The success of the Bly, Ore., rodeo encouraged neighboring Lakeview, some 46 miles east of Bly on State Rte. 140, to create its own rodeo.
Now known as the Lake County Roundup, it is the fourth oldest rodeo in Oregon, celebrating its 98th anniversary on Sept. 1-4 this year.
The Lakeview Chamber of Commerce held a special meeting on July 9, 1920, to discuss the possibility of holding a roundup in Lakeview, an idea that met with enthusiasm. A committee submitted the names of 52 firms and individuals willing to give $100 each to finance the show. They selected officers, wrote by-laws and began the tradition of holding roundups on Labor Day weekends.
Land was cleared for an arena, grandstand, racetrack and baseball field. The three-day, 1920, round-up included a parade, “aeroplane stunting,” riding, roping, and dancing. More than 4,000 spectators attended.
A pre-rodeo Lake County Horse Show will be held on Aug. 31 this year, followed by a Ranch Rodeo and team brandings on Sept. 1, country singer Tucker Beathard on Sept.2, and two PRCA rodeo performances on Sept. 3 and 4, including a Labor Day morning parade.
Sources: "Lake County Fair and Round Up." Miss Rodeo Oregon, 2017 2017 Miss Rodeo Oregon Inc., 2017, www.missrodeooregon.com/rodeo/lake-county-fair-and-round-up/. Accessed 13 July 2017; "History." Lake County Round-Up, Lake County Round-Up, 2017, www.lakecountyroundup.com/history.html. Accessed 13 July 2017.
