MOSES LAKE — The 83rd Moses Lake Roundup drew a packed crowd each night over the weekend as spectators at the Grant County Fair enjoyed the Professional Cowboy Rodeo Associations top competitors. Buck Naff a long time Moses Lake Roundup committee member was named the Man of the Year, an annual award given out at the rodeo.  

“It's huge,” Naff said. “I mean, sure, it's great that I get to ride the horse in the arena in front of people and get a buckle and all that. What's important to me is it took that committee and a general consensus and an agreement that Buck Naff is our man of the year. That meant a lot to me.”

Unlike other winners in the past, the committee had a hard time keeping the news a surprise for Naff. Each award winner is gifted a custom Man of the Year belt buckle as part of being named, which his wife is usually in charge of ordering ahead of the roundup each year, he said.  

“It was going to be kind of hard for them to keep from me that I was going to be Man of the Year,” Naff said. “I happened to be in the meeting that they nominated me and a couple others, and when they counted up the ballots, they asked me if I wanted to leave the room. I said, ‘I'm going to know anyway.’ So, I actually knew from that meeting.” 

While Naff has been an A member since 1984, he spent a lot of time prior to that working for the rodeos, he said. 

“I used to work the timed event, and I probably did that for three years,” he said. “They would pay me to do it. It was kind of fun, and then eventually I became a member and no longer got paid.” 

In the four decades he’s been a member, Naff has witnessed every change and evolution of the roundup. One of which he is most proud of is being the timed event director when they first introduced womens breakaway roping.  

“That's huge, now you see it everywhere,” said Naff. “The fact we're not afraid to grow and be innovative. I've seen this arena, for example, I've seen all new bucking chutes, all new fencing, all new all new catch pen areas. I've seen so many great projects come together that we did as a committee. We didn't ask for outside help – we did it, and so it's pretty cool that once we set our mind to something we're going to do this project, we're bullheaded and just get it done.”  

As he grew more experienced as a committee member, he’s curated many long-lasting relationships that have helped them grow more than just in the arena.  

“We also give back to the community,” said Naff. “We have sponsored little league teams. We've made donations for other sports events through the years; we do scholarships at the high school every year. I think just the fact that it's so community oriented; people think we're just a bunch of cowboys. It's a whole community thing, and it takes all walks of life to put this on. We have bankers, lawyers, cowboys, cowgirls, farmers and police. We have all different genres, if you will, that make up this committee.” 

Though the Man of the Year buckle bears his name, the honor reflects the committee members and volunteers who have kept the Roundup moving forward for generations. 

A full recap and results of the Moses Lake Roundup will be published in the Tuesday edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.  

    Kole Ashbacher holds on tight to his horse during the saddle bronc competition of the Moses Lake Roundup, Thursday.
  

    A breakaway roper tosses her rope out to capture a calf during their competition, Thursday.
  

    Steer Wrestler Rhett John Witt muscles his steer to the ground during the Moses Lake Roundup, Friday.
  

    Saddle bronc rider Jake Finley is jolted through the air during the Moses Lake Roundup, Thursday.
  

    Green hat clown Austun Singley rides two horses at once as a trick while entertaining the Moses Lake crowd at the roundup, Friday.