Dezort, Marquardt at CNFR

Both Kalispell cowboys will compete in bareback riding

Chad Marquardt and Neil Dezort not only share a friendship, but also a passion for rodeo.

And both will be on display when the two Kalispell cowboys compete in bareback riding at the 60th College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., this week.

Marquardt, a sophomore at Montana Western, finished third in the Big Sky Region, while DeZort, a sophomore at the University of Wyoming, placed third in the Central Rocky Mountain Region. The top three regional finishers advance to the CNFR. There are 11 regions.

"It will be good getting (a chance to see) him again," Marquardt said.

"He came up and watched me at my last rodeo in Missoula."

The two former Flathead Valley High School Rodeo Team members stay in contact with cell phones and the internet. However, it will be even easier next year because Dezort is transferring to Montana State University.

"A little closer to home," he said.

"Hopefully, my family will be able to watch me more at the rodeos."

Dezort is majoring in civil engineering. He has a 3.8 GPA.

More than 400 competitors representing more than 100 colleges and universities will be in Casper for the "Rose Bowl" of college rodeo, which begins today at 1 p.m. at the Casper Events Center with the three Bs - bulls, broncs and breakaway roping. Forty cowboys have qualified for the bareback alone.

"It will be kind of nice to have the Wyoming crowd there," Dezort said.

"They are pretty supportive."

This marks the 10th time Casper has hosted this event.

"Just go down there and do the best I can," Marquardt said of his first trip to this season-ending event.

"Just take each go one round at a time."

Marquardt and Dezort will ride today, Tuesday and Thursday. And if they do well, perhaps qualify for the finals on Saturday.

"I would like to finish in the top 15," Dezort said.

"The top 15 come back for the short go on Saturday."

Dezort is competing in his second CNFR.

"Last year I rode my first two," he said.

"On the second one, I dislocated my shoulder. The third one, my shoulder came out in the middle of my ride and I got bucked off."

That also eliminated any chance he had to compete in the finals.

Dezort spent a month in rehab after that and everything appeared to be OK. There were no shoulder problems during the fall season.

But then, trouble struck again.

"At a hometown rodeo at Majestic Valley Arena, I dislocated it there, over Easter weekend," Dezort said.

"I started riding with a brace, dislocated it twice after that in college rodeos (this spring)."

Dezort will wear a brace in Casper and have the shoulder heavily taped. He says he will gut his way through it.

"Not as comfortable as I would like," he said.

"Just a little awkward to ride that way."

Dezort will have surgery on the shoulder later this month in Kalispell.

Dezort finished second in the region in 2007 and has been Wyoming's top point getter two straight seasons.

Marquardt missed his freshman college rodeo season because of knee surgery.

"Watching everyone go up and down the road (last year) was pretty hard," he said.

"I just kept saying that (my time would come)."

Marquardt injured his left elbow during a rodeo last fall.

"It's been giving me a little bit of a problem," he said.

Marquardt said he was pretty sore and banged up after riding four times in the regional last month in Missoula.

"No, I kind of needed it," he said of the break before the CNFR.

"It was good to get some time off and heal up a little bit.

"It feels pretty good (to qualify)," he said.

"It's taken me a little while to get here, but my coach (Olie Else) stuck with me last year and this year and helped me get through it."