http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2004/07/06/news/top_stories/atop2.txt

 July 5, 2004

Horseradish saluted at Tulelake festivities

By LEE JUILLERAT

TULELAKE - Getting back to their roots meant something different for the competitors at a really hot Fourth of July in Tulelake Sunday.

For winner Randy Hopkins of Malin it meant a teary-eyed two minutes in a suffocating telephone booth while he was grinding 18-1/2 ounces of horseradish.

For Tammara Moran of Astoria, who was visiting relatives, it was stuffing down two horseradish-laden hot dogs, and clearing her throat, just an instant before eater-up Roy Pound. "Hot Rods, Roots & Salutes" was the theme of Tulelake's second annual Fourth of July Celebration at the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds. An afternoon of activities built to Sunday night's fireworks display.

Roy Pound tries to gulp down a hot dog laced with pungent horseradish during the horseradish eating contest at the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds Sunday. Pound finished second.

A highlight of the afternoon was the grinding contest, held in the oxygen-deprived telephone booth. Contestants were given two minutes to grind roots.

"Not near as bad as tear gas," said Ed Pound after grinding 11 ounces.

Another competitor, Dennis Fanning, exited with 40 seconds to go, dizzy from the heat and smell. "It's bad. Couldn't breathe," he said.

Others quickly became woozy and light-headed.

One young boy kept shaking his head like a dog shedding water. Some repeatedly wiped their foreheads and faces with hands soaking in horseradish pulp.

When Hopkins and others furiously stuffed and ground, contest organizer Scott Seus often had to brace the booth from tumbling. One cocky entrant boasted that he'd jump back in and do it again, then emptied the contents of several water bottles over his head.

The big drama came when Kenny Moore of Tulelake, last year's grinding and eating champion, waited until the last to defend his title.

Striding and strutting to the booth to calls of "Come on, champ," Moore swaggered inside, stacked up roots for easy grabbing, then began spinning the grinder as the booth door slammed shut. Two minutes later he staggered out, defeated after grinding 14 ounces.

"I didn't have anything else to do," said Hopkins when it was over. "I'm showing my car (a blue 1974 Corvette) at the car show."

Only five entered the horseradish eating contest.

Each contestant was given two hot dogs laden with horseradish. Eating with gulps and lurches, the eaters quickly began pouring sweat as faces turned beet red. At times Pound appeared ready to topple over, giving Moran time to finish her second hot dog and take a mouth-clearing drink of water.

When it was over Moran quieted her kibitzing son with a hot horseradish kiss, then placed a full lip-lock on her husband.

Other activities through the afternoon included several hours of songs by Bordertown, a Tulelake Basin band that featured 1960-70s rock 'n' roll, singer Jamie Pineda of McArthur, Calif., a hotsie-totsie pageant that drew a large number of entrants, fire department displays, Tulelake Police K-9 Dog demonstrations, a bouncy castle, dunk tank, cow patty bingo, greased pig contest and kids carnival, including fishing for prizes, egg roll, cake walk, sack races, face painting, watermelon and seed spitting.

Cindy Wright, a member of the event sponsoring Tulelake Chamber of Commerce and fairgrounds manager, said attendance for the afternoon events and classic car show was down. Only about 40 vehicles were on display, down by about 100 from last year.

"The crowds were slower getting here. During the day it took a long time for things to get going," Wright said. "The people who are here are really enjoying themselves."

Especially Moran and Hopkins.