OREGON EXPERIENCE: Pendleton Round-Up: The Wild West Way Premieres Thursday, September 9

The Pendleton Round-Up turns 100 this September. It’s not the oldest rodeo in the country, and not even close to the biggest. But according to the cowboys who compete there, it’s one of the best. And besides, the Round-Up is far more than just a rodeo. The next OREGON EXPERIENCE goes behind the scenes to explore the Round-Up’s rich history, including rodeo clowns and Indian pageants, and a succession of rodeo riders – African-American, Native-American and women – who defied the prejudices of the times to become crowd favorites.

"Pendleton Round-Up: The Wild West Way," airing Thursday, September 9 at 8pm on the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting, is an action-packed hour filled with fierce community spirit, pageantry and tradition passed from generation to generation.

The Round-Up began in 1910. Portland and the Willamette Valley were growing fast. Pendleton didn't want to be left behind and was looking for a blockbuster event to attract people to the area. So a group of civic-minded businessmen led by a young attorney named Roy Raley came up with the idea for a frontier extravaganza, building on the strengths of their Wild-West heritage. From the very beginning, it was nonstop entertainment choreographed with fierce bulls, bucking broncs and the best exhibition around. An extraordinary number of local volunteers run the whole operation, making a year-round commitment to this week-long event. The Round-Up, in turn, has become inextricably intertwined with the Pendleton community and the Umatilla Reservation. The active Native-American presence has kept the Round-Up distinctive throughout these many years. The Indian village at the Round-Up is the largest encampment on the professional rodeo circuit.

Much of "The Wild West Way," co-produced by Nadine Jelsing and Eric Cain, is illustrated with amazing archival film from some of the earliest Round-Ups, plus action-packed still photography from the Oregon Historical Society, the Umatilla County Historical Society and several private collections.

OREGON EXPERIENCE filmed last year's Round-Up and spent another week in Pendleton earlier this summer interviewing the variety of folks that make the event happen.

See a story-filled interview with 100-year-old Alan "Monty" Carden, who was America's oldest living rodeo clown until his death just a few months ago. Watch the daredevil rides of legendary old-time cowgirls. Hear from Bob Chambers who announced the rodeo event for 23 years. Drop by the legendary Hotel de Cowpunch, the very informal bunkhouse atop the Severe Brothers Saddle Shop. Learn about the Round-Up queen and her court, and meet the woman who sews the traditional split-leather outfits worn by the court "royalty."

Tune in Thursday, September 9 at 8pm on OPB and watch online anytime after the broadcast at watch.opb.org.

About OREGON EXPERIENCE

OREGON EXPERIENCE is an exciting history series on OPB TV that brings to life fascinating stories that help us understand who we are and that reinforce our shared identity as Oregonians. The series, co-produced by the Oregon Historical Society and Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), takes advantage of the extensive film, video and stills from the archives of OHS and OPB, and draws upon the expertise of OHS researchers and historians. Each half-hour show features captivating characters -- both familiar and forgotten -- who have played key roles in building our state into the unique place we call home. Funding for OREGON EXPERIENCE is provided in part by James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and Oregon Cultural Trust.

Oregon Public Broadcasting Announces Recipient of the Maynard E. Orme Internship

Oregon Public Broadcasting is pleased to announce that Simon Boas is the 2010 recipient of the Maynard E. Orme Internship. He recently received his BA in Journalism: Electronic Media from the University of Oregon. The endowed internship honors Maynard Orme, who retired in 2005 after a 19-year career as OPB's president and chief executive officer.

Boas, a Beaverton resident, will be interning in the OPB News Department for three months beginning in September. His experience includes an internship with the Santiago Times, an English language newspaper in Santiago, Chile. He also worked as a producer for Santiago Radio and served as managing editor for FLUX Magazine at UO.

“I've been a huge fan of public broadcasting for years -- on the radio, television and online," said Boas. "Because of this, the Maynard E. Orme Internship has been one of my long-standing goals since I found out about it at the University of Oregon. Being selected to work with all the talent at OPB through this internship is a dream come true.”

The scholarship was established to further development of Oregon-produced programming and inspire University of Oregon Journalism and Communication students to develop skills toward careers in telecommunications and broadcast journalism. Said Orme, "I am grateful to those who contributed to the establishment of this endowment that introduces public broadcasting to some of our best and brightest students. It's a win-win situation for both the students and OPB."

The internship was made possible by generous gifts from Rocky and Julie Dixon and additional support from donors from around Oregon and Southern Washington.

Candidates for the Orme Internship must be enrolled at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. For more information on the internship go to www.opb.org/insideopb/internships/

OPB's OREGON LENS Spotlights Northwest Independent Filmmakers

Oregon Public Broadcasting brings indie-theater directly into your home over five nights this month as the work of some of the Pacific Northwest's most talented independent producers is showcased on OREGON LENS August 16-20 at 10pm.

"We've got some exceptional films in season 12," said Steve Amen, executive producer and host of OREGON LENS. "Oregon is rising fast on the independent filmmaking scene. I've had the pleasure of teaching a course in filmmaking at PSU over the past couple of years, and I continue to be amazed by the talent in our community," said Amen. "OREGON LENS provides viewers who may not have access to indie theaters in their communities a great opportunity to see the kind of innovative filmmaking for which this area is becoming known."

Monday kicks off the festival with two documentaries: "Kings of the Road” (produced by Dan Schaefer) tells the story of the Portland Buckaroos professional hockey team. In 1959, with its future in doubt -- a handful of players, an uncompleted arena, and the press denouncing the team as the worst ever fielded in the league -- all they could do was skate. Inconceivably, they eventually rise as division leaders and champions, winning more games than any other team in professional hockey from 1960-74. Next, “Every War Has Two Losers” (Haydn Reiss) uses the journals of poet and conscientious objector William Stafford to present another point of view on war and its ability to create security.

This year, one night is devoted exclusively to short animated films. On Tuesday, August 17, humorous stories, music videos, sci-fi and poignant messages are depicted in a variety of features running from a few seconds to several minutes. Opening the evening is “operation: FISH" (Jeff Riley) which took seven years and the help of many artists from the Portland animation scene to produce.

On Wednesday night, several short films headline the night, including: “Last Night, Long Ago” (Scott Ballard) about a woman preparing to move and her memories of the place she's leaving; “Between Night” (Scott Ballard) which shows how a rare find by a street sweeper leads to a break from routine; and “Reception,” (C.K. Lichenstein II) an unsettling story of a woman who wakes up injured, confused and lost in the woods and makes a desperate phone call to the only person she can get a hold of -- a man who wants to help her and yet seems to know more than he's letting on. "I really enjoyed these short films," said Amen. "The stories are great and the cinematography exceptional."

Thursday night stay tuned for more short documentaries. “Fumiko Hayashida The Woman Behind the Symbol” (Lucy Ostrander) looks at Japanese internment camps during WWII. “Enter the Beard” (Scott Ballard) is Matt Lawrence’s documentary about the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships in Anchorage, Alaska. And the “Adreneline Film Project" (Kate Brown) is a behind-the-scenes look at the University of Oregon's intensive narrative film production workshop in which university students and local filmmakers write, shoot and edit a film in just 72 hours. "Hook It and Book It" (Rebecca Toews) looks at "repoman" Jay Gates line of work.

Friday's finale includes two short documentaries: “Silent Conversation” (Elizabeth Weissenborn) is a beautifully shot film profiling two Argentine tango dancers and their relationship with the dance, and “Pushing It” (Elizabeth Weissenborn) -- a conversation with a motorcycle high-speed racer. The evening and our series concludes with, “Know Your Stuff: What’s in a cup of coffee” (Wen Lee). This behind-the scenes look at production of coffee is followed by a trip to Costa Rica in search of a coffee adventure.