Prior to being elected last November as the first female president in the 114-year history of Pendleton Round-Up Association, Tiah DeGrofft served as the sponsor director for eight years. This valuable experience prepared her for the pinnacle of her Round-Up volunteerism, and it has deepened her appreciation of the vital role sponsors play in rodeo.

“In any sales role relationship, Round-Up is very different because we don’t have sponsorships in our arena,” DeGrofft said. “It’s a very traditional rodeo, so it’s like stepping back in time.”

While most rodeos run sponsor flags during the grand entry, Round-Up runs only the American flag, the Oregon flag, the Canadian flag and things of that nature. Round-Up has a firm policy against sponsorships in the arena, so a prospective sponsor may find it initially difficult to identify what their return in investment will be if it isn’t the customary display of their logos inside the arena near the bucking chutes.

“Our sponsors are more hospitality and experience-based,” DeGrofft said.

So, when DeGrofft introduces Round-Up to a prospective sponsor, she invites the company representative to “come and see us if you haven’t been here yet, before you even write a check. Come and be my guest.”

DeGrofft wants the prospective sponsor to get the feel of the Pendleton Round-Up and put their feet on the ground and experience the palatable excitement one feels in the arena.

“If I can just get them to step foot in town, the sponsorship part of it comes easy. They are all in,” she said.

Round-Up has many local sponsors, companies that are regional or national such as Wrangler and Coca-Cola and some smaller companies that help sponsor a saddle or an event.

“It helps that we’re the ten times recipient of the Large Outside Rodeo of the Year award or that we’re the number one watched rodeo on the Cowboy Channel,” DeGrofft said.

During her eight years as a sponsor director, DeGrofft tripled the number of sponsors that Round-Up had before she took this role. Among the levels of sponsors, there are gold, silver, event sponsors, custom and trade sponsorships. The sponsorships range from $5,000 to $20,000 and above. Each rodeo event gets a different prize package with great sponsors donating those prizes.

“They wrap their arms round us and help make Pendleton Round-Up what it is,” she said.

DeGrofft has been volunteering at the Round-Up for the past 38 years. She served as princess and queen on the rodeo court, been appointed to the board of directors and various committees, promoted the rodeo as sponsor director and now leads the association as its first female president.

“We serve two one-year terms as a president, so I will need to be re-elected this coming November,” she said. “I’ve been told that I’m the first female president of any major rodeo in the United States.”