Soggy weather doesn't keep crowds away from bull-riding
<p>Brandon Wallentine of Paris, Idaho</p>
<p>Levi Hendrickson of Arlee chalks up an 80 point ride aboard "Toby" Saturday evening during the Incredi-Bull Blowout at J. Neils Park.</p>
<p>Levi Hendrickson of Arlee chalks up an 80 point ride aboard "Toby" Saturday evening during the Incredi-Bull Blowout at J. Neils Park.</p>
<p>Levi Hendrickson of Arlee chalks up an 80 point ride aboard "Toby" Saturday evening during the Incredi-Bull Blowout at J. Neils Park.</p>
<p>Jesse Kardos with a 68-point ride aboard "Huckleberry." (Jesse had an option for a re-ride)</p>
<p>Jesse Kardos with a 68-point ride aboard "Huckleberry." (Jesse had an option for a re-ride)</p>
<p>Matt Triplett of Columbia Falls garners an 83.5 ride Saturday evening.</p>
<p>Seventy-nine points for 16-year-old Derek Kolbaba.</p>
Cold, rainy weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of Levi Hendrickson, as he won the sixth-annual Incredi-Bull Blowout on Saturday evening with a 76-point ride on Gentle Ben, a bull he knows well.
“I’ve been on him before. He’s not too hard to ride, but he still kicks good,” said Hendrickson, of Arlee. “This is my favorite bull-riding event of the year.”
The annual event is non-profit, and costs between $23,000 and $24,000 to put on every year, $4,000 of which goes to prize money for the riders. Another $3,000 in prize money is chipped in by the Elite Professional Bullriders.
Hendrickson won a total of $3,124 while second place Matt Triplett of Columbia Falls, Mont. won $1,333. In third was 16-year-old Derek Kolbaba of Walla Walla, Wash. who was bucked early off bull Coal Train in the short round, but still walked away with $859.
Event organizer Brett Bronson said that the weather almost made things turn out badly.
“It’s one of those deals, you can beat everyone but the weather,” Bronson said. “In spite of the rain, we had a fair crowd.”
Several hundred turned out to watch the 25 riders, and then stayed afterward to ride the mechanical bull, drink some beverages and listen to the Copper Mountain Band.
“It was the best bull-riding we’ve ever put on,” Bronson said. “And everything went off so smoothly we’ll probably start it later next year.”
The event began at 6:30 p.m. this year to accommodate the extra events, but finished nearly half an hour early, so Bronson will move the time back to 7 p.m., like in past years.
An addition to the event included a boot race for children younger than 8, who were then awarded candy for prizes. Another was the public presentation of a $1,000 scholarship to Libby graduate Richard Halsey, who will use the money to major in automotive technology. A beaming Halsey was almost at a loss for words.
“I’m feeling really good right now,” Halsey said. “It’s going to help me a lot, and I really appreciate it.”
The weather took its toll, as Bronson and another of the event’s organizers had to dig into their own pockets to finance the event. Attendance was lower than expected.
“This year we are about breaking even,” Bronson said. “But one time the weather is going to get us, and that’ll be the end of it.”