Biscuits, bacon and buckin’ broncs at the Cowboy Breakfast
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 2 months AGO
Despite a little help from the judges, 3-year-old Griffi McFadden takes a tumble off the inflatable bull at the Peewee Stampede during the Moses Lake Cowboy Breakfast Friday.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Between 175 and 200 people came out Friday morning for the Cowboy Breakfast, the traditional kickoff to the Grant County Fair in Moses Lake. This is the first year the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce has managed the breakfast.
Nine-year-old Kathlyn Campos of Moses Lake, right, signs up to compete in the Peewee Stampede Friday morning. Each competitor got a free hat, and there were belt buckles and sashes for prizes.
Claire Price, 9, of Moses Lake holds onto her bucking bronc at the Cowboy Breakfast Friday.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | August 12, 2025 3:15 AM
MOSES LAKE — The chute opened, the rider came out and for eight seconds, the bull and rider flung themselves every which way. But this time, the bull was inflatable and the rider’s age was a single digit.
This was the Peewee Stampede Rodeo at the Moses Lake Cowboy Breakfast, the longstanding traditional kickoff to the Grant County Fair. This year’s stick horse rodeo drew about 20 young cowboys and cowgirls.
“We’re going to have some fun,” said Anne Fisher of Guild Mortgage, which sponsored and organized the stampede.
Each child who signed up was given a hat to wear, and there were belt buckles for the prizes.
“All the girls get a tiara and a sash, because we’re going to do a Little Miss Peewee Stampede competition,” Fisher said. She had made the sashes herself, she added.
“I did them on my kitchen counter last night,” she said. “I always love a craft project.”
The rodeo began with a grand entrance, all the children marching and holding American flags as the national anthem played. The rodeo events consisted of bareback, barrel racing and bull riding, with prizes for those events as well as all-around cowboy and cowgirl.
This year, the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce took over managing the breakfast. The chamber estimated a turnout of about 200 people, Executive Director Debbie Doran-Martinez said.
“The previous group said they did 150 last year,” she said. “So I planned for a little bit more, because we have a little bit lower price point … I'm gonna have to up my number for next year.”
Breakfast consisted of biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and bacon, served up by chamber members. Moses Lake DJ Dale Roth spun the music, and Basin RV had a table set up with free toys for the children. The toys proved popular and disappeared quickly.
“We should have brought more toys,” Basin RV owner RJ McFadden said. “This is what we love to do. We just love to support community and get out here and show our faces and shake hands and say hello.”
Between 175 and 200 people came out Friday morning for the Cowboy Breakfast, the traditional kickoff to the Grant County Fair in Moses Lake. This is the first year the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce has managed the breakfast.
Nine-year-old Kathlyn Campos of Moses Lake, right, signs up to compete in the Peewee Stampede Friday morning. Each competitor got a free hat, and there were belt buckles and sashes for prizes.
Claire Price, 9, of Moses Lake holds onto her bucking bronc at the Cowboy Breakfast Friday.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
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