It's officially Great Northern Fair week

When it comes to the Great Northern Fair, there's always plenty to see and do.

And sporting events are no exception.

In fact, sporting events at the Great Northern Fair are always some of the main attractions and the 2012 Great Northern Fair, which gets

Rocky Boy's Wade Colliflower wrestles a steer to the ground during one of the performances of the National Rodeo Association's Great Northern Stampede in July of 2011 in Havre. The two nights of NRA rodeo action is just part of a busy week of sporting events which will take place at the 2012 Great Northern Fair. The fair begins Wednesday and runs through Sunday night.

underway on Wednesday will have plenty to see for the avid sports fan.

The fair brings unique opportunity for sports that don't happen in Havre any other time of year, and just like all the other great events at the fair, there's a little something for everyone when it comes to sports at the fair.

This year's list of sports events kicks off with Junior Rodeo on Wednesday night. The junior rodeo is always one of the most well-attended events at the fair as cowboys and cowgirls ages 5-18 compete in a host of rodeo events. The big hit in the junior rodeo is always the sheep riding as future rodeo stars try their hands at staying on a sheep for eight seconds. There's also pole bending, barrel racing, goat tying, roping, steer riding and steer wrestling as many youths from all over the Hi-Line open the fair with their chance at rodeo glory.

Following the Junior Rodeo, the professionals will take to the arena for the Great Northern Stampeded NRA Rodeo Thursday and Friday night. Both performances start at 7 p.m. and big Northern Rodeo Association points and money are on the line. The Great Northern Stampede is one of the best rodeos on the summer circuit and attracts pros from all over Montana, as well as North Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho. It's also a chance for rodeo fans to see Havre and Hi-Line professionals in action as well. There will likely be more than 30 top 40 local competitors entered in the rodeo, coming from Havre, Chinook, Box Elder, Rocky Boy, Harlem, Big Sandy, Fort Belknap and up the Hi-Line in Kremlin, Gildford and Rudyard.

The Great Northern Stampede always features some of the best rough stock in Montana, as well as top-level bull fighters and rodeo clowns.

And when the dust settles on three straight nights of rodeo, the sounds of loud engines and plenty of power take over for the weekend.

Saturday is truck pull day in the arena. In the afternoon, the local pulls will take place as local drivers take center stage. On Saturday night, the professional truck pulls will be the main attraction.

Then there's Sunday and that means only one thing — the Jaycee's Demolition Derby. The derby is the main attraction and closes out the fair each and ever year. It features a main draw with several preliminary and consolation heats, before the championship heat, as well as a herby derby. It usually sells out each year and is always a crowd favorite and a staple of the Great Northern Fair.