Committee member promotes rodeo with passion

Patty Rambo has loved horses her whole life. Her mom would look out the kitchen window to see four-year-old Patty competently galloping past on a horse known to “bite, kick and try to rub you off on a tree.”

Rambo’s passion for horses and horse-riding events has led her to play an active role in the committee of the Kootenai River Stampede Rodeo, which comes to Libby Friday and Saturday.

Describing herself as “a bit of a hermit” and saying she came to the committee “by accident” after the previous committee stepped down late last year, Rambo and the committee nevertheless mean to put together a professional show for Libby.

Rambo is joined on the committee by Trisha Davis-Stacy, John Smith, Brent Jordan and Tricia Caro.

Davis-Stacey, Smith and Jordan are all members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) and therefore want to uphold the organization’s good name, Rambo said.

The three travel from Washington, Billings and Livingston, respectively, to be a part of Libby’s rodeo committee and participate in the event.

Rambo emphasized the economic advantage of a successful rodeo for Libby.

“We want to give back to the community,” Rambo said. “Every dollar that comes into the community changes hands five times before it leaves again, and you may not witness that first hand, but people will travel for rodeos, it brings lots of people to town.”

A rodeo reflects a lifestyle and a time when people depended on their horse, said Rambo, who competed in rodeo events in high school.

“The horses are athletes, just like the cowgirls and cowboys,” Rambo said. “And they have a good life. They work eight seconds a week.”

Rambo would like to work toward coordinating a high school rodeo group in Libby.

“The process of networking to get this rodeo together has made me think about having more rodeo for kids locally,” Rambo said. “It makes it seem more possible.”