Rain keeps things interesting at Kitsap Fair & Stampede.

As if riding a bull or horse, roping cattle or wrestling a steer weren’t hard enough already, Mother Nature decided to throw an additional obstacle at the cowboys and cowgirls competing at the opening day of the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede rodeo.

With rain pouring down throughout the day Wednesday, the rodeo’s opener, the arena floor was a little more slippery than normal. While the mud may have left the rodeo contestants a little dirtier than usual, fans still saw plenty of action.

Tilden Hooper, of Catchage, Texas, won Wednesday’s bareback riding competition with a score of 86. He’s currently ranked 15th in the event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. In steer wrestling, third-ranked Ken Lewis won with a 14.2. Ty Blasingame and Cody Hintz won team roping with a time of 14.9 seconds, while Roy Johnson took saddle bronc with a score of 84. Boe Brown, of Harold, S.D., won tie-down roping, while Molley Powell was the top barrel racer. Danny McDowell was the only bull rider to finish, scoring an 84. See page A11 in today’s Bremerton Patriot for more.