A litle Lake Chelan Rodeo history

CHELAN - The first rodeo in Chelan was in 1921 on the beach between where the Marina (Lake Chelan) is located to up around the park swimming area. There was no arena just everyone’s wagons, buggies, cars parked in a big circle.  
It was a ranch rodeo between ranches up the Methow and Okanogan Valley and Walter Griffith (my grandfather) Ranch in Manson. The rodeo was held on his property at the end of orchard he operated at the location of present day Don Morse Park.

When the lake was raised, an arena was built on the  just off the lakeshore and rodeos were held there every 4th of July until 1954, when the arena and grandstand was dismantled and moved to the present location.  Part of the original grandstand was used up until the 1980’s.  

From 1950 to 1967 the rodeo was a RCA, now PRCA rodeo, and featured some of the biggest names in the business. 

In 1968 the rodeo became a WRA rodeo (now PWRA) and was that until 1996 when the rodeo went back to PRCA rodeo for three years and then back into the amateur ranks with PWRA.

This year due to scheduling conflicts with other PWRA sanctioned rodeos in Oregon the rodeo is an Open Rodeo and any and all competitors may enter regardless of affiliation or association.   

The Chelan Rustlers produced the rodeo from 1954 to 2008.  Rodeo Lake Chelan was produced by Steve Stamps and Greg Oules from 2009 to 2012, and now the Lake Chelan Rodeo is produced by the Chelan FFA Alumni.  

Chelan has produced some pretty fair rodeo cowboys over last 97 years.  In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.  It was almost the bull riding center of the universe with seven of the top 20 bull riders in the PRCA calling Chelan home.  Greg Oules, Rob Sweeny, Justin Pitts, Lenny Holden, Si Holden, Del Holden, and Del Everanno.  Chelan had a strong Jr.

Rodeo throughout the 1970s and 80s and this led to the success of these young men.   The Jr. Rodeo took a 21 year break was resurrected 13 years ago.