Sisters Rodeo Queen, community now looking ahead to next summer
Update: Adding video, comments from the Rodeo Queen, Sisters business owner)
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Sisters Rodeo community is hurting, but already looking ahead.
The 80th sisters rodeo was canceled Tuesday night for the second straight year.
The event is normally the start of the busy tourist season.
Molly Wymer, general manager of Sisters Meat & Smokehouse, knows the impact the rodeo can have.
"It just brings a ton of people to town and we feel it, we see it,” Wymer said Wednesday.
After the past year of changing COVID-19 restrictions, Wymer is confident her business can make it through another summer without the rodeo.
Stiil, she said, it will be tough.
"You know, for us, we just feel for the community. It hurts everybody,” Wymer said.
Sisters Rodeo Queen Mary Olney has been waiting since 2019 to represent one of Sisters' biggest event.
"Man it was just down to the last wire,” Olney said. “They were so determined to make it happen, and everyone thought it was going to happen."
Olney applauded the Sisters Rodeo Board for their effort,s but acknowledged some things are out of their control.
"Some things just -- they don't turn out. But I feel like everything happens for a reason,” Olney said.
Since Olney was originally selected as the Sisters Rodeo queen, she has graduated high school, completed welding school and started a full-time job.
She is able to find some positive in the second cancellation.
"There's sorrow, of course. But there's not much, because that just gives us even more time to make it better,” Olney said.
Wymer is trying to be just as optimistic about the upcoming summer.
"It's not stopping people from coming," she said. "It's just slowing people down, I think, from getting where they want to be.”
While it's not preferable, Wymer and Olney said they completely support the board's decision to cancel the event.
They both are looking forward to next year, for what Olney called the "biggest 'Biggest Little Show in the World.’"
"Don't you worry -- the third time's the charm, and it's going to be bigger and better than ever,” Olney said with a smile.
