Silver State rodeo back in Fallon

FALLON " Marcia de Braga sat at the kitchen counter in her Stillwater home recently, looking at all the things in front of her.

However, she wasn't looking at pies, cakes or anything that was edible. Piled on the counter were dozens of papers, all of them pertaining to the 23rd Silver State International Rodeo.

When the phone rang, she didn't answer it by saying "Hello" or "De Braga residence." Instead, she said "Rodeo office."

That's how things are for de Braga as she prepares each year for Fallon's biggest rodeo.

"A lot of what we have to do for this rodeo is very last minute," de Braga said, "because we don't know who the champions from each state and province are going to be until they finish their finals."

According to de Braga, it takes about 80 people, all of them volunteers, to do everything that needs to be done. Volunteers do things like work the arena, pen and feed the animals, officiate and do office work. Although she has a lot of help, as executive secretary, it's ultimately de Braga's responsibility to see that everything gets done.

This is nothing new for her. It's an annual chore, as she's been the rodeo's secretary since its inception. She does her work with the enthusiasm of a mother helping her child. That's no surprise, because the SSIR essentially is her baby: She's the one who started it.

The year was 1985. De Braga, who then was the Nevada High School Rodeo Association state secretary, and Rich Lee, then the National High School Rodeo Association secretary, were on their way home after a meeting. They began to talk about how sad it was that so many really good rodeo contestants didn't qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo, which invites only those who finish in the top four from their state in each event. They felt the reserve champions " those who finish from fifth through 10th place " should have a rodeo they could go to.

So, they decided to start one. They involved their spouses and got the rodeo going the following year. Originally known as the Nevada International Invitational Rodeo, the first one in 1986 was open only to contestants from Western states and provinces, and had only 120 or so contestants. In 1987, it was expanded to include contestants from every U.S. state and Canadian province that belonged to the NHSRA. Feeling the original title was too cumbersome, they changed the name to Silver State International Rodeo in 1988.

Twenty-three years later, the SSIR is bigger and better than ever. It has grown into a big-name event that draws between 400 and 500 contestants each year from all over the United States and Canada. A record of 517 came for the 2006 event. De Braga expects nearly 500 to attend this year.

"It's exciting. There are so many great kids coming," de Braga said. "Even with the gas crunch, we are only down a few in numbers. It's going to be as big as ever."

The rodeo has always been held in Fallon, although other areas have tried to take it away from the Lahontan Valley.

According to de Braga, Winnemucca, Elko and Gardnerville have made offers in the past to move the SSIR to their towns. According to de Braga, community support is what keeps the rodeo in Fallon, even though it has outgrown the Churchill County Fairgrounds.

"The community has been supportive enough that we've been able to stay here," de Braga said. "People love to come here. They have a great time."