A young cowboy pounces on a pig as other contestants race to capture one of five remaining pigs during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo pig scramble on July 4, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)
Rodeo fans packed the stands each night of the Vale 4th of July Rodeo and Suicide Race, with festivities in and out of the arena spanning Friday through Monday. Pigs were scrambled, muttons busted, and a new rodeo queen crowned as the sun set on Independence Day.
Cowboys and spectators partook in classic rodeo events like bull riding and wild cow milking, plus fan favorites like the Vale Suicide Race that saw two local cowgirls speeding down Rinehart Butte. Some left with prize money and pigs, others hats and hamburgers from local vendors – but all took home good cheer and the Vale rodeo spirit.
Spectators cheer on a friend at the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 3, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Kami Hawkins, 1st place winner and one of only two contestants in this year’s Suicide Race, races towards the finish line at the Vale 4th of July Rodeo on July 3, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)A mutton buster waits his turn during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)The Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 4, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Cowboy and bronc race out of the gates, hand and hooves in the air, on the last day of the the Vale 4th of July Rodeo on July 4, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)A cowboy prepares before the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Brogan Bair, the 2022 Vale 4th of July Rodeo and Suicide Race Queen, rides out her reign on the last day of the rodeo, July 4, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)A saddle bronc rider during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 3, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Pig scramble during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Spectators and referees watch as a contestant races out of the gate, rope at the ready, during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo roping on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)Mutton Busting during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Flag girls gallop around the arena on the second day of the Vale 4th of July Rodeo, signaling the start of the rodeo on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)Spectators line up to watch the Suicide Race at the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 3, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)A young girl shows off her prize after successfully catching a pig in the Vale 4th of July Rodeo pig scramble on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)Mutton Busting during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Cowboys watch the evening’s festivities above the bucking chutes at the Vale 4th of July Rodeo on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)A saddle bronc rider during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 3, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Young rodeo fans dance in the lamplight of the arena walkway as music blasts from the loudspeakers on the first day of the Vale 4th of July Rodeo on July 1, 2022. (The Enterprise/CYNTHIA LIU)Mutton Busters before the event during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Referees during the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale on July 2, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)Spectators line up to watch the Suicide Race at the Vale 4th of July Rodeo in Vale, Ore. on July 3, 2022. (The Enterprise/ISAAC WASSERMAN)
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