Locals compete in ranch rodeo days
Karen Peterson
Sarah Crimmins catches a calf during the combo team event that included team roping, trailer loading and doctoring.
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Trailer loading
Karen Peterson
Team branding
Karen Peterson
Breakaway roping
Karen Peterson
Youth branding
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
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RONAN – Ranching skills were tested on Saturday and Sunday during the third Open Ranch Rodeo as part of the Lake County Fair.
“Ranch rodeos are starting to be pretty popular in Montana,” said Paul Guenzler, event organizer. He isn’t sure exactly why the events have become a growing attraction, but his guess is that people enjoy being able to get together and compete with friends and neighbors using the skills they practice every day in real situations. “It could also be that people take pride in their ranch,” he said.
In ranch style rodeos, the events are designed to mimic tasks a rancher might have to do out in the field including riding horses, roping, branding, trailer loading and doctoring, although every community has their own way of doing things. In Ronan, they prefer to run the cattle down the fence line during the trailer-loading event as opposed to other towns that might rope the animals and take them to the trailer. “This just seems more like how we really do it,” he said.
The events this year included roping competitions, wild cow milking, and barrel racing. The combo event required teams of contestants to maneuver several tasks at a time in any order including rounding up the animals, putting them in a trailer, and getting the door shut. Contestants also had to jump off their horses and provide a bit of mock medical attention to one of the real animals, and the final task involved team roping.
During another event, teams worked together to get a calf branded. Half of the team members roped a calf from head to hoof to secure the animal, while the other half of the team jumped from their horses, set the head rope on the front legs, and then grabbed a branding iron from a bucket in the center of the arena and ran back to put a mock brand on the animal. Guenzler said the process is just about like what he does on his ranch, although ranchers are more careful with a hot branding iron.
Kids participated in several events including ranch breakaway roping where they roped a calf running across the arena, and later, the branding-pen event put them in a corral with a bunch of calves. They needed to rope one calf from the backs of their horses and pull the calf out of the corral to another team ready to do a mock branding. Kids could also practice dummy roping outside the corrals.
“This lets them show what they can do,” he said. “A lot of these kids can do a lot; they’re pretty handy.”
Blair Lytle, 8, started learning to rope this year and decided to participate in the junior breakaway contest. She said she enjoyed being able to practice her skills during a real rodeo.
Ryley Knutson, 11, also participated in the event. “I like breakaway because you get to rope fast calves and these were fast calves,” he said.
Ranch Rodeo Team Champions are Nic McAllister, Hugh Houle, Black Nueffer, and Jamie Horner. Second place went to Scott McAllister, Jack McAllister, Josh Senecal and Caleb Krantz. Third place went to Paul Guenzler, Hallie Sohr, Zeb Lytle, and TJ Sinclair.
In the youth division, Jack McAllister took first; Koy McAllister placed second; Nic McAllister placed third; Ryle Lytle placed fourth; and Ryley Knutson placed fifth.
The wild cow-milking event was won by Jack McAllister, Josh Senecal and Caleb Krantz.
First place barrel race winners in the youth division include Brooke Wilson, 1D; Hailey Weible, 2D; Hailey Weible, 3D; and Maddey Clary, 4D. Senior winners: Yvette Vega, 1D; Julie Heaton, 2D; Yvette Vega, 3D; and Tarolyn West, 4D. Open class winners: Carissa Stoner, 1D; Kristi Horner, 2D; Tera Flink, 3D; and Tana Deckert, 4D.
