Bucking horse event coming to Kalispell

Majestic Valley Arena near Kalispell will host the World Class Bucking Horse Association’s World Finals Event on Oct. 27.

“We’ll have people here from north of Edmonton, Canada, down to Texas and everywhere between,” said Bob Pecora, executive director of the World Class Bucking Horse Association.

Majestic Valley Arena also will host the first of six qualifying futurities May 4-5.

The futurity will feature about 90 head of some of the best 4- and 5-year-old saddle broncs in North America, Pecora said.

“We will have multiple world champion contractors including Flying 5 Rodeo, Big Bend and Powder River.”

Running through September, the futurity events determine which horses and cowboys qualify for the World Finals Event in October, which offers $15,000 in additional prize money for breeders and $10,000 for cowboys.

Other futurities are scheduled in Riverton, Wyo.; Whitehall, Sidney and Belt, Mont.; and Killdeer, N.D.

The top 45 horses will qualify for the World Finals Event in Kalispell.

Pecora said he hopes to keep the World Finals Event coming back to Kalispell.

“The Kalispell community has really gotten behind the event and made our decision easy to bring the event to Northwest Montana, which provides the perfect setting for the top bucking horses event in the country,” Pecora said.

Local businesses have stepped up to help the event come to town.

Sponsors include Don K Whitefish and Frontier Builders at Whitefish.

“Hilton Garden Inn is our host hotel and Scotty’s Bar & Grill will help us with our dinners and awards banquet. Everyone has been great,” Pecora said.

Pecora worked with the Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring the event to Kalispell.

“The Majestic Valley Arena is a world-class indoor arena and the perfect setting for such events,” said Rob Brisendine, group sales manager for the bureau.

“The finals are a great addition to our event programs and we look forward to a long relationship with WCBHA.”

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.