Bobby Mote of Culver, Ore., took the all-around title at this year’s 72nd annual Founders Day Rodeo at the Tonasket Commancheros Rodeo Grounds June 2-3.
     Mote, who was 2002 PRCA world champion in bareback, tied for first with a score of 77 in bareback riding (with Noah Bayes, Adrian, Ore.) and was fourth in team roping with partner Brandon Beers, Powell Butte, Ore.
     Mote received an all-around buckle sponsored by Double S Meats.
     Willy Ives, Omak, tacked on another payday to the start of a terrific season riding bulls in the Columbia River Circuit.
     Ives, who is trying to reach his first-ever CRC finals, finished second in the third annual Jeremy Ives Memorial Bull Riding Friday night, June 1.
     The top five riders from the long go qualified for the championship short go. Joe Meling of Pendleton, Ore., rode Big Bend Rodeo Co.’s 5-year-old Patrol 94 to a score of 90 to finish with the best total on two heads.
     Besides the money, Motes also won a Montana Silver Smith belt buckle, a jacket from Pro-Stitch Embroidery, a 30-30 rifle donated by Melvin Ives and $600 donated in memory of Willie Burton.
     Willy Ives, who is a cousin of Jeremy Ives, and Stratford’s Colby Reilly, who travels with Meling, were the only two other riders to ride two head. Ives had an 88 in the finals while Colby had an 86. That left both riders tied on two head.
     They each also received $100 in memory of Willie Burton.
     The five finalists - others were Garett Wolfe and Aaron Hammer - also received a beaded feather donated by Jody Cook and J&J Smoke Shop in Okanogan and a Jeremy Ives T-shirt donated by Connie Shaver.
     After no one could score during Saturday’s PRCA bull riding, Ives racked up a score of 76 to win the second go, the average and a little more than $462.
     As of June 4, Ives is in first place in CRC bull riding standings with winnings of $1,549.
     Omak’s Sev Carden finished third to win about $230. He’s ranked seventh in CRC with $384.
     New this year was Old West bronc riding, an event added by rodeo chairman Paul Vickers.
     Kayle Gray, Cheney, bucked his way through the weekend to claim not only first place in the first Old West bronc riding event, but also first place in the PRCA saddle bronc competition.
     Donnie Hutsell’s Big Bend Rodeo Co. and Flying 5 provided stock.
     Vickers said he added the Old West event because he wanted to put the word “fun” back into the description of a rodeo. Next year he’s looking at possibly adding a bronc riding event with a twist.
     “The boys really liked it,” said Vickers of the Out West bronc riding. “They had fun. That was our whole deal this weekend, to have fun.”
     To get the new event going, he got Stockland Livestock Exchange in Davenport, the Elks in Baker City, Ore., and HLT Construction to put up $500 apiece.
     Vickers, who hauls livestock for Hutsell, got his boss to bring the broncs.
     In an event at the end of each rodeo - the Out West Run for the Crown (big bottle of Crown Royal whiskey) - James Irish of Dillon, Mont., won on Saturday, and Billy Hendrickson, Arlee, Mont., won on Sunday.
     Interestingly, they tied for fourth and fifth places in the Out West bronc riding, and are traveling companions to rodeos.
     “Those Montana boys must have been thirsty,” said Vickers.
     In other rodeo events, Jayna Kent-Isaac, Yakima, won the barrel racing for the second straight year. This year she won in 17.18 seconds, four-tenths of a second faster than second place.
     Kent-Isaac won the event last year en route to the CRC finals.
     Results:
     Third annual Jeremy Ives Memorial Bull Riding - 1, Joe Meling, Pendleton, Ore., 86, 90, $1,890. 2-3 on two head, Willy Ives (88 in finals), Omak, and Colby Reilly (86 in finals), Stratford, about $1,400 each. 4, Garett Wolfe, Wenatchee. 5, Aaron Hammer.
     First Old West bronc riding - 1, Kayle Gray, Cheney, 164 on two. 2, Frank McKay, Burns, Ore. 3, Gary Alger, Pendleton, Ore. 4-5, Billy Hendrickson, Arlee Mont., and James Irish, Dillon, Mont.
     PRCA results ($11,252.75 total payout)
     Bull riding, first go - No rides.
     Bull riding, second go - 1, Willy Ives, 76, $231.27. 2, Troy Clinton, 66, $173.38. 3, Sev Carden, 64, $115.38.
     Bull riding, average - 1, Willy Ives, 76, $231.27. 2, Troy Clinton, 66, $173.38. 3, Sev Carden, 64, $115.38.
     Steer wrestling, first go - 1, Erik Johnson, 4.7, $219.56. 2, Ryan Grenell, 5.1, $168.89. 3, Bart Fouts, 5.5, $118.22.
     Steer wrestling, second go - 1, Brad Goodrich, 4.6, $202.67. 2, Erik Johnson, 5.0, $152. 3, Ryan Grenell, 5.1, $101.33. 4, Bart Fouts, 8.2, $50.67.
     Steer wrestling, average - 1, Erik Johnson, 9.7, $202.67. 2, Ryan Grenell, 10.2, $152. 3, Bart Fouts, 13.7, $270.22.
     Barrel racing - 1, Jayna Kent-Isaac, 17.18, $564.77. 2, Chris Powers, 17.58, $467.40. 3, Kristie Hurn, 17.68, $370.02. 4, Judi McDonald, 17.71, $272.65. 5, Kim Kammenzind, 17.72, $175.27. 6 (tie), Debbie Freemantle and Gretchen Schultz, 17.78, $48.68 each.
     Bareback - 1-2, Bobby Mote and Noah Bayes, 77, $425.60 each. 3, Sean Culver, 76, $243.20. 4 (tie), Kirk Giovanini and Dustin Mulrony, 74, $60.80 each.
     Saddle bronc, first go - 1, Kayle Gray, 82, $157.07. 2, Ivan Tibbs, 71, $117.80.
     Saddle bronc, second go - 1, Kayle Gray, 78, $157.07. 2, Ivan Tibbs, 74, $117.80.
     Saddle bronc, average - 1, Kayle Gray, 160, $157.07. 2, Ivan Tibbs, 145, $117.80.
     Tie-down roping - 1, Brock Palmer, 11.5, $741.00. 2, Joe Hoffman, 11.8, $555.75. 3, Brad Goodrich, 12.2, $370.50. 4, Jason Minor, 12.7, $185.25.
     Team roping - 1, Keith Winter/Joe Bergivne, 6.6, $722. 2, Brett Hale/Taylor White, 7.4, $541.50. 3, Kass Kayser/Jason Minor, 7.8, $361. 4, Bobby Mote/Brandon Beers, 13.0, $180.50.