Countdown to CJD comes out of chutes

JOSEPH — The second annual Countdown to Chief Joseph Days Ranch Rodeo will be held Friday and Saturday at the Harley Tucker Memorial Arena.

The pre-party will start at 3 p.m. with a horseback trail ride through town to the top of the east moraine of Wallowa Lake and back.

At 6 p.m. will be a social hour in the Thunder Room followed by a $15 beef dinner.

A Traeger barbecue grill will be raffled off, and there will be live and silent auctions.

New this year will be a Calcutta in which teams will be auctioned off. It will pay three places.

The teams are Circle T Ranch, Marr Flat Cattle Co./Rocking J, Quail Run Ranch, Triple Creek Ranch, Dawson Ranch, Broken Arrow Cattle Co., Baremore Ranch, Corriente Cattle Co. and Yost Quarter Horse Ranch.

The Ranch Rodeo begins at 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission will be $5, $2.50 for ages 10 and younger, and $12 for a family of four.

All the net proceeds go toward local scholarships. This year the following high school seniors received $750 scholarships: Caleb DeBoie of Joseph, Ashley Graning of Enterprise, and Brennan Evans of Wallowa.

The rodeo will feature ranch bronc riding, team roping, team penning, team branding and ribbon roping.

Four belt buckles will be awarded to the championship teams.

For the boys and girls there will be stick horse races and mutton busting. The children can weigh no more than 60 pounds.

For more information, call Robin Lewis at 432-5943.