Kootenai Stampede pro rodeo at J. Neils Memorial Park
Rodeo fans will get two for the price of one this weekend at the Kootenai Stampede in Libby with a champion trick rider and a trick roper!!!
J. Neils Arena north of town will host the annual event which will feature two specialty acts.
The bucking bull statue on Highway 37 marks the entrance to the park and a weekend full of thrills, skills and excitement for all ages. Besides traditional rodeo action, Libby will be entertained by two specialty acts this year!
Action starts at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday nights. The gates will open at 5:30 p.m. so folks can come early, stake a spot in the stands and then grab a bite at the concessions before wandering through the vendors’ booths until things start happening.
Announcer Brent Jordan will have the music cranked up and the temperatures are forecast to be in the balmy 80 degree range for a change, a welcome relief from the 90 to 100-plus degree heat there has been for the past four years! In spite of that heat, the crowds have been terrific so an even larger turnout is expected for the show this year.
Kootenai River Stampede is proud to welcome a classy, greatly appreciated group of young ladies to grace the arena, carrying flags, moving livestock and circulating through the stands - the Ambassadors of Rodeo - present and past Rodeo Royalty. This group of 10 hard working individuals is so loyal to this annual event that most have returned year after year.
Royalty coordinator Abby Riska hauls her horses up from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and this will be the eighth year she has helped out since her first visit as visiting Royalty representing the Darby Rodeo Association.
Funnyman clown and barrel man Mike Wallace will keep the pace of the action flowing as he interacts with Brent to draw spectators into the action. Between the two, there will be no lull and no lag in the pace of the show.
Kicking off the 2025 Kootenai River Stampede PRCA Rodeo in spectacular fashion will be SIX-time World Champion trick rider Madison McDonald Thomas bursting through the arena gate at full speed carrying Old Glory! She wowed the Libby crowds in 2020 and she’s back!
A surprise addition to Madison's acrobatics on a speeding horse, professional trick roper Dalton Morris will amaze “kids” of all ages with his skill and antics. Dalton has been perfecting his trick roping since he took an interest in it at the ripe old age of 3 - yes, at THREE! An interesting hobby and play turned into a career.
Dalton has traveled across the country to a variety of venues with his unique talent, from rodeos to fairs, to the comedy stage. Have you ever seen a grown man play with fire? Dalton sets his rope on fire to impress. As he is a friend of Mike Wallace, there might be even more fun when the two combine their shenigan capabilities together. Since Dalton is also a barrelman, the unexpected might be expected with two barrels in the arena!?!
Plan on enjoying a full evening of fast paced excitement with professional rodeo in town. Presale tickets are an affordable $17 for adults while those tickets will be $22 at the gate. Veterans, seniors (age 60 and over) and students (age 7-15) can purchase tickets for the presale price of $14 or at the gate for only $19.
Kids six-and-under are admitted free.
Tickets are available from the following ticket outlets until noon on Friday: Libby Area Chamber, Timberline Auto Center, The Printing Press, High Spirits Liquor and Homesteaders Farm & Ranch Supply. In Troy, tickets can be obtained at The Silver Spur Restaurant.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. with rodeo action commencing at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday north of Libby, over the Kootenai River on Highway 37.
Professional trick roper Dalton Morris will perform at the 2025 Kootenai Stampede this weekend in Libby (Courtesy photo)