Homesteader Days celebrates 61 years

In 1949, the first homesteaders came to Hot Springs, signing the official registry for the town.

Since that year, Hot Springs has held an annual historical celebration making this year the 61st celebration of Homesteader Days.

In 1949, the first homesteaders came to Hot Springs, signing the official registry for the town.

Since that year, Hot Springs has held an annual historical celebration making this year the 61st celebration of Homesteader Days.

Leslie Smith, co-organizer of Homesteader Days, said the event was very successful despite the Plains Day celebration taking place on the same day. Although the numbers were down for attendance on Main Street which featured a long list of bands that came out on Saturday, the rodeo attendance was at its highest that it's been in the past three years with around 1,000 people coming through the arena.

Live music was in abundance on Saturday with the rock band Bluesmoke, country music by the group Forever Western, singer John Patrick Williams and the classic rock band Prisoners of Time headlining the music for the annual street dance.

"I thought it was very successful and one of our best ever. I would like to have more attendance and that's my wish every year, but maybe next year we can have a local radio station come down and broadcast," said Smith.

Smith said the events list was pretty standard as they try and keep the celebration consistent each year. The one thing they hope to get back is an annual pow wow that a tribal member coordinated in years past, but due to health issues was unable to put together this year.

"We really enjoyed the pow wow the years we had it and it would be wonderful if they would put another one together," said Smith. "We encourage them (tribal members) and it's up to them as it's their tradition."

In addition to the live music throughout the weekend, the annual Homesteader Days grand parade on Sunday afternoon featured Great Scots pipes and drums. Smith also enjoyed the Dew Duck Inn parade participants, which had two tiny dogs pulling a small float.

The rodeo is the biggest and most successful feature of Homesteader Days, which proved true as hundreds of people filled the bleachers and soaked in the rays while enjoying traditional rodeo events such as bareback riding, barrel racing, team roping and bull riding.

The rodeo has been a staple feature to Homesteader Days since the event was started 61 years ago. Laurence Walchuk, member of the Hot Springs rodeo committee, said it was started many years ago by a group of ranchers and cowboys and has continued to be a staple in Hot Springs.

This year the rodeo was a tremendous success with not only over 1,000 people in attendance, but high numbers of eager participants from throughout the state and some participants from Idaho.

"We have never raised our prices in ten years and we're not a professional rodeo we're just here to have fun and I think that's why people come back every year," said Walchuk, commenting on the success of the event.

Walchuk said they had around 60 participants signed up for Saturday's rodeo and around 100 for Sunday, including a number of kids.

Sixteen-year-old barrel racer Ty Steele from Arlee participated in the Hot Springs rodeo for the first time in years.

"I was at a rodeo when I was six-years-old and I told my parents I don't want to go to a rodeo again unless I'm in it and they didn't really believe me and I still stood on it so my parents bought me a barrel horse and I got started," said Steele.

Steele said barrel racing is a 24/7 process and there is always something new to learn wherever they go. The adrenaline rush is what keeps Steele going to rodeo after rodeo to participate in barrel racing events.

"It's not exactly just going around three barrels, it's very scientific. There can be certain hand movements and feet movements and it's very, very detailed," said Steele.

The adrenaline rush is what brings athletes back year in and year out to rodeos such as the one in Hot Springs

Justin King from Bonners Ferry, Idaho has broken numerous bones and suffered various injuries in his 13 years of bareback riding. Despite the possibility of injury, the rush and adrenaline puts him back in the arena ready to ride again. King has attended the Homesteader Days rodeo on and off for the past nine years.