Kootenai River Rodeo rides again

The 14th annual Kootenai River Rodeo is coming to Libby this weekend, starting tonight at Saturday at 7 p.m. at J. Neils Park.

For a year, community members with an appreciation for rodeo have waited to spectate the series of this year’s competitions. This year, the events include bareback bronc, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, tie down roping, team roping, women’s barrel racing and bull riding.

The professional riders will show off their skills in focus, control, aim, balance, flexibility, strength and speed in front of the crowd while competing for the win in their event.

Considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world by many, rodeo fans enjoy the exciting events and the skilled riders. Rodeo has a long, mysterious history and modern rodeos grant audience a taste of ranching in the old west.

‘I love it, I love the rodeo,” Debbie Rogers, a member of the rodeo board, said. “It’s a draining experience, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Debbie said she enjoys the history of the rodeo and the cowboy. According to Debbie, the rodeo stems cowboys needing to find entertainment on their jobsite when they couldn’t leave the livestock alone.

“[The cowboy] is still a dying breed,” Debbie said. “A lot of people don’t understand where they’ve come from. The whole idea of riding the bulls and broncs, it stems from taking a break from working all day.”

According to Debbie’s husband, Gene Rogers, who’s also a member of the rodeo board, they are in need of support from the community, because every year they have to raise $40,000 to $45,000.

“The hardest part about this rodeo is that it’s hard to get people to back us,” Rogers said. “It gets to the point where we can’t pay our bills and the rodeo gets shut down.”

Food and beer will be available at the rodeo.

The gates to the rodeo will open at 4:30 p.m. both nights.

Pre-sale tickets are $10 and can be purchased at Libby’s Closet, Homesteaders, Libby Area Chamber of Commerce, Copper Mountain Coffee , High Spirits Liquor Store. Tickets are also sold at the gate for $15.

Children that are six years old and under get in for free.

J. Neils Memorial Park is located County Park Road off of Highway 37. Look for the giant bull.

For more information, contact the Libby Area Chamber of Commerce at 293-4167.

Here’s a list of what to expect in order of the schedule:

Bareback Bronc —

Bareback riders must hang on to a leather/rawhide rigging without a saddle or rein. When the horse makes their first jump from the shoot, the rider must place their spurs on the horse’s shoulders, or face disqualification. As the horse bucks, the rider must roll his spurs up the horse’s shoulders and as the horse drops, the rider must straighten his legs out.

Glendive’s Tucker Zingg won the title last year, when he rode Stack the Deck for 74 points.

Saddle Bronc —

In this classic event, saddle riders use a specialized saddle with free swinging stirrups and no horn. The saddle rider must keep their hand on to a thick rein attached to the horse’s halter. The rider must also have their heels touching the animal above the shoulders.

Jake Watson, of Hudson Hope, B.C., won the title last year when he rode to an 84-point completion.

Steer Wrestling —

Steer wrestlers, or “bulldoggers” compete for time while wrestling a steer to the ground. The steer gets a head start, with the bulldogger chasing after. Another rider, called the hazer, rides alongside the steer on the other side to make sure the steer doesn’t veer away from the bulldogger. When the bulldogger reaches the steer, he slides off his horse and hooks the steer around the neck with one arm. The bulldogger is finished when the steer is on its side with all four legs pointing the same direction.

Josh Boka of Dillon, last year, brought down his steer in 5.1, winning the event.

Tie Down Roping —

Fighting against the clock, the rider must throw a lasso onto a calf from horseback. The calf receives a head start, and the rider must chase after the calf. The horse is trained to stop as soon as the rider catches the calf with the lasso. When the horse stops, the rider must dismount and run to the calf to flip it over by hand. The rider then must tie any three of the calf’s legs together. After tying the calf, the rider signals with both hands in the air that he’s complete.

Taylor Santos of Creston, Calif., won the tie-down roping competition last year, lassoing his calf in 10.1 seconds

Team Roping —

The only true team event in rodeo, two riders, the header and the heeler, chase after a steer. The header ropes the head of the steer and the heeler ropes the hind legs. The header must make one of three legal catches on the steer, around one or both horns or around the neck.

Shawn Bessette of Great Falls and Sid Sporer of Cody, Wyo., won the team roping last year in 5.9 seconds.

Women’s Barrel Racing —

Women riders will compete for the best time as they attempt to ride in a cloverleaf pattern around the triangularly placed barrels, riding close as possible to the barrels for time. Riders must take the tight turns with no overturned barrels, because one overturned barrel adds five seconds to the clock.

Last year, Kathy Grimes of Medical Lake, Wash. took home the top honors in the barrel racing competition with a recorded a time of 17.4 seconds.

Bull Riding — 

The rider, tightly fastening one hand to the bull with a braided rope, must stay atop a bucking bull for eight full seconds to count as a qualified ride. If the rider touches the bull or himself with his free hand, he receives no score.

Last year, Thor Hoefer of Priest River, Idaho rode for 74 points, taking the event championship.