Rascal Rodeo offers special cowboy fun

The Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo hosted the second annual ‘Rascal Rodeo’ Saturday at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.

Rascal Rodeo is a nonprofit organization that produces rodeo events for people with mental and physical disabilities.

There were about 25 to 30 participants who ranged from ages 4 to 65 at Saturday’s event.

This was the rodeo’s sixth event out of the seven they will do around the country this year.

NewsChannel 21 spoke with the founder and president of Rascal Rodeo about why the events are near to her heart.

“They don’t have that opportunity to be cowboys and cowgirls like we get to do on a daily basis,” Ann-Erica Whitemarsh said. “To be able to give them that opportunity — I started it for the participants, but I get just as much out of it as they do.”

Whitemarsh also said for many of the participants, this was their first time riding a horse. Other activities at the event included cow milking, steer roping, stick-horse barrel racing and bull riding.

Learn more at: http://www.rascalrodeo.org/