September 21, 2015 

When Martha Pellegrino, the City of Portland’s Director of Government Relations, invited me to represent the City at the Pendleton Round-Up, I jumped at the chance.

But first, she told me I would need to invest in western wear.

So naturally I headed to the Outdoor Store, and asked my friend Larry Allen to outfit me. He sold me a straw hat, a pair of boots, three Pendleton shirts, and a belt.

Now, I was ready for the Round-Up.

The world famous Pendleton Round-Up is held the second week of every September. It is 105 years old and draws 50,000 visitors to this Eastern Oregon city of about 16,000. The rodeo is affiliated with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and is a qualifier for the finals held in Las Vegas.

I arrived in Pendleton on Thursday after a spectacular drive through the Columbia River Gorge.

Click here to read more about Nick's trip to the Round-Up!