Paniolo young and old, along with steer, broncos, bulls and even sheep, had their turns in the spotlight this weekend as the 25th Annual Panaewa Stampede Rodeo kicked off.
Paniolo young and old, along with steer, broncos, bulls and even sheep, had their turns in the spotlight this weekend as the 25th Annual Panaewa Stampede Rodeo kicked off.
More than 9,000 people were expected to attend the event, held at the Panaewa Equestrian Center. This year, for the first time, the rodeo spanned the entire Presidents Day holiday. Today is the final day.
The Stampede is organized by nonprofit group Hawaii Horse Owners, Inc., with support from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Hawaii County. More than 230 competitors take part, with musical performances and entertainment from rodeo clown JJ Harrison scattered throughout the event.
Rodeos take place on Hawaii Island throughout the year. Next up on the calendar is Kona, followed by Honokaa and Ka‘u and ending with the September Parker Ranch rodeo.
Hilo’s rodeo is, unsurprisingly, the rainiest. By lunch on Saturday, a steady drizzle soaked the dirt arena and flattened horses’ coats.
Pepper, a quarter horse from Waimea, stood under a tent with rider Sage Lindsey, 10, on his back. Their event wasn’t for another twenty minutes, but the pair were ready for youth barrel racing.
The Stampede is the only island rodeo to offer the event. Typically, barrel racing is a female-only event but kane ride at the youth level.
Lindsey, part of this year’s rodeo court along with Cathlynn Cabral-AhSing, Hilina‘i Gouveia and Bailey Ann Nobriga, said she practices with Pepper every day. It was her first year competing in the event, and the family had arrived at the grounds at 6 a.m.
“She loves the sport,” said sister Mandy Lindsey.
Barrel racing focuses on speed and agility with 1,000-pound horses making hairpin turns and churning through the soft dirt. “Turn and burn,” as Lindsey describes it. She said she had hoped another type of agility event, pole bending, would be included.
For some, the highlight of the rodeo is the team roping. Others come for the bull riding, the last event of the day. Junior bull riding takes place today.
Other events today will feature the best competitors from Saturday and Sunday. Awards will be presented for all-around cowboy and all-around cowgirl.
“We try to have a mix of the traditional (events) and the paniolo culture events, and then bring in new events we hear about on the mainland,” said Cindy Branco, a board member with Hawaii Horse Owners, Inc.
Po‘o wai u and double mugging are Hawaii-specific events, the first derived from an old paniolo trick of roping free-range cattle to a tree. In double mugging, two paniolo work together to rope and tie a cow.
The 2017 Stampede also featured a completely new event — ribbon mugging, where kane and wahine teams worked to mug a cow and remove a ribbon from its tail — alongside rodeo staples like bareback riding.
Branco, from her post at the ticket stand, can’t see the events as they happen. Instead, she said, she sees connections being made and new generations coming in to join the rodeo tradition.
Barrel racer Nahea Brenneman of Paauilo agreed.
“It’s a fun family rodeo,” she said.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.