An event with dirt spraying, ropes flying and spurs snapping in the glow of a summer sun can only mean one thing: It’s rodeo time. Local residents and traveling patrons alike were treated to just that at the 35th Annual Colfax Junior Rodeo, held this past weekend at the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds.

The event, which is sponsored by the Palouse Empire Rodeo Association and is directly affiliated with the Eastern Washington Junior Rodeo Association, featured various competitions among age groups that ranged from zero to 18 years old.

Yes, even the kindergarteners were whipping out their lassos at the livestock. To showcase the sport and its various cultural traditions, the EWJRA was incorporated in 1990 as a nonprofit organization.

The EWJRA keeps the rodeo tradition alive said Bennie Beck, EWJRA chairperson.

“The junior rodeo was generally started not only to keep the sport going, but to also keep the children doing something,” Beck said.

Each rodeo age group at last weekends contest had a respective male and female division. The age divisions included little people, peewee (ages 6-8), junior (ages 6-9), intermediate (ages 12-14) and senior (ages 15-18).

One of the numerous intermediate and senior male events included bronc riding, consisting of both bareback and saddle riding alike.

In bareback riding, riders can only hang onto the horse with a rigging. On the other hand, saddle-riding participants use a specific saddle attached to a halter. With only the senior boys division participate in the bronc riding event, Matt Olson took home first place with a score of 65 points. All divisions besides the intermediate and senior boys participate in the same events. The events include barrels, breakaway, cow riding, goat tying, poles and steer daubing.

Mattie Jo Johnson put forth one of the best performances of the weekend, taking first place in the intermediate girls division in both steer daubing and poles. In the senior boys division, Eli Knapp won both chute dogging and steer wrestling, and he also took second to his brother, Eric, in calf roping.

As it turned out, the weekend was more than just the horses and cows. Another traditional component of the weekend was the presentation of the Junior Rodeo’s 2010 Royal Court.

“The royalty of each particular rodeo tries to go to as many different rodeos as possible and advertise the next and upcoming rodeo,” Beck said.

The 2010 Colfax Junior Rodeo Royal Court consists of the EWJRA Queen Haley Wainwright, First Princess Madeline Leyva and Princess Kristany Fitzthum.

The EWJRA and contests like the one this past weekend could be a stepping stone for young riders who may want to continue