Rodeo 101: Bring your boots and beer

Fall is usually a time when sports fans in Montana turn their attention to Bobcat football, volleyball and cross country after a long summer full of anticipation. But, in this unique year, local rodeos are one of the few events permitted. In our small community, you can find a great assortment of these weekend-long events throughout the summer.  Although it may not give you the same feeling as the Gold Rush football game, our local cowboys and cowgirls do a fine job bringing entertainment to the folks of Gallatin county. 

Rodeo is unlike any other sporting event in our great country because it directly relates to the livelihoods of millions of people across many states. Rodeo goers' love for these events stem from a deeper passion of working stock on our American rangelands, and those cowboys and cowgirls succeed greatly in presenting their stock working skills on a stage that entertains even those who don’t work in the industry. Today, rodeo is a big business, with enterprises such as the National Finals Rodeo and the Professional Bull Riders organization bringing in millions of dollars each season. The best way to enjoy rodeo is by attending the smaller, more local shows put on in most cow towns every summer, something Montana has no shortage of. It’s a sport with a deep history of inclusion. Although most spectators aren’t directly connected to the tradition of rodeo, the entertainment provided is sure to leave an impression they won’t be able to shake easily.

With the dust flying and the rough stock bucking, the atmosphere is a welcome relief to the eventless summer we’ve had as sports fans. The intensity of the saddle bronc and bull riding events draws any spectator to the edge of their seat, while barrel racing and calf roping awe fans with its timing and precision. To many of us, rodeos have been a source of summer entertainment and inspiration for a long time, but for a newcomer to the sport, it may be one of the most rousing things you’ve ever seen. 

Our local rodeos do a great job at showcasing the many skills our cowpokes have in their holsters. You’ll see the same folks who are wrangling broncs in one event keeping riders safe in others, while later getting after it in the team roping event, something only a small intimate rodeo can offer. The riders themselves may not be the best in the game, but they are some of the most well-rounded, bringing their experience from working on cattle ranches into the arena and giving the crowd a true example of what it means to be a cowboy or cowgirl. You won’t find any bull riders who have actually ever ridden a horse or done any real work in some of the bigger, national shows. Instead, you’ll find folks who work a day job in the saddle and spend their weekends on the rodeo grounds celebrating their craft, traditions and way of life. 

This blue collar environment extends beyond the arena and into the stands, as folks from all walks of life and areas of the country get a taste of what a Western rodeo is all about. For the adults, cold beer can be found in a cooler for a couple bucks each, cash of course. The rodeo clown entertains the kids and invites them down for a calf scramble, where they get to chase and secure a ribbon from a young, energetic calf. All the while, herding dogs mosey around looking for a pat as their owners are off getting ready. For folks who have never experienced anything like this, it's about as welcoming and interactive as any sporting event can be. Many folks were asking how they could get started and were looking to see if their hometown offers anything like this. Nowhere else provides an experience quite like a Montana  rodeo in the heat of summer.

In some ways, the atmosphere compares to a Bobcat football game. Just like football, folks gather in the parking lot in the hours prior to the singing of the National Anthem to catch up with each other and enjoy warm food and cold drinks. People from the local ranches around town gather together and take a load off after a hard week of work, ensuring the community stays close and connected. Once the events begin, the rush of success or the agony of failure fills all those familiar voids us sports fans are missing this fall. While there aren’t any game-winning touchdowns or series-clinching spikes, it’s still something to feel invested in and cheer about, which is what we all need nowadays .

With the summer coming to an end, smaller rodeos are wrapping up as well. While you can still catch some of the bigger shows this fall such as the Montana Pro-Rodeo Circuit Finals this January in Great Falls, the more rural events won’t be back until next summer. So make sure to not miss out on any of the action next year. Whether on the MSU campus, in Bozeman, Belgrade, West Yellowstone or beyond, there will almost certainly be stock buckin’ next summer. And trust me, you don’t want to miss it.