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Sports Mark Nichols Memorial draws big
Mark Nichols Memorial draws big
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 BIG BUCK: Kyler Braseth earned 69 points in the Long Go Friday at the Mark Nichols Memorial Bull Riding event. - The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER Meanwhile, Kyler Braseth strolled across the matted, worn-down grass behind the track, wearing his black cowboy hat and light blue shirt. He reached the green-poled fence, crossed both arms, and sported a relaxed look as he gazed onto the Stampede Grounds surface, just minutes before sitting atop that dangerous bull. “I won this event back in 1999,” said Braseth, speaking of this Mark Nichols Memorial Bull Riding event, running now for the 11th consecutive year. In a few minutes, the queens would ride out on horses, the announcer would greet the crowd, the event would start. So Braseth looked between the fence poles, like a kid peering into the window of a toy store, and then added one last, simple line before leaving. “It’s a nice night,” he said. Nice night? Maybe not-so simple. Was he talking about the near-perfect weather? Or was he talking about the record-setting attendance that packed the stands on this special night honoring a special person? Mark Nichols may be gone, but he certainly is not forgotten. Not to Vic Dubray, who said this event was a little more special to him. Not to Braseth, who was inspired by the late bull rider. Not to anyone who beamed about the characteristics and persona of a man named “Nichols” who now belongs to a better place. Gone but not forgotten. “Being a hometowner and local guy, I knew who he was real well,” Braseth said. “He was a great guy. “He was definitely someone who inspired me.” Such inspiration translated into an opening round success for Braseth, who tied for first in the Long Go, earning 69 points. There was Braseth, sitting atop Bull No. 445, as it bucked and jerked wildly. Up, down. Braseth was still on the saddle. Up, down. Braseth was still on. And before you knew it, he was near the “Grab Life Dodge” sign, a long distance from the chute where he started. The 69-point output earned Braseth an automatic berth into the Short Go. And, perhaps most importantly, it earned him a trip to the trailer at the end of the night — a trip to pick up a nice paycheck. “Anytime you can sign this,” said Braseth, while signing his name on the Rodeo price money distribution list, “It’s a good thing.” Good things come to good people, they say. So this was fitting for Braseth, who talked afterward about Nichols’ spirit, and how that spirit rode along the bulls Friday, watching everyone in a profession the late rider loved so much. “Anytime you’re at a memorial bull riding, I mean, it’s kind of something special,” Braseth said. “He’s rooting everybody on just like he would be out in the arena if he was still alive and stuff. “He’s watching from above.”
The ChampCall it The Waite-ing Game. Shawn Waite earned 69 points in the Long Go, then another 84 in the Short Go, and finished with an average of 150. As a result, this 33-year-old Prineville resident walked off the dirt track with a shiny belt buckle reading, “Mark Nichols Memorial Champion 2008 Elgin Stampede.” How nice. “Shoot, I was the only guy who got on two scores,” Waite said, “Might as well take it.”
Short-Go winnerOK. Which cowboy will ride Bull No. 309? Who will ride this up-and-coming star for this Short Go event? It had to be determined through a random drawing. So when Jarret Nelson heard he was the lucky recipient, how did he react? “When you draw a bull like that, it’s not that you’re scared, it’s kind of more like nervous, a little bit,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to draw that bull for a while. “He’s just consistent. Kind of rider friendly.” Very friendly for Nelson. The 27-year-old from New Plymouth, Idaho, stayed on through as Bull No. 309 bucked back and forth, drawing large cheers from the crowd while earning a whopping 85 points. Oh. He also earned $750, too. “That was a nice little bonus check,” Nelson said. “I just enjoyed having him, he was awesome.”
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