Cusick rodeo draws good crowd

CUSICK – The Pend Oreille County Fair Rodeo drew a good crowd Friday and Saturday, Aug. 15-16, according to rodeo coordinator Tommy Petrie.

“We were sold out both days,” he said.

“Saturday we had a line that stretched out to the highway.”

Cusick is a good place to watch a rodeo, according to Pat McLaughlin, owner of Shamrock Rodeo Co., who supplied the stock.

“I don’t get to see many of the old school, covered grandstands,” he said.

Ryson Sweeney of Deer Park collected the rodeo’s biggest check, $1,200 for his 79-point ride in the bull riding. He was the only competitor to make a qualified ride.

Newport’s Austin Krogh won the saddle bronc riding, taking home $740 for his 66-point ride. He also was the only cowboy to make a qualified ride in that event.

The open barrel racing had the most entries, with 32 competitors, too many for the paid rodeo performances, so a slack performance was held for the overflow. Pam Coker of Cheney won that event with a time of 17.786 seconds. She won $685 for her Friday night run.

The bareback riding was won by Koel Keogh.

He took home $680 for his 64-point ride.

Sam Wilson won the breakaway roping with a 3.89 second run, collecting $640.

The chute dogging is an event held at Cusick and not many other places.

It is like steer wrestling (bulldogging) except the contestant starts on the ground, then throws a steer. Blake Rice won first and pocketed $636 for his 2.87 second run.

The Spokane team of Ty Schlect and Sam Parker repeated as winners in the team roping, facing up in 8.15 seconds. They collected $580 for the win.

They also won the event at the 2024 Cusick rodeo.

Prize money wasn’t available for the ranch bronc riding, which was won by Carson Angell with a 73-point ride. Contestants could enter twice and he also won third with a 70-point ride.

The junior barrel racing was won by Lexi Byrne with a 19.057 second run. She collected $160.

The junior bull riding was won by Dalton Monoian with a 72-point ride for $100.

One of the crowd’s favorite events is the mutton busting, where children attempt to ride a sheep. Friday’s event was won by Cora Bernard and Kaylynn Kalstrom won Saturday.

McLaughlin, the rodeo stock contractor, said the bull rider who was stepped on by a bull Saturday was transported by ambulance to the Newport Community Hospital. He was able to return to the rodeo grounds after being treated, McLaughlin said.

“The ambulance crew was phenomenal,” he said of the Fire District 4 ambulance.