It might’ve been my first rodeo, but it won’t be my last!

“It’s part action movie, part rock show blurring into the superbowl. It feels modern, but bull riding itself goes back to the bronze age. And that’s true for rodeo contests in general: bull riding, barrel racing or wild cow milking, they’re all based on tradition, and in keeping those traditions alive.

‘Let ‘Er Buck’ makes a lot of sense from the back of a bull. But as we find out, it’s much more than a rodeo shout: it’s a way of life.”

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘The Hidden Trails of Oregon.’ In our second episode, we’re leaping headfirst into the rodeo to end all rodeos, the 115 year-old Pendleton Roundup!

In this episode, host Aaron Millar tests his mettle on a massive mechanical hog, before climbing into the stands for a (literally) explosive ‘Xtreme Bulls’ finale. We’ll lean over the bucking chutes and get clobbered by dirt flung from bronco hooves. But the roundup isn’t all spectacle, it’s also about family and tradition. We’ll step back in time to learn about the history of the event while sipping whiskey in the notorious ‘Let ‘er Buck’ room. Stories of champions, princesses, suicide-racers and steer-wrestlers wait around every corner.

We’ll meet a generational indigenous horse relay racing team, hand them microphones, and listen in on their insane bare-back bid for victory. And through it all explore the western ties that bring all these groups to rodeo together each September.

LET ‘ER BUCK!

Remember you can see all of this yourself. Go to PendletonRoundup.com for details and take our advice: book early!

Plan your next Oregon adventure at TravelOregon.com

Thank you to all guests featured on the show: Toni Minthorn, Scott and Dylan Abramson, Pat Nogle and Butch Knowles

A special thank you to Greg and Petra for showing us such a great time, we can’t wait to come back.

This series was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Find out more at armchair-productions.com

Brian Thacker led our pre-production, Charles Tyrie assisted on audio editing, and the episode was recorded by Jason Paton who also wrote and co-produced along with host Aaron Millar.

Thank you to our guests: Bobbie Conner, Rich Wandschneider, Jacey Sohappy, and Nancy Crenshaw

Do you want to know what it's like to stand at the feet of giants? It feels something like this...

Check out the full series, Hidden Trails of Oregon, for an immersive first-person journey across America’s wild, weird, and wonder-filled state.

Recorded on-location in surround sound audio, this documentary style podcast is designed to put you in the heart of Oregon’s most spectacular travel experiences. 

Led by expert guides and local characters, award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar will take you beyond the guidebook to reveal Oregon’s secrets and discover the places only locals know.

For more information visit traveloregon.com

Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts of the travel industry.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jason Paton