Ride'em cowboy
Photo by Aaric Bryan Everrett Hutchinsons holds on for dear life at the Hot Springs rodeo Sunday. Out of the nearly 30 cowboys who tried to ride the 2,000-pound animals, only two were able to hold on for the eight seconds. Rick Hutchinson won the event with 79 points.
A Superior’s man attempt to win at the Hot Springs rodeo came up empty this weekend.
Morgan Seeman was one of nearly 40 cowboys and cowgirls competing in the 11 events at the two-day Rodeo.
Seeman came up empty in the event, which Morgan Seeman from Polson won with a time of 12.06 seconds.
Plains’ Bronson Burbach was able to hold on for eight seconds in the bareback bronc riding Sunday to score 75 points and win the competition.
The only other competitor in the bareback was Luke Warner from Whitefish. Warner was able to hold on for eight seconds Saturday, but only scored 72 points.
The bulls were especially tough on the competitors. All four Sanders County competitors who tried got dumped before the eight seconds.
Tim King, from Trout Creek, was the first to give it a try Saturday night, but had no luck. King was followed by Plains’ Timmy Malmend and Calvin Larsen, who didn’t have much better luck then King. Dixon’s Bryan Tufley’s attempt on Sunday ended in the same way as the other three riders.
The four shouldn’t feel too bad. Out of the nearly 30 cowboys in the four bull riding sessions only two were able to hold on for the entire eight seconds and all riders in Saturday’s session got bucked before the eight seconds. Rick Hutchison, from British Columbia, Canada, scored 79 to win the event.
Even though Malmend wasn’t able to hold on for the eight seconds, he walked away from the arena a winner.
Both he and Larsen were competing in their first bull riding competition after a late-night dare.
Their entry fees in the rodeo were paid for and then people started taking bets on who would last the longest.
Malmend was able to ride his bull for nearly three seconds before getting bucked off to beat the heavily-favored Larsen.
Even though his hand got stuck in the rope after being bucked off and he got dragged around the arena by a 2000-pound bull, Malmend said it was exciting and he was ready to do it again.
“I’m ready to try it at the next rodeo,” Malmend said. “Well, maybe not the next rodeo, don’t quote me on that,” he said, after giving it more thought.
The riders in the miniature bulls didn’t have much better luck than the bull riders. Milo Bighead, from Plummer, Idaho, was the only one of the eight riders to last eight seconds. Bighead scored 73 points to win the event.
Most all of the winners of the 11-event rodeo came to Hot Springs from Lake County. Ronan’s BJ Schau scored 75 points to win the saddle bronc.
The steer wrestling winner also came from Ronan. Josh Harris was able pin his steer down 6.1 seconds to win the event. Morgan Seeman, from Polson, won the calf roping with a time of 12.06 seconds.
Ronan’s Shae Hutchinson won the ladies breakaway with a time of 3.2 seconds.
Rachel Hoyt, from Charlo, won the junior barrels with a time of 16.47 seconds.
Arlee’s Kaylina Ursua’s time of 15.59 seconds was the fastest in the ladies’ barrels and Shawn Little and Jeff Brander, from St. Ignatius, won the team roping with a time of 7.1 seconds.