A cyclist races during a Thrilla Cyclocross Series event last year at the Athletic Club of Bend.

Cyclocross season is back in full swing in Oregon, and a new event is set to debut Saturday at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond.

The Can Chaser cyclocross race — cyclocross with a rodeo flavor — is scheduled to take place all day Saturday at the fairgrounds.

Categories are available for all skill levels and ages 10 and older, and a kids course will be set up for ages 9 and younger.

Organized by the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF), the Can Chaser cyclocross race is the second of a six-race cyclocross series in Oregon called Harvest Cyclocross.

A form of bike racing most frequently staged during the fall and winter, cyclocross consists of multiple laps on a short course that typically includes pavement, grass, dirt and mud. Most races feature stairs and wooden barriers that competitors must clear by carrying their bikes. Most cyclocross bikes are similar to road bikes but have knobbier tires and disc brakes to handle a variety of terrain and conditions. Races run about 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the category.

The course for the Can Chaser event will utilize the east end of the fairgrounds as well as the First Interstate Bank Center, which hosts rodeos throughout the year.

“The course does not have a lot of elevation change,” said Molly Cogswell-Kelley, MBSEF events director. “It’ll be pretty flat and winding. We’ll throw in some fun elements. There will be a barn. We’re using the rodeo arena for part of the course, which will probably be one of the hardest parts. They will have to go around some barrels.”

“Can Chaser” is what rodeo’s barrel racers are sometimes called. And Saturday’s event will feature professional barrel racer Denali Hart, of Tumalo, who is scheduled to offer a demonstration during a break in the racing just after noon.

The Ridgeview High School band will also provide a drumline to kick off the racing.

The Can Chaser was originally scheduled as a two-day event, but with low registration numbers and COVID-19 cases lingering, MBSEF made the decision to scale it down to just Saturday.

”We thought that by September COVID would be a thing of the past, and we could have a two-day race that would have 300 to 400 racers each day,” Cogswell-Kelley said. “We had low numbers for the Sunday race, so we decided to just make it a one-day event.”

She said abut 120 riders were registered as of Thursday. Masks are required for all racers and spectators, but racers can remove their masks one minute prior to their race, Cogswell-Kelley said.

She added that because the course is relatively flat, it’s an ideal opportunity for beginners to try cyclocross racing.

“It’s not going to be an intimidating course at all,” Cogswell-Kelley said.

“There’s no off-camber, no mud, unless it rains on Friday.”

Competitors can pre-ride the course on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. Dry camping is also available on Friday night for $25.

The races start Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and run through 4:20 p.m., based on categories. Food and beverages will be available on site.

Cogswell-Kelley said that if the air quality index is more than 150 on Saturday, the races will most likely be canceled. But AQI forecasts are calling for good to moderate air through the weekend, after nearly a week of unhealthy to hazardous air throughout Central Oregon.

Online entry fee at obra.org is $35 for adults and $15 for juniors. Online registration closes Friday at 5 p.m. Registration is available on-site Saturday for $5 more. The Harvest Cyclocross Series also includes the following races:

• Sept. 18, Corn Cross, Liepold Farms, Boring.
• Sept. 25, Rose City Cup, Portland International Raceway.
• Oct. 2, Heiser Farms CX, Dayton.
• Oct. 3, Zaaldercross, Brush Prairie, Washington.

For more information, visit harvest.cx.