Cowboys prepare for 3-day ride

One thing that makes rodeo unique – in addition to wondering exactly why anyone would pay money to get on a bucking animal or jump on a steer with horns – is the chance for any average cowboy to test himself against the best in the world.

That will be the case at the Spokane Interstate Fair rodeo, which begins tonight at the fairgrounds.

Scheduled to compete tonight in the first performance of the three-day Professional Rodeo Cowboys event are team ropers Steve Purcella of Hereford, Texas, and Britt Brockius of Claremore, Okla., and Jake Stanley of Hermiston, Ore., and Ryan Stewart of Royal City, Wash.

Purcella is the No. 1 header and Brockius the No. 2 heeler among team ropers in the world standings. Stanley and Stewart are the leading header and heeler, respectively, on the Columbia River Circuit.

Also, rookies Jake and Jimmie Cooper, twin sons of 1981 world all-around champion Jimmie Cooper, are entered tonight, trying to improve on their No. 19 spot in the national standings.

Most of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the Northwest, mixed with a few of the best in the world, are entered in the rodeo, which has performances at 6:45 tonight and Saturday and Sunday at 1:30.

Headlining the entries is former world champion bareback rider Clint Corey. The Powell Butte, Ore., cowboy, who was born in Bremerton, Wash., and lived in Kennewick before buying a ranch in Oregon, is scheduled to appear tonight.

After his busy weekend, which could include stops at Puyallup, Wash., and Lewiston, the 1991 world champ and three-time runner-up heads to Colorado Springs for induction in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Corey has been to the National Finals Rodeo 18 times, including 17 straight through 2001, and won the Columbia River Circuit championship every year from 1989-2000.

It’s hard to say which performance at the fair might be the best.

In addition to tonight’s team roping, bull riding and barrel racing have top-ranked competitors. Bull rider Myron Duarte of Auburn, Wash., is No. 6 nationally, No. 5 on the circuit. Deb Renger of Okotoks, Alberta, is fourth nationally in barrel racing, Debbie Stahl of Pendleton, Ore., is fifth on the circuit.

The top bareback riders in the Northwest are up on Sunday, including 2002 world champion Bobby Mote of Redmond, Ore., and Joe Ketter of Roy, Wash., both among the best nationally. Both trail local cowboy Andy Bolich in the Columbia River Circuit.

Bolich, a Mt. Spokane and Montana State University graduate who is part of Team Army, leads the circuit, just ahead of Jason Havens, of Bend, Ore., who is also up. Mote, seventh nationally, is third on the circuit, and Roy, 17th nationally, is seventh.

Five of the top six bareback riders are scheduled on Sunday. Sean Culver of Grandview, Wash., has $8,519, almost $3,000 behind Bolich. After Mote, Jason Havens of Bend, Ore., is fourth and Rowdy Buechner of Sandpoint is sixth.

Six of the seven bull riders on Sunday are in the top 40 nationally.

Among the returning defending champions are team ropers Mike Fuller of Clarkston and Brady Minor of Ellensburg (up Sunday), both in the top three of the circuit standings; Sage Haegen of Kennewick (up Sunday), who is tied for the steer wrestling lead; and Newberg, Ore., barrel racer Cindy Woods (up Saturday).

Frank Beard of Ellensburg is the stock contractor.