May 1, 2019
Liz Writes Life
Rodeo in Etna
This year, the Pleasure Park Rodeo Parade Grand Marshal is
Betty Young, who put in years of work with the Jr. Pleasure Park Drill Team and
Jr. Rodeo back in the early 1970s; and then served on the Scott Valley Pleasure
Park Rodeo Board from 1976 to 1980. She certainly deserves the honor.
Many folks may not recall that the Jr. Pleasure Park youth
group sponsored a junior rodeo for several years from around 1968 to 1973.
Rodeo stock contractor, Dick Hemsted, encouraged the group during the heyday of
junior rodeos, before High School Rodeo became popular in the North State.
Betty organized at least two junior rodeos, but agreed with the Jr. Pleasure
Park officers that the rodeo was not earning its way and it was stopped in 1972
or 1973.
At the time, I was part of the Jr. Pleasure Park and horse drill
team and remember the daytime rodeos were not making money. In fact, the last
rodeo had lost around $400. Yep, that was a lot of money back then. We needed
to bring-in a bigger audience.
Each year, on Father’s Day weekend, the Montague Jr. Rodeo
was going strong with a two-day event and Saturday night under their giant
lights was a great draw; one reason was because it cooled-off when the sun set.
We lamented that the Pleasure Park arena didn’t have lights for evening events.
But, that would change in a few years.
Betty’s daughters, Cathy and MaryAnn, rode in the horse drill
team and her husband, Manuel Rais, was drill master. Betty usually showed-up
with her daughters -- all on horseback riding together down Etna’s Main Street
from their home up old Etna. In talking about the drill team, Betty remembered
when the group was working on a giant wheel and there had to be an even number
of horses and riders to make it work. Quite often, when a rider didn’t show-up,
Betty was volunteered to participate. Once, at the Montague Jr. Rodeo, a member
didn’t make it and Betty became a youngster again filling-out the empty slot
for the performance.
She recalls ordering the food for the Jr. Pleasure Park
concession stand. As they do today, the youth manned the concession during the
rodeo and usually ended-up with colorful stains on their white shirts from
pumping the snow cone syrup! Betty also cooked for the annual September
barbecue and gymkhana horse playday. Typically, 300 people attended that event.
Also, while Manuel was drill master, Betty did the food
ordering and cooking for the pack trips to the mountains with the Jr. Pleasure
Park members. Good times!
In 1976, Betty and Karin Newton agreed to serve as
co-secretaries for the adult Scott Valley Pleasure Park Assoc., which put on
the annual May Rodeo. That year, records show Doug Jenner was president, Manuel
was vice-president and Larry Malloy was treasurer. Board members included Gene
Selby, George Davis, Jack Pimentel, Harold Jennings and Vernon Van Sickle.
The next year, Betty was willing to take over the treasurer’s
position, but said she went to a past treasurer, Earl Hertzberg, for help when
the taxes were due. Earl was an accountant by trade.
Part of the treasurer’s job was to write out every check to
the winners of the rodeo events. Yep, it took a while! Up until 1976, the
association only held the May Rodeo, which had its beginnings in 1947. But, Betty
recalls the coffers were pretty lean at that time, so in 1977, the rodeo board
decided to hold a second rodeo – this one in July. Also, the Scott Valley Team
Roping Club was going strong and its members wanted to rope during the evenings
– after work. So, they garnered funds and put up arena lights. The stage was
finally set for an evening rodeo.
About that time, a movie company was enticed to use Siskiyou
County for a movie based in the 1930s Montana cattle country. It was filmed
throughout Shasta and Scott Valleys on ranches, in Yreka, towns and the
Pleasure Park Rodeo arena in Etna. Money paid to the Pleasure Park went to
purchase a new public address system and speakers were placed up on the light
poles. It has sure made for successful evening team ropings and rodeos.
The movie was named “Standing Tall” and featured big-name
actors like Robert Forster, Chuck Connors and Linda Evans. Many locals
participated and dressed in time period clothing. Claudia A. East wrote an
article published in the “Echoes” Yreka Preservation newsletter, which is where
I found the info on this “Standing Tall” movie released in 1978.
Betty is a Siskiyou County native. She was born over in
Cecilville. Her parents are Louis and Effie Young. During school years, following
World War II, her family lived in Etna and French Creek. She graduated from
Etna High School in 1956. After marrying Manuel, they packed tourists into the
mountains, worked on several ranches and in the late-1960s Betty started
farming for Keith Whipple. At the time, Whipple and other farmers were growing potatoes
on the East side of Scott Valley. During fall harvest, Betty drove a big truck
hauling potatoes to Etna, where she helped sort, while her truck was being
emptied.
So, Betty was tough and game enough to compete in the
Packers’ Race, with Manuel, during the rodeos. Chuckling at the memories, she
claimed they didn’t have any wrecks! May have been some close calls, though, as
(some years) the contestants started with their boots off and in sleeping bags.
They then had to catch their equines, which were loose in the arena, and pack
them up with bales of straw.
The Packers’ Race, Wild Horse Race and CowHide Race were wild
and wooly local events that are no longer held, but the Saddle Cow Riding still
brings in a good batch of contestants with a Siskiyou Co. Championship held at
the Siskiyou Golden Fair each August. Records show Saddle Cow Riding has been
popular since the early 1950s.
The Pleasure Park Rodeo Parade begins at 10:30 a.m. this
Sunday, May 5, 2019 in Etna. Be sure to wave at Betty, who will be riding with
Dave Bradford in his Model A Ford.
Pre-rodeo events of Kids Calf Riding, Mutton Bustin’ and Jr.
Steer Riding start at 1 p.m. with the Rodeo Grand Entry of cowboys and cowgirls
before the rodeo at 2 p.m. Admission to the rodeo on Sunday is $5 for all ages.
On Friday evening and Saturday, the California High School
Dist. 1 Rodeo Finals will be held at the Etna arena. Admission is free. Then, Etna’s
Main Street will come alive at 6 p.m. with live dance music from “The Pacific
Crest Trail Band” and a Goat Roping event.
Klamath dams
This weekend is busy, as the Siskiyou Co. Water Users Assoc.,
is holding its dinner fundraiser to save the Klamath dams on Saturday. It
starts at 5 p.m. at the Miner’s Inn Convention Center in Yreka. Call Kathy
Bergeron at 530-842-4400. Tickets are $30 each.
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and
farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County
and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at:
lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.
# # #
No comments:
Post a Comment