Cutler

The Pendleton Round-Up is here again. You might think an event that has been going all-but continuously since 1910 would get a bit stale.

But that’s why the Pendleton Round-Up is not just another rodeo or event.

The Round-Up represents an array of symbols at once. A rodeo for certain, a cultural event, an early-autumn gathering of people from across the West, the nation and the world. The Pendleton Round-Up is a nexus of history, tradition, sport and the bedrock of American heritage that resonates down through the years like the sound of a distant trumpet.

The Round-Up is a banner holder of Western value for our region, a shining example of how a place and time can stand alone as the premier place to be in September.

The Round-Up and Happy Canyon are also without question some of the biggest money-makers for our area. The events inject a large amount of money into the local economy.

This year we hope to perhaps add just a little bit to the long-standing tradition of the Round-Up with this special section. Our entire news staff is focused on furnishing the reader with as much information as they can possibly gather.

In this special section the reader will see features, stories about the rodeo, rodeo royalty and close-up views from behind the scenes of the biggest and, arguably, the most popular regional rodeo in the nation. We peel back the curtain a little on some of what makes the Round-Up what it is.

That extends beyond the barriers of the Round-Up Grounds. The Pendleton Round-Up is a community-wide event, from the Cowboy Breakfast to downtown establishments eager to serve hungry and thirsty rodeo fans.

Personally, the Round-Up always has held a special place in my heart.

As a young man in the journalism business — and as someone who grew up in southeastern Oregon — the Pendleton Round-Up was one of those events everyone knew and heard about every year. It carried a degree of a mystical quality to it. There always was someone I knew who attended the event, and they always — always — talked about how great a time they had.

When I came to the East Oregonian I secured the opportunity to enjoy the event firsthand and I’ve never been disappointed.

For most of us the Round-Up is a great time that stretches over a week. I am looking forward to it again this year. There is no doubt this single event propels much of the local economy for the next year and for those of us who work and live and play in this area the event is an extraordinary opportunity.

I know I, for one, will be taking in the sights and sounds of the Round-Up this year and I hope all of our readers who get the chance also participate. The Pendleton Round-Up is, indeed, not just another fun time. It is part of our culture, our future and our past, and I am anxious for it to kick off.

Let ‘er buck.

Andrew Cutler

Publisher

East Oregonian