Twelve schools and 170 entries headlined the College Rodeo hosted by Walla Walla Community College here Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds Indoor Arena.
“Our women’s team did outstanding,” WWCC coach Buster Barton said. “Our guys struggled a little bit in the finals and the days before.
“Rodeo is funny,” he said. “It has a lot of different variables and when you throw animals into that equation — literally anything can happen. Rodeo can be very honoring and humbling all at the same time when you combine human competition and throw animals into the mix. It can be tough.”
The Warriors’ Kiley Streeter won the individual title in the breakaway with a two-day average of 8.5 seconds. She was the only competitor on the 10 finalists on Sunday to earn a score and take home the crown in her division.
Streeter roped her calf in 3.8 seconds in round one, and 4.3 ticks on Sunday, for her score.
Walla Walla’s Alecia Fox took home second in barrel racing with her average timed events combining for 28.77.
Callahan Crossley of Blue Mountain Community College won the event with a score of 28.30.
Fox ran splits of 14.66 in day one and 14.16 seconds finals-best on Sunday.
In the goat tying, the WWCC women didn’t fare as well. Alex Dimke took eighth at 20.1 (splits of 9.3 and 10.8) and Raylee Reeves scored 20.5 for ninth.
The top placer in this division was Central Washington’s Lexie Cameron with a combined time of 15.8, and Brittany Baty of Boise took home second with a 16.2.
Top finishers on the WWCC men’s side included Nic Nyman in the tie down roping. He finished third with a time of 27.1 (14.1 seconds in round one and 13.0 in the finals).
Nyman was also third in the steer wrestling with a 30.2. The top finisher was Oregon State’s Devin Robinson with a 14.8. Blue Mountain’s Michael Pederson took home second in the event with a two-round time of 15.5.
WWCC’s Charlie Thiele combined with BMCC’s Makenzie Fuller to take home fourth in the team roping with a 20.3.
Walla Walla’s Jonathan Throop, with Blue Mountain’s Jaylin Throop, took home fifth with a two-round time of 24.6.
In the saddle bronc, Treasure Valley’s Nathan Duckworth won with two competitors, and Adam Waite of the same school was the lone bareback participant.
In addition to the student-athletes, the event took on a life of its own.
The Kid’s Rodeo Saturday morning attracted 300-400 children taking part in dummy bucking stations, horse riding, roping, goat tying and playing around with Walla Walla’s own star clown J.J. Harrison — a crowd favorite — in the barrel.
The event marked Harrison’s final participation in the rodeo he’s been a part of for 10 years.
The weekend, after all, is billed as Riding Against Child Abuse, with groups like the Walla Walla Exchange Club, the Child Abuse Council, WWCC and the rodeo committee working to prevent child abuse.
The groups share the proceeds from sponsors and ticket sales to support the event, its competitors, travel money for WWCC rodeo and to educate new parents on basic skills needed to raise a child.
All parents of newborn children in the Walla Walla Valley receives a kit on basic parenting skills, including literature and videos, due to contributions from the rodeo.
