IMESD is pleased to announce its annual Children’s Rodeo is on Thursday, September 12th at 10:30 AM in the Pendleton Round-Up Arena. Sponsored by IMESD and the Pendleton Round-Up Association, this event provides children with special needs ages 5 through 10 years the opportunity to be cowboys and cowgirls inside the famous rodeo location.
Smiles, laughter and lots of rodeo fun will fill the arena this year, when about 50 children from across eastern Oregon participate. Students from IMESD’s component school districts in Baker, Morrow, Umatilla and Union counties are eligible to participate.
The rodeo participants will enjoy various activities that include riding a horse, a horse-drawn buggy ride, barrel racing on stick ponies, “steer” roping, riding a pretend bull, milking a mock cow, Native American drumming and more. Participants will also be able to enjoy the theme of the day, Tough Enough to Wear Pink. Each participant receives a T-shirt, cowboy hat, lariat, scarf and a photo with their cowboy/cowgirl volunteer.
Spectators are welcome at the Children’s Rodeo and admission is FREE, but spectators will need to purchase tickets to the regular Round-Up Rodeo later in the afternoon.
Dozens of volunteers, including PRCA and local cowboys and cowgirls, IMESD volunteers, Round-Up volunteers and community members work to make the Children’s Rodeo a success each year.
“We are very excited to welcome our students and their families to the Children’s Rodeo again this year. It’s always wonderful to see the smiles and fun of the participants and spectators during this event,” said Jen Thul, Children’s Rodeo Coordinator for IMESD.
Thul said IMESD appreciates the support of Round-Up and all the volunteers who make the Children’s Rodeo possible.
For more information about the Children’s Rodeo, visit: https://www.imesd.k12.or.us/o/imesd/page/children-s-rodeo or contact: Jen Thul, 541-966-3223, jen.thul@imesd.k12.or.us