BRONC RIDING NATION
U . S . Army built an infantry fort and posted General Nelson Miles . The railway soon followed and the western boom town that grew around it was officially named Miles City .
THE PARTY Today , Miles City ’ s population is just over 8,000 and doubles with incoming cowboys and cowgirls on the third weekend in May . Miles City Bucking Horse Sale has grown organically over the years and evolved from strictly an auction to a four-day event with concerts , street dances , parades , cowboy bag pipers that stroll through the old , beautiful neon-drenched bars that line Main Street and all night parties . It ’ s become known as Cowboy Mardi Gras and is a destination high on the list of every pure and fabulously impure fan of bucking horses on the North American continent .
The thing gets rolling on Thursday night with music straight from cowboy heaven when Corb Lund and the Hurtin Albertans and Ned LeDoux play under the stars on the blocked off streets of Miles City .
Lund has spent the spring in Nashville working on his newest collection of serious Western music that will follow his 2016 release of ‘ Things That Can ’ t Be Undone ’.
“ I ’ m super excited to play Miles City ! We had a blast the last time we did it . My uncle has been telling me about that sale since I was a teenager ,” Corb Lund said . “ It ’ s really important to me to play events like that in the American and Canadian West . I feel very connected to that part of the world . Both sides of my family have lived in the west since the mid 1800 ’ s and it ’ s the place I feel most at home . Plus , I outright love Montana . It ’ s my favourite state .”
Chancey Williams and The Younger Brother Band takes the outdoor stage on Saturday night at the Bucking Horse Saloon and Casino . His new album Rodeo Cold Beer debuted at # 7 on the iTunes Country Chart and his live show isn ’ t to be missed . He ’ s a bronc hand himself . What else needs to be said ?
THE CONTESTS Reigning PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood ’ s hometown is Miles City . Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 2015 bronc rider , Josh Reynolds , is just down the long gravel road in Ekalaka . Reynolds won Miles City Bucking Horse Sale twice when it was a two day sale and once since the format has changed to the matched bronc ride on Sunday . The match is produced by Burch Rodeo with the help of a few other select contractors .
“ The horses are always outstanding , the crowd is standing room only and it ’ s about as pure Western as a contest comes ,” said Reynolds . “ The last time I won Miles City was on the rough side . I picked up my check and prize rifle while I was still bleeding from getting slammed down on my face at 8 seconds .”
It wasn ’ t the last time he entered . Miles City Bucking Horse Sale ’ s arena is built into their 5 / 8 mile racetrack where Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing is featured throughout the event . The pari-mutuel windows are open during the match with wagering on the long and short go match-ups . Last year , Chuck Smith paid $ 42.10 on a $ 2.00 pari-mutuel ticket .
There ’ s a high stakes calcutta for the short go championship round as well as savvy fans with fistfuls of dollars who line the fence and wager ride to ride with their neighbors and brand new friends . Old friends gather , reunions are random and sweet . There ’ s no place quite like Miles City Bucking Horse Sale .
“ We ’ ve never intended Bucking Horse Sale to be in a class with Cheyenne Frontier Days or Calgary Stampede . We ’ ve never tried to be fancy , we ’ re just authentically Old West .” – Miles City Montana Chamber of Commerce .
Futurity , bull riding , horse and bull auction , matched bronc ride , party , concerts , shows , shopping and parades ; whatever your interest in Western entertainment is , there ’ s something for you at Miles City Bucking Horse Sale .
Miles City Bucking Horse Sale ’ s feature event is Sunday ’ s
Bronc Riding Match and only the best make it to the final round , that includes the horses selected . From Burch Rodeo Company ( Left to Right ) Testify , Maria Bartiromo ,
Strawberry Rocket and Lunatic
From Hell . ( Maria Bartiromo won in 2017 for Jake
Costello )
Couples hit the dance floor at Corb Lund and the Hurtin ’ Albertans ’ s first song and don ’ t stop unless they ’ re singing his lyrics back to him . It ’ s cowboy music authenticity at it ’ s finest , complete with nice leather work on his guitar .
30 www . rodeofame . com Photo by Mary Peters
Photo by Mary Peters