Cowboy Mardi Gras
A group of rodeo legends congregates behind the bucking chutes on a chilly Sunday in Miles City, Montana. Red Lemmel, Tom Reeves, Ed Lockwood, Larry Jordan and Deb Greenough all mix and mingle with judges, family and personnel. Cowboys shake hands, and kids wait their turn to get an autograph.
Every year, on the third whole weekend of May, the best bronc riders in the world arrive at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds for the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale. What started as a three-day sale has grown to include much more, including two Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association bronc matches in addition to the bucking horse sale and futurity.
Open bucking horse sale broncs and futurity horses.
Nicknamed “Cowboy Mardi Gras,” the horsepower over the weekend ranged from the biggest and best bucking horses to young Quarter Horses that stepped foot on the track for pari-mutuel horse racing. Young buckers cracked out for futurity contests, and pickup men brought their whole string to work.
Pickup men Brad Marshall and Justin Kissack.
There is a local joke in Eastern Montana that the bucking horse sale always brings rain. This year was no different — the arena caught a little moisture on Saturday and late Sunday during the short round. Stragglers woke up on Monday to more rain, which was a good excuse to nurse a hangover if they ended up at the Bucking Horse Saloon after the match.
Spectators travel from all over the world for the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale.
Horse races run between sections of broncs on both Saturday and Sunday.
As the dust settled, Dawson Hay emerged as the winner in both the long and short rounds of the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale Matched Xtreme Bronc Ride. He scored 89 points on Burch Rodeo’s Calico Color during the long round, and his short-round ride on J Bar J’s Gronk earned him 90 points.
Dawson Hay, 90 points on J Bar J’s Gronk.
Gus Gaillard and Layton Green displayed impressive performances and split second in the short round. Gaillard is a Rookie this year and currently leads the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings in the saddle bronc riding.
Full results courtesy of the PRCA: Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Dawson Hay, 89 points on Burch Rodeo’s Calico Color, $9,018; 2. Gus Gaillard, 88, $6,914; 3. (tie) Kade Bruno and Layton Green, 86.5, $4,209 each; 5. (tie) Brody Cress, Zachary Dallas and Statler Wright, 86, $1,603 each; 8. Stetson Dell Wright, 85, $902. Finals: 1. Dawson Hay, 90 points on J Bar J’s Gronk, $8,016; 2. (tie) Gus Gaillard and Layton Green, 88.5, $5,010 each; 4. Brody Cress, 81.5, $2,004.
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