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.

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”

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.

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.