‘Keep calm and do your job’: Young Guns prepared and excited for Crooked River Roundup

(Update: adding video, comments from Young Guns)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Crooked River Roundup starts Thursday night in Prineville.

But it would just not be the same without its Young Guns.

The Young Guns are children under 18 competing in events like barrel racing, team roping, breakaways and more.

Kasey Every does marketing for the Crooked River Roundup and thinks the Young Guns are perfect for this rodeo. 

“The Crooked River Roundup is very family-friendly, and I think this just adds to their offering," Every said, "And they are the Cowboy Capital of Oregon in Prineville, so it just seemed like a natural fit for them.”

Every helped bring the Young Guns to the rodeo.

“What is a way that we can get more kids involved in rodeo, from the grandstands watching to the actual kids that want to compete?” Every asked herself while coming up with the idea.

This year’s group has 41 contestants competing in nine different events.

Eight-year-old Blakely Every is a barrel racer. She enjoys putting the work in at practice every day.

“It gets (me} better at the rodeo -- and then I do better at the rodeo,” Blakely said. 

But mostly she likes the thrill.

“Because it's really fun,” Blakely said. “I get to go fast.”

While Matthew Silva likes to win.

“I like roping just because when you catch a steer, you get a dally -- and then you hear the whole crowd go crazy,” 11-year-old Silva said. 

Paysenn Green, a 14-year-old, agrees. 

“I like rodeo because you get to meet a lot of different people -- and you can win,” Green said.

But these young cowboys know winning is not easy, and takes focus and preparation.

“Pretty hard for me, I have pretty bad nerves, but I've gotten better at them,” Green said. “Keep calm and do your job.”

Silva added, “I’m looking forward to going and doing my job. Look for my header to catch the steer and then me, clean him up.”

For Every and the Crooked River Roundup team, seeing kids with a passion for rodeo is already a win.

“Being able to give them this opportunity for the memories that are going to last them a lifetime is what I love to do,” Every said.