Back country roads lead to quiet prairies filled with ranch homes, grain silos, and abandoned farms scattered all along the outskirts of Pendleton, Oregon. Don’t let the quiet fool you. Every September—the second full week to be exact—this town of just over 17,000 tucked in a valley of rolling hills and wheat fields sees more than 50,000 people descend for one of the most action-packed and time-honored events in rodeo and in the West: the Pendleton Round-Up. Founded in 1910, it’s bucking stronger than ever. When you experience it, you realize just how much the motto “Let ’er buck!” really means.
The community and schools shut down
