Local youths volunteer at the Kootenai River Stampede

To produce a successful event each year, the Kootenai River Stampede PRCA Rodeo Committee relies on the support of the community and individuals who step up to provide the necessary funding and required labor.

For the past few years, the committee has appreciated the volunteer force organized by the Ace Home and Garden Center and Lincoln County Credit Union employees to man the various positions during the annual rodeo each July.

While the committee works on organizing the event year-round, the workload greatly increases the last week prior to the actual event and into the following week finalizing business.   

During the 2022 Libby Chamber Farmers’ Market, a young gentleman stopped by the KRS information booth to visit with his former art teacher. Although knowing he was a soccer player, in the course of the conversation, he was asked if he had any interest in the sport of rodeo. He wasn’t sure since he had no previous experience or knowledge of the activities involved in either competition nor the production end of such an endeavor.

Knowing this young man as a previous student, an invitation was extended to just come up to the arena during rodeo week and scope out the situation. The young man showed up before the rodeo office was even set up that Monday morning! 

He was given a few of the initial setup chores which he willingly performed. It was decided that during the rodeo, he would help in the pens sorting calves and steers to push into the loading chute in the timed events. 

In the meantime, he was proving himself invaluable being available and willing to help as a third set of hands wherever needed. By Wednesday, he was showing up at 6 a.m. each day helping feed the bucking livestock and familiarizing himself with rodeo life behind the scenes.     

By rodeo time on Friday, when activity really intensifies, Gabe Gier was becoming “a hand”! Besides starting his day feeding at 6 a.m., getting kicked and bruised working the calves and steers in the sorting pens during the rodeo, Gabe was one of the last volunteers to leave the grounds. Sometimes he didn't depart after midnight and only after asking and being reassured that “the chores were done” for that evening.       

Sure enough, Gabe was “bit by the bug” that gets anyone involved in a project. He declared that he definitely wanted to be included in the 2023 rodeo so he was assigned the task of forming his own subcommittee - that he would be responsible for teaching them the ropes, having them present when and where they would be needed during the upcoming rodeo. For rodeo week this year, he was to gather some friends to help him in the pens sorting livestock during the event.

This summer Gabe had a job clearing trails with the Forest Service so he wasn’t as available as he had been last summer. But taking his commitment seriously, he showed up Monday after work with his crew. They included James Redifer, Alderic Martineau and Greysen Thompson - class and teammates from Libby High School. 

They pitched in right away, setting up temporary pens for the incoming rodeo livestock, loading and unloading supplies and checking the operating condition of various arena equipment. They did whatever was asked of them and then asked what they could do next! 

Then, Friday and Saturday of the actual event, the crew of four were everywhere doing everything that was needed, in 90-plus degree heat. Before they left each evening, long after most others were gone, they were still asking “what else needs to be done?”

Sunday, the day after the rodeo was concluded, after the “fun” was over and others had gone back to their regular lives, the group, minus one who had a paying job in the real world, showed up at 8 a.m. 

They again worked through the day, still in 90-degree heat, tearing down and storing the metal panels of the temporary stock pens, taking down and storing the remaining big promotional banners and frames plus other signage, packing and returning truckloads of supplies to storage for next year. 

In spite of the heat and intensity of the hard work that was necessary to finalize business so the rodeo could officially be “put to bed” for this season, these young men never complained, never asked, “Are we done yet”!  It was always “What do we do next?”!!!

Several other young people who deserve to be acknowledged as well for their efforts and contributions during this year’s event include Vince Moore who filled in wherever he saw a need including helping and training “new blood” in the timed events catch pen, stripping lariats off livestock during the timed events. 

Makaenzie and Tristin Rogers were especially great help with Sunday’s teardown and cleanup of the entire grounds. Assisting with program and raffle ticket sales plus anything else Dad needed were Jaxon and Chase Huni following in the footsteps of their older sisters Savannah and Jordyn exhibiting the essence of volunteerism. 

Also working tirelessly side-by-side with their parents were Ally and Emily Beaty. Another huge help were the CloseUp students who managed the parking and through the generous donations of the rodeo spectators, earned travel money for their upcoming educational, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Washington, D.C. next spring. 

These young people are greatly deserving of recognition and gratitude for their part in the production of yet one more successful community event.