900-plus faithful attend Incredi-Bull event
<p>Derek Kolbaba of Walla Walla, Wash., aboard "The Stitch" with a winning ride of 81 points and a $2,900 paycheck for the evening.</p>
<p>Hats off to bullfighter Lyle Miller for getting Shadrick Rich of St. Regis out of this predicament Saturday evening. The offending bull was known as "Cake Boss."</p>
The Incredi-Bull bull-riding event began Saturday beneath a clear Montana blue sky, 80 degrees and a pack of anticipatory spectators filling the stands at J. Neils Park.
Twenty-two Cowboys from Washington to Wyoming took the mountain roads to Libby to compete.
It was Derek Kolbaba who took the $2,900 purse home to Walla Walla, Wash., after a gripping final ride on “Super Size,” one of the meanest bulls motored up for the Incredi-Bull.
“He was a big, bad sucker,” Kolbaba said after winning. “I really just wanted to get him rode Everyone was saying he was pretty bad.
“He threw me, but it worked out for me this time.”
Kolbaba also won a set of spurs handmade by Brett Bronson for his perseverance in three rides Saturday evening.
Seven other riders fought their way to the final short run, with only two riders having made the eight-second mark. Thor Hoefer of Priest River, Idaho, skillfully rode to a score of 74, earning him the second place and a purse of $1,740. Cody Loomis took the stage with a beast named “Not So Much” to wrangle third place and $1,160 in pocket change.
The excitement was at full speed throughout the competition, as St. Regis cowboy Shadrick Rich became trapped by hand to his competitor, “Cake Boss.” Rich was reported to have suffered possible broken ribs through the action, but left the arena under his own power.
Cody Taylor of Idaho Falls experienced a hangup of his own, his hand entrapped to “Eddie Monster” for a few long seconds. Taylor incurred no injury.
Bullfighter Lyle Miller of Fairfield also stepped into the line of danger, taking several hits from the monstrosity named Skin. Miller was soon recovered, and making jokes as a sign of survival. The man dressed in pink would live to fight bulls another day.
Local cowboy Jason Colclough rode for his hometown, despite the heavy workload in order to put on this year’s competition. Colclough is projected to be president of the functioning Incredi-Bull committee within the next few years. “Maybe sooner than he thinks,” said current president, Bronson.
Jordan Quinn was awarded the annual Incredi-Bull scholarship of $1,000 to a post-graduate education of his choice. About 50 children took part in a bootrace to retrieve their shoes and boots from the center of the arena. Prizes were handed out to all.
The Copper Mountain Band put on another electrifying performance, playing past sunset for the nearly 1,000 in attendance. Children and adults alike tried their best at the Backyard Cowboy, a mechanical bull event that sent several sprawling into the large red mat below.
Local business sponsors made more than $850 in donations, a strong hand in completing operation costs. Community members made the largest contribution in attendance, having purchased 200 tickets before the event, while 900 tickets were sold at the front gate of Saturday’s event, for an approximate $12,800 in ticket sales.
The committee deemed the event a major success, with weather and attendance that left last year’s event as a mere fleeting memory.