Cowboy Breakfast kicks off fair, rodeo
A rider waits to give the signal in the bucking bronco contest at the Pee Wee Stampede.
Cheryl Schweizer
Madelyn Lewison receives the first runner-up crown at the Pee Wee Stampede queen contest, presented by Miss Moses Lake Roundup Brianna Kin Kade.
Harper Carey, queen of the Pee Wee Stampede, poses for a picture with Miss Moses Lake Roundup Brianna Kin Kade.
A rider waits to give the signal in the bucking bronco contest at the Pee Wee Stampede.
Buck Brumet gives it his best shot in the roping contest at the Pee Wee Stampede.
Sawyer Burress and his bronc come out of the gate during the bucking bronco contest at the Pee Wee Stampede, the children’s games at the Cowboy Breakfast.
Aubree Gonzalez rounds a barrel, or a reasonable facsimile, in the barrel race at the Pee Wee Stampede. The children’s games are a traditional part of the Cowboy Breakfast.
Charleigh Brumet waves to the crowd during the grand entry at the Pee Wee Stampede.
Madelyn Lewison receives the first runner-up crown from Moses Lake Roundup Queen Brianna Kin Kade in the queen contest of the Pee Wee Stampede.
Harper Carey is crowned queen of the Pee Wee Stampede by Miss Moses Lake Roundup Brianna Kin Kade. The children’s games are part of the annual Cowboy Breakfast, the traditional kickoff for the Grant County Fair and Moses Lake Roundup.
Buck Brumet ropes his steer in the Pee Wee Stampede roping contest at the annual Cowboy Breakfast Friday.
MOSES LAKE — A sunny summer Friday drew a big crowd to the 2022 edition of the Cowboy Breakfast.
So big, the cooks ran out of waffles.
And eggs.
The event is the traditional kickoff for the Grant County Fair, the Moses Lake Roundup and Demolition Derby. The fair starts Tuesday, the demolition derby is set for Tuesday and Wednesday and the rodeo is Thursday through Saturday.
Harper Carey reigned as the queen of the Pee Wee Stampede, the ridin’ and ropin’ games for children that are a traditional part of the breakfast.
The breakfast was sponsored by the Moses Lake chapter of Kiwanis, the Columbia Basin Rodeo Association, the Moses Lake Senior Center, Mason’s Coffee and AgriSured (Tom and Stacey Cobb).
Kiwanis President James Shank said the food drew a good crowd, but people don’t just come for breakfast.
“This is the real show over here,” Shank said, pointing to the children playing with the stick horses.
The Pee Wee Stampede features a stick-horse barrel race, stick-horse bucking broncos, roping a stationary steer head and the queen contest. It’s for children nine and under.
The rodeo came complete with its own clown, makeup and all, who goes by the name of Chayce Cobb when he’s not working the arena. Shank asked him if he was thinking of making a career out of it.
“Nah, not really,” Cobb said.
Madelyn Lewison was the first runner-up in the Queen Contest, and both the queen and runner-up got a crown and sash. Moses Lake Roundup Queen Brianna Kin Kade, one of the judges, confessed it was a tough choice.
Contestants rode around the arena on stick horses and waved to the crowd, and answered a question from emcee Tom Cobb. The bronc riders jumped in the air, putting those stick horses through their paces, while the barrel racers ran the traditional three-leaf-clover pattern — more or less.
Some of the young buckaroos had no idea what to do with the rope they were given to rope the steer; some needed a little coaching and sometimes a little help. Sometimes it was a little tough to figure out that barrel racing course, too. A couple of them figured it was just as good to circle one of the barrels twice.
Each winner received a gift certificate that entitled them and members of their family to tickets to a rodeo performance.
