Time to Let ’er Buck

PENDLETON – The award-winning Pendleton Round-Up begins today. The tented area inside the Round-Up Grounds is home to the 1910 Room. That’s where people willing to pay the price get to enjoy gourmet food while watching the rodeo action. The neat thing about the five-course meal that is served is it is prepared and dished up by Pendleton High School culinary arts students led by Chef Kaden Clark.

“It’s really amazing what the students can do in such a short amount of time,” Pendleton School District Superintendent Kevin Headings said. “Students combined put in 90 to 100 hours during the week.”

The menu relies heavily on foods produced locally, and the success of the culinary arts program speaks for itself. Four of Clark’s signature dishes have Pendleton Whisky as an ingredient.

“For the past seven years, this program has been integral to the operations of our 1910 Room,” the Round-Up Association states. “Chef Clark’s ability to engage with his students significantly increased the number of student volunteers we had, rising from just six in 2022 to an impressive 37 this year.”

Recently, the Round-Up Association donated $5,000 to the program. That’s not the first sign of support for the Buckaroo chefs, however. Approximately $35,000 has been donated to the culinary arts program since its involvement with Round-Up began. In addition, the volunteer work bolsters the students’ resumes as well as their qualifications for a Pendleton Round-Up Foundation scholarship upon graduation.

Photo from the Pendleton Round-Up Association’s website

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Elkhorn Media Group

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