Annual Cheney Rodeo coming up
This year will mark the 41st annual Cheney Rodeo. The largest rodeo in Spokane County was formed by a group of men with the idea of creating a riding club.
Ashley Benedict, Miss Cheney Rodeo 2008, has been attending the Cheney Rodeo for as long she can remember. She first rode in the flag team in 2003 as the Deer Park Peewee Rodeo Queen. Now as Cheney Rodeo Queen, she’ll have more participation.
“The flag team puts on a fabulous grand entry. I rode in it last year and it was a blast,” Benedict said. “This year I get to participate in the royalty part of the grand entry, as well as autograph signing and public relations. I’ll be a little more crowd-visible this year.”
There will be bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding and bareback riding.
A stock contractor provides most of the animals for the roughstock events. Team ropers and barrel racers use their own horses. And the human participants? The bullfighters have one of the most dangerous jobs, keeping the cowboy out of harm’s way as he dismounts by distracting the bull. Benedict admits serious injuries do occur, but not commonly.
“It can be a dangerous sport,” Benedict said. “I mean bull riding, getting on a one-ton animal that doesn’t want you on his back, can be dangerous. But generally bumps and bruises. Cowboys are pretty tough.”
As queen, Benedict has performed in all the grand entries and parades at every rodeo in the Northwest region. Her duties include not only promoting the Cheney Rodeo, but also getting more people involved in preserving the western lifestyle. With such rodeo experience, Benedict can reveal what makes Cheney’s special.
“No one else does the balloon race, and I think that’s great for kids. Gets them involved. Makes it a little more fun,” Benedict said. “This year, we’re doing Tough Enough to Wear Pink on Thursday night. That’s very different. We’re the only rodeo that does it. We also have a different performance for our flag team every year, and no other rodeo has that.”
Most of the competitors are local, though many are Idaho cowboys and a few are from Montana. This year Cheney has a $40,000 purse. The money is chiefly derived from sponsors and entry fees.