Family and fun were the big attractions of Carey's Pioneer Day celebration last Friday and Saturday. There's nothing like a hot mid-summer weekend, a rodeo and family reunions to bring out the best in a small farming community like Carey.
Rodeos were common all over Idaho last weekend, in spots like St. Anthony, Oakley, Shoshone, Glenns Ferry and of course Carey, as small towns marked the 1847 arrival of Brigham Young and Mormon followers in the Great Salt Lake valley.
Nearly 500 people attended Saturday's second of two Pioneer Day rodeos at Carey Rodeo Arena. Providing stock was J3T Company of Gooding. It wasn't unusual for spectators to see friends and neighbors trying their luck in the arena.
There were some fun moments.
One of the funniest was Saturday's Wild Cow Race, where three teams made up of three cowboys tried to do the seemingly impossible—rope, saddle and ride a bull that had completely different ideas about the way it wanted to spend the night.
"Do these guys know what they're in for?" the rodeo clown asked announcer Dusty Twitchell before the Wild Cow Race. Twitchell replied, "They don't have a clue."
Needless to say, it wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty, what with the cowboys eating dirt and pulling the heavy animals and also falling off their bulls. In several cases the cowboys ending up pushing the bulls in their rear ends to get them to move an inch. But it was all very funny.
Dustin Hennefer, George Versis and Jason Colter ended up winning the event and won $60 apiece for the privilege of entertaining everybody.
Rodeo is a family and generational sport. One team roper, Hagerman's Bob Robinson, was a world champion bulldogger back to 1960. That was 48 years ago. Another team roper riding with Richfield's sturdy pick-up man J2 Brown was Pake-Os Palmer of Richfield, a supremely confident sixth grader.
In the bullriding there was a father and son, Doug James of Mackay, riding Punch, who hadn't been ridden in three years, and Ben James of Gooding, a recent high school graduate. Both got bucked off nicely which kept Punch's winning streak alive.
There were a bunch of no times.
"He come a long ways and went home with less money," said Twitchell about one unsuccessful cowboy. And the calves were way too quick for most of the humans in the tie-down roping. "Don't know what was in the oats this morning but the calves are feeling it," Twitchell said.
But there were some successes.
Carey's Trevor Hunt nailed a 10.5-second time in the Les Schwab bulldogging and flung off his cowboy hat clear to nearly the bleachers. "That's the first time he's brought down a steer in six years," Twitchell said. Hunt placed third and won $124 at the J3T pay window, a nice RV.
Of course the bullriding got all the kids and cowboys focused like laser despite the late hour. It's pretty hard to describe how ornery and dangerous bullriding can be, but Twitchell tried. He said, "There's a horn on one side and a horn on the other side and a whole lot of bull in the middle." Good enough for me.
Bullriding is like second nature to Anthony Corgatelli of Vale, Ore.
The young man on a winning streak made it look easy on Bald Eagle, making eight seconds and 68 points and putting $440 in his pocket. He had won in St. Anthony the previous night, and you might remember Anthony won Hailey's Days of the Old West bullriding July 4 with an 84-pointer and earned $1,211.84 from that holiday crowd.
All in a night's work. And a fun night it was in Carey, Idaho.
Pioneer Day rodeo
July 25-26, 2008 at Carey Rodeo Arena, stock by J3T Company of Gooding. Announcer was Dusty Twitchell of Richfield.
Bullriding: 1—Anthony Corgatelli of Vale, Ore. 68 points on Bald Eagle for $440. 2 (tie)—Jimmy Lierman of Gooding 66 points on Gnesa and Jordan Childs of Gooding 66 points on Bald Eagle, $300 each.
Breakaway roping: 1—Andrea Sparks of Twin Falls, 2.7 seconds for $280. 2—Amy Walker of Dillon, Mt. 3.1 seconds for $168. 3—Stacy Folsom of Dillon, Mt. 3.3 seconds for $112. Sponsored by Valley Auto Body.
Calf or tie-down roping: 1—Rob Webb of Wendell 13.1 seconds for $370. 2—Steve Birnie of Jerome 16.0 seconds for $222. 3—Joe Hatch of Carey 24.6 seconds for $148.
Bareback bronc riding: 1—Casey Patton of Gooding 62 points on Monster Magnet for $330. 2—Jordan Gill of Gooding 57 points on Lazy Tom for $220. Sponsored by Brian Tingey DDS.
Steer wrestling or bulldogging: 1—Wes Tinsley of Bellevue 7.0 seconds for $310. 2—Kyle Vader of Hagerman 8.4 seconds for $186. 3—Trevor Hunt of Carey 10.5 seconds for $124. Sponsored by Les Schwab.
Barrel racing: 1—Italy Sheehan of Gooding 17.09 seconds for $250. 2—Leslie Williamson of Jerome 17.25 seconds for $150. 3—Amanda Hill of Carey 17.93 seconds for $100. Sponsored by Wood River Motors.
Team roping: 1—Todd Anderson and Paul Peterson 8.7 seconds for $410 each. 2—Rob Webb of Wendell and Ted Walker of King Hill 12.3 seconds for $246 each. 3—Casey Brunson of Gooding and Matt Azevedo of Fairfield 12.6 seconds for $164 apiece. Sponsored by Castle's Corner.
Wild Cow Race: 1—Dustin Hennefer, George Versis and Jason Colter $60 apiece.
Saddle bronc: No qualified riders. Sponsored by Webb Landscaping.
Spearheads: Morgan Drage, Angie Webster, Kim Farnworth, Tammy Castle, Brittany Hennefer, Jennifer Aiken and Stephanie Ducket.
Carey Junior Riding Club: Instructors Jennifer Aiken and Jessica Parke, riders Caden Koudelka, D.J. Parke, Morgan Parke, Kylie Castle, Jayce Koudelka, Taylor Castle, Joe Parke, Dani Aiken, Paige Koudelka, Zina Hatch and Brigham Parke.
Parade, volleyball and more
The city of Carey and Waterford Park Subdivision provided the cash prizes ($100 first place, $50 second, $25 third) in the various categories:
People's Choice: 1—Austin Hennefer $100 and plaque.
Horses: 1—Sagebrush Belgians. 2—Flying W Ranch. 3—Ireland Bank.
Clubs and organizations: 1—Heritage Court. 2—Blaine County 4-H Livestock. 3—Carey High School varsity cheerleaders.
Business: 1—Adamsons Inc. 2—M&J Motors. 3—Wood River Motors.
Church: 1—2nd Ward High Priests. 2—2nd Ward Relief Society. 3—2nd Ward Elders Quorum.
Individuals: 1—Rick Baird. 2—Hennefer boys. 3—Nate Adamson.
Riding club: 1—Joe Parke and Jayce Koudelka. 2—D.J. Parke and Caden Koudelka. 3—Morgan Parke, Paige Koudelka and Makayla Mecham.
Key to the City: Presented by Carey Mayor Rick Baird to Peggy Hill of the Spearheaders.
Volleyball winner: The Josh Hanson team.
Organizers
Carey Rodeo Committee board members: Director and president—Dave Parke. Director and vice president—Clayton Mecham. Director and secretary—Dawn Bennion. Treasurer and secretary—Kim Farnworth. Other directors—Kodi Farnworth, Rick Mecham, Peggy Hill and Blaine Tingey.
Pioneer Day committee chairs: Craig Patterson and Linda Patterson, cook shack; Morgan Drage, advertising; Cyril Hill, stock; Aaron Cook, grounds; Jessica Parke, events; Jamie Colter and Ray Aiken, special events; Lacee Hennefer, communications; and Kim Farnworth.
