Opening night of rodeo to honor Sun Downs horse racing history one last time

There will be one last ode to Sun Downs horse racing.

It will come at the opening night of the Horse Heaven Round-up rodeo during the Benton Franklin Fair.

Lori Lancaster, the manager of the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo, said that with Benton County planning on tearing down the Sun Downs grandstand once the fair is done for this year, “(the grandstand) is about the last remnant of horse racing left here.”

The track hosted horse racing for decades, both in the spring and in the fall.

But in recent times, the track fell on hard times. The last competitive races were held in 2019.

But Covid cancelled racing in 2020 and 2021, and insurance problems and other issues stopped any racing from there on out.

In 2023, Benton County canceled its contract with the Tri-Cities Northern Racing Quarter Horse Association, and that prompted the latter organization to stop its efforts to race in Kennewick.

With the grandstand being razed in the near future, Lancaster said the fair board knew what it wanted to do.

“We’re planning on honoring horse racing one last time,” she said.

Trainer Carrie Hoburg will enter the rodeo grounds with Wyn Your Eyes, owned by Hoburg’s father, trainer Bill Hoburg.

Wyn Your Eyes is an 18-year-old horse who has gone on from winning the Sun Downs Derby as a 3-year-old, winning six races at Sun Downs, and has found a second career as a barrel racing horse.

“I’ll be ponying BH Lisa’s Boy, who is a half-brother of Wyn Your Eyes, and also won the Sun Downs Derby as a 3-year-old, said Carrie Hoburg.

Jockey Katrina Shaub will also be present, as well as a number of people who have given their working lives to horse racing. Besides the Hoburg’s, trainers Sam Cronenwett and Rae Schubert (one of this region’s best all-time jockeys, as well as Ginny Harding, and Shorty and Karen Martin.

The Martin’s spent a lot of time working at regional tracks, including Kennewick’s facility.

Karen did a lot of the paperwork in a trailer on the backside of the track.

Shorty was the racing secretary for Sun Downs for years, and he was also the person who got horses ready at the starting gate for every race.

All of them will be sitting where the old finish line was at the track.

Lancaster and her staff have been busy collecting photos to display on the big screen at the rodeo arena.

For the people who loved horse racing here, it’s a chance to go down memory lane one last time and remember the good times.

“I’m excited about it,” said Carrie Hoburg.

Prep track and field

Grandview’s Titus Jeffrey was named the Central Washington Athletic Conference’s Male Field Athlete of the Year in track and field this spring.

Jeffrey was also named to the first team in throws.

Three Prosser boys were also named to the first team: junior Evan Carey in jumps; sophomore Brendan Kramer in distances; and senior Titus Paeschke in throws.

Ellensburg’s Colton Magruder was named Track Athlete of the Year, while Ellensburg’s Jeff Hashimoto was CWAB Coach of the Year.

On the girls’ side, Prosser’s Corey Ingvalson was Coach of the Year, while Othello senior Bella Garza was named Track Athlete of the Year. Selah’s Chloe Myers was named Field Athlete of the Year.

Those named to the first team were Othello’s Garza in the sprints; Prosser junior Elizabeth Norris in distances; and Prosser senior Hannah Perkins in vertical jumps.

College basketball

Kamiakin grad Trey Arland completed his Walla Walla Community College men’s basketball career by being named first-team All-East Region.

He averaged 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Warriors, who went 23-6 this year.

On May 5, Arland announced he has committed to play this fall with Idaho State University.

He’ll have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Hockey

Former Tri-City American forward Nolan Yaremko has signed a one-year deal with the Cardiff Devils in the UK Elite League in Wales, according to the MacBeth Report.

Yaremko, now 27, spent all or parts of five seasons with Tri-City from 2014-19. He scored 67 goals and 92 assists in his time with the Ams.

Last season, Yaremko scored 5 goals and 16 assists for ESV Kaufbeuren in Germany’s DEL2 league.

College baseball

Peyton Rickard (Kamiakin) was a two-way player for Corban University’s baseball team this past spring.

The team had a 14-36 record, but Rickard (a utility player) started in all 50 games, batting .311 with a home run and 45 RBIs.

He also appeared in six games on the mound for the Warriors, earning 3 saves over 8 innings of work. Opposing batters had a paltry .208 batting average against him, and he had a 3.38 ERA.

Prep basketball

On Aug. 1, Adam Berg announced he was stepping down from his Walla Walla High School boys basketball head coaching position.

Berg is leaving the Blue Devils — where he coached for the last six seasons — in order to become an assistant coach for the Whitman College men’s basketball program.

Before Wa-Hi, Berg was the head coach for the Pasco boys varsity.

Blue Devils athletic director Chris Ferenz said the job opening and description for Berg’s old position will be posted soon.

Prep football

Kennewick High graduate Devon Bouvier is the new head football coach at College Place High School.

Bouvier is no stranger to College Place, as he has been the school’s head baseball coach, as well as an offensive assistant football coach the past three seasons for the Hawks.

Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Herald.

This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 2:24 PM.