- ESTHER OERTEL
- Posted On
Middletown Days: ‘Breaking out’ in fine form
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — With the theme of “Breaking Out,” Middletown Days returned last weekend amid much community spirit, perhaps in part because last year’s festivities had to be skipped due to the pandemic.
Last year was the first time in its 60-year history that Middletown Days wasn’t held.
Traditionally celebrated each Father’s Day weekend, Middletown Days includes multiple rodeo competitions, a parade, dance and other activities scheduled from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.
The event was first held in 1961 and the moneys raised fund the maintenance and upkeep of Middletown Central Park and its rodeo arena.
This year marks the first time that the event will be extended over three weekends, rather than just one.
The junior rodeo, usually held on Father’s Day, will take place instead this weekend, June 26 and 27, and the Middletown Days Queen and Princess competition was held on June 12 and 13.
This year’s Middletown Days festivities kicked off with the “Saddle & Spurs” team roping competition on Friday evening.
Saturday morning opened with a traditional parade, with people thronged on both sides of Highway 29 in Middletown from Perry’s Deli at the south end of town to Hardester’s Market in the north.
This year 54 entries were included, a strong showing representing more participation than the parades of the last several years.
Middletown Days Queen Emalee Pickens and Princess Rylie Slaight led the parade with their royal court of 11 girls, some as young as age 6, all riding horses decorated with ribbons and glitter.
These girls went through an extensive competitive process the prior weekend that included horsemanship and public speaking and spent months before that in practice and preparation.
The grand marshal for this year’s parade was Hope City, chosen for their work helping rebuild homes for Valley fire survivors.
Gehlen Palmer, longtime Middletown librarian (now retired), was honored with the Pioneer Award for his tireless work to secure a new senior center and library complex in Middletown.
The parade included a poignant tribute to Middletown business owner, pack mule enthusiast and avid Middletown Central Park Association volunteer, Wayne Jackson, who died in 2019. Jackson’s hat, saddle and boots were carried on muleback in his memory along the parade route.
Post parade activities in Central Park included a barbecue lunch, vendors, entertainment, kids’ activities, and cowboy team races.
Some new events made their debut on Saturday afternoon — a cutest cowboy and cowgirl contest for children five and under, line dancing lessons, a cornhole tournament and cow chip bingo.
The evening ended with an outdoor dance with music provided by Breaker One 9, a local band led by Middletown High School graduate Tony Zagajowski. Zagajowski also opened the parade with his solo singing of The Star-Spangled Banner.
On Sunday morning, an outdoor Father’s Day breakfast was held thanks to the Middletown Lioness Club, and vendors, entertainment and children’s activities continued.
The Bloody Mary Horseshoe Tourney took place on Sunday (so dubbed because the Middletown Lions Club donates a bloody Mary cocktail to each participant), as did the gymkhana event, a variety of timed competitions done on horseback which has been part of Middletown Days for 59 years.
Event organizers especially wish to thank the community for their support, as well as the many volunteers who made Middletown Days happen. The turnout was beyond expectation.
Tucker Chorjel, parade organizer, perhaps said it best: “It was great to see so much of the community come out. Through the whole weekend everyone was happy and excited, especially after being in lockdown for more than a year. It’s as though the community was saying, ‘We’re still here, we’re still strong, we still support each other, let’s have a great weekend.’”
Winners of many of the various events are listed below.
Parade
Koontz Mercantile, small commercial
Twin Pines Casino, large commercial
Lake County Theater Company, organization
Scouts of Middletown Troop 315, youth group
Lake County Jazzercise, marching band or group
Rhett McMahon, fireman entry
Renyonds family, senior comic
Hicks family, classic car
Lake County Pride, decorated car
Griffin Mobile Repair, decorated mini go-cart
Weston Wright, decorated ATV
Ken Gonzales, farm equipment
West Gate, most unusual
Los Vaqueros de Pope Valley, mounted group
Lonnie Sloan, California Horsemen’s Association
The overall sweepstakes award went to the Renyonds family for their “Covid car” with a masked grill.
Team Roping
Jacob Slaight, saddle winner, 2 and under
Donny Boydston, second place
Jace Hower, third place
Mark Luchetti, saddle winner, 3 and over
Doug Parker, second place
Cowboy team races
Junior division:
Triple Threat Team — Stella Aleman, Braelynn Munk, Jadyn Owens, 1st place
Lead Mares Team — Rylie Slaight, Kailey Snell, Lynzi Snell, 2nd place
Senior division:
The Chicks Team — Emalee Pickens, Brookelynn Nigro, Sofi Evans, 1st place
Goal Diggers Team — Tamara Slaight, Shelby Myers, Alisha Mackey, 2nd place
Hide race
Buck Menzio
Greg Pachie
Horseshoes
Ed Peterson and Dustin Peterson, father and son
Cow chip BINGO
Krissy Tighe
Royal Court
Emalee Pickens, Queen
Rylie Slaight, Princess (winner, western equestrian)
Kaitlyn Counter
Jadyn Owens (winner, horse mastership, winner, western wear)
Emmy Hayes
Ciara Francis
Gracie Schnabl
Kailey Snell (winner, queen’s waive)
Lynzi Snell
Payton Schuster (winner, barrels)
Faith Myers
Emilia Lord (winner, speech)
Stella Brand (winner, showmanship and halter, winner reining pattern)
Esther Oertel is a freelance contributor to Lake County News. She lives in Middletown.