Weiser Rodeo draws hundreds eager to catch the action

Hundreds of spectators and participants braved 100-degree temperatures to take part in the 2021 Weiser Valley Round-Up, which was held July 8-10 at Fred Hust Arena.
 After a year absence, many expressed their pleasure and excitement at being able to attend the event and witness all of the sights and sounds Weiser’s rodeo has to offer.
 People came from all over the region to take part or watch the events, including at least one from Boise who said she had marked her calendar months ago.
 “I love everything rodeo,” said Melissa Maltis, who drove to Weiser with her two daughters. “I love sports, especially football, but the only thing to compare to watching that, is the rodeo. We were really bummed about last year: there was really nothing to do, nowhere to go, so now we’re taking advantage of everything we can. Sometimes it takes something like the pandemic to make you realize all the stuff you took for granted.”
 Weiser Valley Round-Up President Joe Qualls said he was pleased how the event turned out.
 “I think it was a very successful rodeo,” he told the Weiser Signal American. “The crowds were good and it was successful.”
 Medical personnel and first responders served as this year’s Grand Marshals.
 Weiser Round-Up organizers spoke highly of the sacrifices made by men and women who, despite the danger of the COVID-19 virus, continued working on the front lines during the lockdown.
 “While nations across the globe were shut down in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, a large group of people were forced to continue on as usual to keep us safe,” organizers expressed in a statement inside the event program. “Tonight, while we gather together for the first time in two years to enjoy the sport of rodeo, the Weiser Valley Round-Up Committee would like to recognize the individuals that work in the medical field and the brave people that serve as first responders as our 2021 Grand Marshals.”