Montana
Was This Montana's Best Rodeo of 2024?
Montana has been a rodeo country for as long as anyone can remember, and that’s certainly true with the major upgrades to the Darby Rodeo arena.
But even all the television coverage and prizes worth tens of thousands of dollars didn’t top what happened here this past weekend.
And it may be just the spark to become a regular event, and an inspiration to the next generation of Montana rodeo stars.
Dennis Bragg photo
An unbelievable turnaround
Darby Rodeo Association President Cal Ruark says it was the “challenge of all challenges”, when the group decided to start revamping the area 15 years ago, starting with a $10,000 “winner-take-all event.”
“We had to cut the entries off,” Ruark recalls, remembering the huge crowds. “The crowd had their nose stuck through the fence.”
How did “Yellowstone” impact the Darby Rodeo
When Paramount shifted its production of the TV series “Yellowstone” to the Bitterroot, it brought additional attention, contacts, and bucks. Now, the “Yellowstone Darby Xtreme Bareback”
Cal Ruark, Darby Rodeo Association President; Dennis Bragg photo
is huge, drawing the best riders from all over the country.
“It’s on the Cowboy Channel live, and it just became the place to be in the rodeo world,” observes Ruark, noting it was the community that “made it happen.”
READ MORE: How Darby Developed the Best Bareback Rodeo in Montana
One idea that didn’t happen until now
Yet, for all the success of being a non-profit, Ruark and the others had one more idea.
“I feel bad that I’ve let this go this long,” Ruark told me Saturday, as we watched the youngest cowboys and cowgirls at the 1st annual Darby Kids Rodeo.
For four hours, enthusiastic kids from 15 down to just 3 years old got their chance for applause and cheers, as they competed in easier traditional events like barrel racing, calf riding and steer riding.
Dennis Bragg photo
Dennis Bragg photo
But when the little ones took to the arena for the stick horse barrel racing, and goat “underrating”, it was obvious the Rodeo Association had a hit on its hands.
“Brings tears to my eyes,” Cal told me, confident in the knowledge that there’s another generation to carry on the rodeo tradition.
“You never know which one’s going to be a future world champion. You just don’t know.”
“What more could you ask for than what we’re seeing here today?”
Are you listening PRCA?
While events like “mutton bustin’” have been a part of bigger rodeos for years, this fun afternoon under a perfect Bitterroot blue sky showed the kids should have their own event.
“The rodeo world is different as far as sports go,” notes Ruark. “Football, basketball, all that. People at a rodeo, one thing they do that they don’t have to do is take care of an animal. Whether they’re riding, running barrels, or whatever. They’ve got an animal int eh equation which is different than any other sport.”
The Association is hoping to repeat the success “3 or 4 times” in 2025.
Tell those TV cowboys to leave the kids some room.
Dennis Bragg photo
Top 10 Most Commonly Reported Ancestries of Montanans
Gallery Credit: Ashley Warren
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 13, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 13 drawing
22-31-52-56-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 13 drawing
17-18-28-37-42, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 13 drawing
02-06-10-16, Bonus: 16
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 13 drawing
08-13-39-63-66, Powerball: 02
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 13 drawing
02-04-13-17-32
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 13 drawing
21-24-29-42-49, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Montana
Public Meeting at Hub on Smith Concerning Montana Water Call Prompting Priority Administration in Tongue Basin
Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart announced that on May 5, 2026, the State of Montana placed a call under Article V(A) of the Yellowstone River Compact to fill Tongue River Reservoir in Montana. As a result, priority administration is in effect on post-1950 water rights in Wyoming that divert water from the Tongue River and its tributaries and are not excluded from the compact.
A public meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, in the dining room of The Hub on Smith. Attendees are asked to enter on the north side of the building.
The Tongue River Basin has been experiencing drought conditions over the past year with historically low winter snowpack and streamflow conditions. According to the release, those conditions led to Montana’s interstate call and prompted the administration of the Tongue River Basin in Wyoming.
The priority administration will affect post-1950 water rights within the Tongue River Basin, including reservoir storage, stream diversions and groundwater withdrawals, all of which affect river flows. Post-1950 water rights will be regulated off or prevented from turning on. Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners will continue to administer reservoir storage and post-1950 diversions throughout the spring and work with affected water users until the administration is lifted.
As provided in the compact, domestic uses less than one-half acre in area and livestock uses, including stock reservoirs less than 20 acre-feet in capacity, are excluded from this administration. The release noted these excluded rights could be subject to future regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.
Beginning May 5, 2026, Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners have worked to record the current storage levels of reservoirs with post-1950 water rights. Going forward, those reservoirs can continue to accrue storage so long as post-1950 storage gained after the interstate call on May 5 remains in storage until either the water is released to satisfy the Montana call or Montana lifts the call because Tongue River Reservoir will fill.
Reservoirs with unfulfilled pre-1950 water rights can continue to store water and that storage will not be subject to release to satisfy Montana’s call. However, that storage and other direct flow rights could be subject to regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.
The priority administration will be carried out pursuant to state law by hydrographer-commissioners assigned to various portions of the Tongue River Basin, working under the direction of Division II Superintendent David Schroeder.
The Wyoming State Engineer’s Office can be contacted at:
Jack Morey, deputy state engineer, 307-777-5032, jack.morey2@wyo.gov
David Schroeder, Division II superintendent, 307-674-7012, d.schroeder@wyo.gov
Jeff Cowley, interstate streams administrator, 307-777-1942, jeff.cowley@wyo.gov
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 12, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 12 drawing
17-32-35-40-47, Mega Ball: 17
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 12 drawing
04-12-17-24, Bonus: 11
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 12 drawing
19-21-35-38-53, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
World5 minutes agoNon-Jewish professor says he was fired for calling out Hamas supporters in online post
-
Politics11 minutes agoJordan grills Soros-backed DA Descano in heated spat over soft-on-crime policy: ‘This is almost laughable’
-
Health17 minutes agoExperimental obesity drug outperforms traditional weight-loss treatments in early research
-
Sports23 minutes agoLeBron James may be target of apparently leaked Drake song featuring ‘switching teams’ lyric
-
Technology29 minutes agoFox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed
-
Business35 minutes ago
LinkedIn, Cisco and Amazon are the latest tech companies laying off more workers
-
Entertainment41 minutes agoBTS, Madonna and Shakira to perform at World Cup final halftime show
-
Lifestyle47 minutes ago‘Harry Potter’ soars under the Cosm spell with fantastical, theme-park-like effects
