left: Alex McCaddon is crowned queen at the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo coronation by 2009 queen Sarah Butterfield. KATY NESBITT/Observer photos

JOSEPH – Princess Alex McCaddon of Enterprise was crowned queen of

the 65th Chief Joseph Days Rodeo Saturday night. The Rodeo will be held

in Joseph July 21-24.

Now that the competitions are over, Princess Jesse Kohlhepp,

Princess Emily Howerton and Queen Alex McCaddon will represent Wallowa

County as the Chief Joseph Days rodeo court at rodeos around the

Pacific Northwest this summer.

The competition for queen is based on three areas: riding, public

speaking and rodeo ticket sales. McCaddon earned the most points in all

three areas.

Ticket sales are the most grueling of the three competitions, the girls said. Many of the past rodeo queens and princesses honored Saturday night sympathized with the difficulty of ticket sales, including getting chased by dogs. The 2010 rodeo court raised $45,000 in sales during the competition, a boon to the start of the Chief Joseph Days festivities.

Besides honoring past rodeo court members from 1990, 1980, 1970 and 1960, Miss Rodeo Oregon, Ashley Ziggler of Roseburg, and the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show court from Union County were in attendance.

In a fashion show before the coronation, each court member wore the outfits they will wear this summer including their work clothes for rodeo competition, shorts and T-shirts for traveling and pink Pendleton wool coats in the Chief Joseph Days design.

At the coronation, the princesses were resplendent in handmade red suede riding outfits sewn by Joseph resident Denise Cuppinger.

A commemorative special edition Pendleton blanket with the Pendleton Round-Up logo was auctioned for $850.

Proceeds will benefit scholarships for the rodeo court. The Round-Up is celebrating 100 years this September.

Angie Nash was announced as the girls’ chaperone for the summer. Bob and Cheryl Zacharias of Joseph, owners of Zacharias Logging, were named as grand marshals of the 2010 Chief Joseph Days Parade.