Local Cowboys Tame Competition At Hinsdale Rodeo

The dust has cleared from the row-day-oh arena, the fireworks have been shot to smithereens, horseshoes tossed, bowling balls bowled, pies auctioned, ping pong balls dropped from an airplane, ( I always thought it might be fun to drop hail-sized golf balls), at least 12 cans of beer consumed, and music played for the street dance, Hi-Line Country with Darrell Gairrett provided that good music. All-in-all, by all accounts, a good time was had by all. Now there's a sentence that will drive every English teacher berserk.

The following results from the rodeo are not official and incomplete but I have it tallied something like this: Gerald Rogers of Glasgow won the bareback event with a ride of 69 pernts in the only qualified ride. Chisholm Christensen of Hinsdale won the saddle bronc ride scoring 69 points and beating Malta's Ted Brown by three beans according to judges Bim Oxarart and Dick Marshall. The “face plant” award went to Saco's Ashton Simpson who tied with Boyce Lacock in that category. The crowd was asked to vote by announcer Myron Malnaa and Simpson's fans were a tad bit more boisterouser than Boyce's. Ashton won a semi-nice headstall made by that one old guy in Hinsdale who thinks he can make stuff out of leather.

Larry Nordland of Lewistown won the tie down roping with a time of 11.4. Cody Flammond of Malta was second, Kenny Lowe, Fallon third and Jim Robinson, Zortman fourth. 

Jay Ann Demarais, Malta won the Women's breakaway roping in a nifty 3.1 seconds. Justinn Marshall, Saco took second place with 5 flat and although Shaylee Hance, Circle also had a time of 3.1 she was assessed a ten second penalty for speeding and took home third place money.

At press time I still haven't been awarded the results of the barrel racing. I do know howsomeever that young miss Georgie Orohood won the “whip and spur” award for the best ride out of the money in the youth barrel racing event taking home a set of spur straps made in America by that one old guy in Hinsdale.

There was a smidgen of excitement when Sawyer Hillman of Glasgow and a bull named Out Law living mostly on the road, met heads in the bull riding event. Young Hillman was attended to by about a dozen or so EMTs who all converged on the wreck in wrecord time. Hillman was knocked cold for a few minutes and after being sure he was immobilized and strapped to a crash board he was loaded up in the Hinsdale Ambliance and carted off to the doctor place in Glasgow to have his head examined and his jaw fixed. They didn't find much in his head (as is typical of most bull riders) but they did discover that he might be eating his burgers through a straw for awhile. As they were wheeling him to the ambulance I thought I heard him say “Boys, I sure hope I didn't hurt that bull.” He's a considerate young man, you see. I talked with his aunt Staci today and was told that Sawyer is being taken to Billings to consult with a jaw bone specialist. Heal up quickly my friend.

Contractor for the 31^st annual Milk River Days Rodeo was Northern Rodeo Co., Larry Wirtz, Outlook, Mt. Horses were furnished by the Hinnelands of Brockway and the timed event stock provided by DeWayne Ozark

Assisting in the announcing was Chris Christensen much to the delight of Myron Malnaa who was heard to remark, “At least I'm still the prettiest person in the booth.”

Flagger was Saco's Lexie Haynes and the pickup men were Jack and Quinn Hinneland of Brockway. Timers were Jan Marshall and Tanya Funk (who naturally took umbrage at Myron's remark on 'pretty').

One of the many 'in the background' people who keep the rodeo running smoothly is Jim Orohood who is usually behind the bucking chutes giving sage advice to the young riders or out back pushing recalcitrant stock through the lanes and into the chutes. Nate Remmich and Pete Mogan were the strippers. Wait a minute now. Quit that. The “strippers” are the guys who take the saddles and bareback rigs off the stock when said stock is finished stomping cowboys into the dust.

Familiar faces at the main ticket gate selling tickets were Marie Pippen along with her much older husband Dave. It's always nice to see their smiling faces and all patriotic in their flag shirts.

And that, friends is all the news from the 31^st annual Milk River Days Rodeo, Hinsdale, Montana put on quite nicely by the Milk River Cowboy Association, President Mike Jones, Secretary/Treasurer Mark Johnson and Lorri Palm. See ya' here next year?

That's it for now folks. Thanks for listening.