Rodeo a family affair for Pottalas
By Lorie Palmer

Familiar faces in the rodeo world will serve as the 2024 Border Days grand marshals.
Chuck and Phyliss Pottala of Mt. Idaho will lead the events of the 113th annual celebration, set for July 3-6.
Born in Phelps, Wisc., Chuck moved to Idaho when he was 3 years old.
“My dad was a logger, and came out to work with his brother and an uncle, who already lived and worked here,” he said.
He also worked in logging and graduated from Grangeville High School in 1974.
Phyliss was born in Cottonwood and raised in Keuterville.
She always had a love of horses, getting her first pony at the age of 5. In her tween and teen years, she would ride her horse to and from Cottonwood to compete in various riding events. She participated in local barrel racing and served as Border Days princess in 1977. She graduated from Prairie High School in 1978.
The couple met through mutual friends at the Riggins Rodeo in 1979, and married in 1980. She was working for the BLM in Cottonwood and he was employed by Prairie Land and Timber in Grangeville.
They moved to their current property in Mt. Idaho after marrying.
The duo began team roping in 1988, as Phyliss was involved in horse play days, O-Mok-Sees and gymkhanas throughout the area. Chuck said although he was not a rider to begin with, but he was comfortable around horses as he spent time opening gates and helping friend Tom Eimers with his horses. This natural ease led to the Pottalas becoming a successful team roping pair.
The couple spent two years, every Tuesday and Thursday, riding and practicing at Three Mile Arena on the Grangeville Truck Route. They then decided to build their own arena on their property and purchased six head of steer to begin with.
“Six head just turned into a lot more,” they laughed, as they then bought 40 head of roping steer from Mexico. They then began holding some Jackpot team roping events, working their way into becoming producers and providing stock for rodeos as a business that involved their whole family as it grew to include Leslie, Kyle and Carl.
“We saw what was needed and we wanted to provide a good, even pen so everyone could have the same chance,” Phyliss said. “Chuck and the boys worked really hard to make that happen.”
The Pottala kids were not only involved in the family stock business, but also in junior, high school and college rodeos. Leslie served as Border Days princess in 1993. Kyle was the all-around winner at Border Days in 2003. Later, he passed the rodeo traditions to their three children, who now ride and compete. Carl also team roped, rode bulls, calf-roped and bulldogged. Although he and his family do not rodeo now, they do own horses and mules and enjoy trips into the back country camping, fishing and hunting.
At the height of their involvement, the Pottalas went to 50 rodeos in a year, but usually produced stock for about 30year.
“We traveled throughout Idaho, Washington and Oregon,” Chuck said.
“It was definitely a family affair, and the rodeo people you meet really do become family,” Phyliss added. “We put a lot of miles on our vehicles, but they were all good miles.” The family also packed into the backcountry with their horses and mules, and participated in archery, hunting and camping as a family.
Of all the rodeos the Pottalas went to throughout the years, whether as observers, participants or providing stock, they said Grangeville’s Border Days Rodeo was the best.
“It was always the most professionally run and organized,” Phyliss emphasized.
In 2006, the Pottalas sold their stock — 222 head in all — business. They came across a young buyer who was interested in purchasing it, and the pieces fell together.
“All the kids were growing and off to college and we couldn’t do it all on our own,” Phyliss said.
Now, the Pottalas are retired: she after 23 years from Umpqua Bank (starting out as First Bank in 2003 and before that was at First Security for 13 years) and he from Prairie Land and Timber after 50 years. All throughout their rodeo years, the couple maintained full-time jobs. As retirees, they enjoy visiting their kids and grandkids, spending time at their home, gardening, side-by-side rides and snowmobiling.
Son, Kyle, died of cancer in 2022. His widow, Blair, and three children — Devyn, Hayes and Royce —live in Hermiston, Ore. Carl and wife, Maggie, and children Lane and Sammie live in Lapwai. Leslie and husband Fred Smith and son, Derek, live in Grangeville.
The couple still has horses and a mule and plan to ride horseback in the Border Days parades.
“I know if we rode in a cart or a car or anything else, Kyle would be looking down saying, ‘Really, mom and dad? Are you kidding?’” laughed Phyliss. “We just couldn’t do that.”
Although upon being asked to be grand marshals, the Pottalas first thought was, “We’re not old enough!” they both laughed. However, they also immediately knew what an honor it was to be chosen.
“It’s such a classy rodeo. We’re very honored to be asked and to represent Border Days,” they agreed.