planning for a $6,000 add per event.

"They (the PRCA) contacted us and wanted us to be a tour rodeo, but they wanted $7,500 added money," he said. "So, we stepped up to the plate, and they promised us that we'd be a cup rodeo again in 2002.

"Unfortunately, that was all verbal. We didn't get it in writing," Miller said. "So, that's why we ain't televised. In my business, a handshake is good enough."

Prize money for this year's Sisters Rodeo remained at the increased level of $7,500 added per event over the entry fees.

Contacted at an event in Las Vegas, PRCA Co-coordinator of Rodeo Administration, Jim Nichols, said, "I don't think it's anything against Sisters and it's not only about money. Obviously, money has a lot to do with it, though."

Nichols said that $7,500 is the official minimum add; but, in reality, most of the rodeo adds are much higher. For example, he pointed out that the lowest add on last year's tour was about $13,500.

He also cited other tour considerations such as stalls, hospitality rooms for cowboys, and sponsorship issues.

"Part of it is also to give different rodeo sites an opportunity," he said.

"I think Sisters has an outstanding PRCA rodeo, but we have 700 PRCA rodeos and we can only take 20 for the tour.

"So, it's certainly not a reflection on the community itself or the rodeo committee."

Still, with or without an official stop on the PRCA tour, Sisters continues to be a popular destination for the cowboys on that never-ending circuit that relentlessly lures them from town to town.

The change in tour status doesn't seem to bother the fans.

"We're having a great weekend," said Cathy Williams, Rodeo Association Treasurer. "Friday night was a record in all areas -- tickets, attendance, concessions, posters, programs, beer, everything."

In fact, as it turned out, the rodeo grounds were pretty much packed for every performance.