PENDLETON — Sydney Dodge, of Pendleton, leads the 2025 Pendleton Round-Up Court.

The Pendleton Round-Up Association on Saturday, Nov. 30, announced Dodge, 20, is the new queen, and four more young women are the new princesses of the court: Alexis Bowen, 20; Rowdy Israel, 18; Myranda Spicknall, 19; and Lexi Thompson, 19.

All five hail from Northeastern Oregon and have been involved in the Round-Up throughout for years, according to the announcement. They will represent the Round-Up during the next 10 months before the event occurs Sept. 10-13, 2025.

Meet the queen

Dodge, the daughter of Chad and Jody Dodge, grew up in Pendleton and is a Pendleton High School graduate of the Class of 2022, earning highest honors. She received her associate’s degree from Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton and now attends Eastern Oregon University in La Grande where she is working toward a bachelor’s of science degree in agriculture entrepreneurship.

While a full-time student, Dodge works at GT Land and Cattle in the embryo facility and assists with weekly pregnancy checks.

Dodge was active in Future Farmers of America as a high schooler, holding two Blue Mountain District officer positions while competing in several categorizes, including public speaking, parliamentary procedure and beef production proficiency. She earned greenhand, chapter and state FFA degrees.

She also was inducted into the National Honors Society, where she participated in community volunteerism and meetings.

The incoming Round-Up queen started riding horses when she was 4 years old. She was a part of the Oregon High School Equestrian Team, where she qualified for state in several disciplines and won rookie of the year as a freshman. She was an active 4-H member for nine years, showing beef cattle and quarter horses, holding champion titles while competing at Oregon Reined Cow Horse Association shows.

She also has spent a lot of time showing, breeding and raising cattle from her and her mother’s registered Angus cow herd. She has shown at National Junior Angus shows, the National Western Stock Show and other breed and jackpot shows. According to the announcement, Dodge said the experiences taught her dedication and grit.

Dodge also assisted with her family’s farming, cattle and logging operations.

She attended her first Round-Up at 17 months old and hasn’t missed a performance since. She has volunteered for the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Night Show since she was 8 as a pennant bearer. As a volunteer she helped in a number of other areas, including working livestock, cleaning up grounds and acting as a prairie girl in the Happy Canyon Night Show.

Her family has donated trucking and shavings to the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon for years. According to the announcement, she believes her involvement in as many activities as possible developed her leadership abilities and created valuable connections.

Dodge also expressed gratitude to be chosen to represent the 115th Pendleton Round-Up and can’t wait to share the joy and excitement of this historic rodeo. She wholeheartedly believes in the community, directors, court members and volunteers who all put in the time and hard work to make the Pendleton Round-Up happen and is excited to give back to the community that has done so much for her.

According to the press release, as previous courts have inspired Dodge, she hopes to inspire little girls to dream big and give 110% in all that they do.

Princess Alexis Bowen

Bowen, 20, was born and raised in Pendleton, graduating from PHS in 2022. She is the daughter of Nicki and Howard Bowen.

Bowen in high school was on the varsity swim team, National Honors Society and the FFA chapter. She earned her greenhand, chapter, state and American degrees along with being a Pendleton FFA officer for two years.

During FFA she engaged in competitions along with showing sheep, something that she had done since she was 5 years old. Bowen is attending Walla Walla Community College to obtain her bachelor’s degree in animal science and hopes to move on to Eastern Oregon University to finish her goal of becoming a FFA advisor.

She has spent hundreds of hours as a volunteer in the Pendleton community. As a youngster she began volunteering at the Round-Up, selling programs or helping Altrusa. In eighth grade she began volunteering in the souvenir booth with her FFA chapter then continued beyond high school as an alum.

Her love for horses goes back to when her uncle would take her to the Round-Up and let her pet every horse she saw. As she got older, she would riding whenever offered and made it her goal to be one of the Pendleton Round-Up Court princesses. After attending the Round-Up every year since she was 2 months old, she realized her dreams could become reality once she began riding every day.

Her favorite part of the rodeo is watching the wild cow milking, the event she believes is the most underrated.

Princess Rowdy Israel

Israel, of Canyon City, is the 18-year-old daughter of Nicole Israel and Ronnie Taynton and 2024 graduate of Acellus Academy through Unity High School. While attending high school, Israel was active in volleyball, basketball and student council. She was highly active in FFA, becoming the chapter vice-president and then president, along with earning her chapter and greenhand degrees.

Israel competed in breakaway roping in the Oregon High School Rodeo Association. She also was the Oregon High School rodeo queen for two consecutive years, competing at the National High School Rodeo Finals in 2023, finishing top 20 in the Queen Contest.

She has been representing rodeo and the Western way of life since she was 5 years old. Her first title was Lil Miss Grant County Fair & Rodeo Queen, then in 2017 she was a Little Miss Northwest Professional Rodeo Association Queen. In 2019 she represented the state of Oregon as Junior Miss Rodeo Oregon. Israel went on to become the 75th Elgin Stampede Rodeo Queen, the 2024 Spray Rodeo Queen and now living her biggest dream, to be a princess on the Pendleton Round-Up Court.

Israel is studying business administration online at Linn Benton Community College. She is the owner/operator of Rowdy’s Teeth Whitening Services. She also plans to attend cosmetology school.

Her love for the Pendleton Round-Up started after attending the rodeo at an early age with her mom. In 2017 after participating in her first of many Westward Ho! parades and royalty luncheons, Israel knew her goal was to be able to jump the rail and represent the greatest show on grass, the Pendleton Round-Up.

Princess Myranda Spicknall

Spicknall, 19, grew up in Pendleton, where she graduated from Pendleton High School in 2024. She is the daughter of Tom and Rachelle Spicknall.

She began riding horses at the age of 2 years old and began competing in rodeo at the age of 8. She competed in rodeo for four years in high school, where she competed in barrel racing, pole bending and breakaway roping in 2021 and 2024 in the Silver State International Rodeo.

Spicknall also competed in the Cayuse Junior Rodeo, Western States Junior Rodeo, Milton-Freewater Pioneer Posse, Mustangers and local barrel racing events. She also has given riding lessons to children.

Her involvement with the Pendleton Round-Up began at the age of 8 as an usher, eventually transitioning as a volunteer to the Pendleton Round-Up retail store. She has participated in the Pendleton Round-Up Westward Ho! Parade and the Dress-Up Parade as a pennant bearer.

Spicknall is attending her first year at Blue Mountain Community College, where she is studying for a career in the field of diagnostic imaging.

Princess Lexi Thompson

Thompson, 19, of Adams, graduated in 2023 from Weston-McEwen High School. She is the daughter of Vic and Heidi Thompson.

Thompson participated in high school rodeo, FFA, earning her greenhand, chapter and state degrees, along with competing in rodeos and barrels races. Ever since she can remember, she has been on the back of a horse working on her family’s ranch and helping her aunt, Katie Thompson, with her cows when needed.

Thompson is working as a dental assistant for Dr. Durk Irwin. Next year, she plans to go on to Carrington College in Boise to pursue her degree in dental hygiene.

Generations of Thompson’s family has volunteered for the Round-Up, and she looks forward to taking on the legacy of helping the rodeo go on. She has volunteered during the rodeo, helping run the stripping chute, run stock out of the arena and usher in the queen and court for the Grand Entry. She also has participated in the Happy Canyon quadrille.