Rodeo: Hill hopes to defend title
West Glacier’s Beau Hill electrified his home crowd with a winning ride at last year’s Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo, and he’ll be the main attraction when this year’s PRCA event kicks off tonight at 7:30 p.m at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.
The four-time PBR world finalist is one of five bull riders signed up to ride on opening night, and Hill hopes he can replicate his performance from a year ago when he scored a 91 atop a Kesler Rodeo Company bull named Whiskey Jack.
“I’ve got all my family and a bunch of friends going,” Hill said. “It’s always nice to do good here and perform for everybody in my hometown.”
Kesler is once again providing the stock for the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo, but Whiskey Jack isn’t on the roster. Instead, Hill will attempt to ride White Devil, the 15th-ranked bull in Montana over the last 12 months according to probullstats.com.
“I actually have a pretty good bull drawn on Thursday night,” Hill said. “I think I can be in the high 80s for sure. I don’t know if I can be 92 on him, but you never know.”
White Devil has bucked 11 of 13 cowboys in his career, and while Hill has never drawn him before, he’s done his homework.
“I’ve seen the bull a lot of times,” Hill said. “He usually turns his back to the left and pushes back really hard. I’m going to try to be ready for it and we’ll see. He’s definitely a bucker.”
Highly-ranked bareback riders Bobby Mote of Culver, Ore., and Jessy Davis of Power headline Friday’s program. Mote is currently third in the PRCA bareback rankings while Davis is 13th. They finished first and second, respectively, at last year’s Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo.
Friday’s program also includes local team ropers James Robinson of Kalispell and Charlie Lenning of Columbia Falls, saddle bronc rider LeRoy Eash of Fortine and tie-down roper Tim Bagnell of Polson.
Saturday will be a big night for team roping, tie-down roping and barrel racing as all three events will feature multiple nationally-ranked competitors. Brandon Beers of Powell Butte, Ore., and Jim Ross Cooper of Monument, N.M., are the PRCA’s seventh- and fourth-ranked headers and heelers, respectively. Dustin Bird of Cut Bank and Paul Eaves of Lonedell, Mo., and Riley and Brady Minor of Ellensburg, Wash., are also ranked tandems.
Third-ranked Sterling Smith of Stevensville, Texas, is one of five top-20 tie-down ropers on Saturday’s program and second-ranked Mary Walker of Ennis, Texas, leads a group of four top-20 barrel racers who will compete Saturday.
Fourth-ranked steer wrestler Hunter Cure of Holliday, Texas, and ninth-ranked bull rider Parker Breding of Edgar will also compete Saturday, as will local team ropers Keith Richmond of Kalispell and Shawn Little of Essex.