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Rodeo celebrates independence, cowboy heritageWAIMEA, Hawaii (AP)--While much of America celebrates Independence Day with parades and family cookouts, cowboys on the Big Island mark it with a rodeo. Parker Ranch hosts dozens of cowboys, or paniolo, for competition and a celebration of Hawaii's ranching heritage. "In Hawaii, the early rodeo in Naalehu was always on the Fourth of July. It was a huge weekend," said Billy Bergin, co-founder of the Paniolo Preservation Society. "You celebrate the cowboy life with a rodeo, not fireworks. The independence of cowboys and the freedom of the range are synonymous with the Fourth of July." Bergin, a veterinarian who has worked decades on Big Island ranches, said the 46th annual Parker Ranch Horse Races and Rodeo is paying special tribute to three cowboys who traveled far from their island homes to compete in the 1908 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in Wyoming. "They came home with a national championship," Bergin said. "Hawaii's paniolo heritage really means paying homage to the cowboys of the century gone by." Ikua Purdy, born at Parker Ranch in 1873, made history in Wyoming when he won the world roping championship in 56-seconds flat. Fellow cowboys Archie Kaaua and Jack Low also did well, placing third and sixth, respectively, all on borrowed horses. "It is entirely appropriate that we honor Ikua, Archie and Jack at this year's rodeo," said Parker Ranch president and CEO Chris J. Kanazawa. "These humble cowboys opened eyes across the nation 100 years ago when their skills were successfully put to the test among the best of their peers in Cheyenne. They put Hawaii's paniolo on the map and did so Hawaiian-style, with humility and dignity." Brandi Beaudet, rodeo chairman and Parker Ranch cowboy, said the event has become something of a reunion. "This is becoming quite a tradition," he said, with its origins stretching back to World War II. "Parker Ranch put on the rodeo for the soldiers training here at Camp Tarawa. Then, a few years ago, we started inviting our neighbors over for some good, clean rodeo fun." The Waimea rodeo differs from others, Beaudet said, because all the participants are working cowboys, not professional rodeo entertainers. "These guys are all cowboys 24/7. They live the life," he said. "This event is time for the ranchers to get together, have some fun, rekindle old friendships and entertain the community." Among those who were entertained was the Parmiter family from Fairfield, Conn. "We belong to a riding club and do have competitions, but I prefer this because I grew up in Texas," said Leslie Parmiter, 53. "This is more my style." As she dug into a plate of rice and beef stew, Parmiter said she appreciated the family feel of the rodeo. "It's a lot less commercial here," she said. "I like that it's the local cowboys who work on ranches doing the events and that the whole community is involved." Daughter Avery, 15, said horses were about the only common factor between a Hawaii rodeo and the dressage competitions she is used to at home. "Our club is way more proper. This is way different," she said. "I really enjoyed all the events. I liked seeing the way they ride and all the calf-roping events." Her mother said other than the spectacle of fireworks in New York City on the Fourth of July, spending the day kicking up the red dust in Waimea and joining in the whooping and hollering at a Hawaii rodeo is an excellent way to celebrate the country's birthday. "I would put this second after New York, because it's so unique and it's such a beautiful setting," she said. "This really is a treat." Parker Ranch, founded in 1847, celebrated 160 years of paniolo heritage in 2007 and surrounds the town of Waimea spanning approximately 150,000 acres between the Kohala mountains and Mauna Kea. 8/25/08 Date: 8/15/08
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