2015 Ellensburg Rodeo . . .

[Kathie in Thorp]

. . . Labor Day weekend, same as every year, in conjunction with Kittitas County Fair. Great rodeo; one of the best in the country.

I can think of few things I'd rather do than watch a good rodeo. Just did Round 2 of E-burg Rodeo. I clap and cheer for the fast times and the 8 second rides. I feel bad when the calf runs through the loop, the hazer doesn't get you set up right in steer wrestling, barrel racers knock over a can, or the ride only last 6.2 seconds -- but those events hardly ever make me LAUGH! So, if you're a serious roper or can chaser or rough stock rider, this will not be PC, but I LOVE THE WILD COW MILKING! I swear, I could watch nothing but that for 3 hours and laugh so hard I wouldn't have a tear left. Seriously, there should be a World or Pac NW Region Wild Cow Milking Championship, and I think it ought to be held in Ellensburg!

 

[Nesikep]

I'll enter Mega for the wild cow milking contest I've never seen the wild cow milking, but I would love to... I think I'd laugh myself sore too

 

[js1234]

ellensburg is a good rodeo.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I'll enter Mega for the wild cow milking contest I've never seen the wild cow milking, but I would love to... I think I'd laugh myself sore too

Nesi, the WCM event is done several different ways. Some places they've got the cows in the bucking shoots with a rope already around the neck, couple guys on a team & at the chute, all cows are released at once, and it's all a wrestling match from the ground. A turd throw all happening at the same time. It's done like in the attached video elsewhere -- buncha cows loose in the arena; the team on each cow is one guy roping and several guys mugging.

Here, local rancher brings in a load of range cows. It starts at the roping chute, one 2-man team at a time: a roper and a "mugger;" roper at the chute, mugger about 20 yards downfield on the side. Cow gets turned out, roper has to catch her up, then his mugger runs in from the side and trys to get control of the head (usually -- doesn't always work that way) while the roper bales off his horse rope in hand, works his way down the rope and joins in the wrestling, till they get the cow in some sort of position for the roper to try to milk out a couple spoons full into a little bottle. Timed event: they've got 5 minutes to get it all done from the time the roper goes through the barrier at the chute until the bottle is hot-footed back to the sideline to the judge. Usually, the cow wins! Only one team out of 8 or 10 was successful yesterday. A friend who will compete in the WCM today said the E-burg purse is $5,000 this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v3UtWE3mVM

Nesi, just found a video of Ellensburg Rodeo WCM from last year, and it was amazingly fast time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1rNElKOuRM