Great Stampede provides great moments

Former Montana State University-Northern cowboy Charlie Mack rides in the bareback competition in Friday's performance of the 2012 Great Northern Stampede Rodeo in Havre. There were plenty of local competitors in the rodeo which ran Thursday and Friday night.

Havre's C.J. Hansen competes in the tie-down roping during Friday night's performance of the 2012 Great Northern Stampede in Havre.

Chelsea Brown of Big Sandy rides in the breakaway roping during the Friday night performance of the 2012 Northern Rodeo Association's Great Northern Stampede in Havre. The rodeo featured cowboys and cowgirls from all over the west, including plenty of local pros from up and down the Hi-Line.

Last year the Great Northern Stampede Rodeo in Havre was voted the top rodeo in the state of Montana by the Northern Rodeo Association. And this year, the 2012 Great Stampede Rodeo tried to maintain that elite status by bringing yet another great two days of competition to the Hill County fairground grandstands.

Thursday and Friday night, at the Great Northern Fair, competitors from all over the state and country competed in Havre. And with the depth of competition in attendance, cowboys and cowgirls had to be at their best if they hoped to earn prize money and a belt buckle.

And just as area athletes typically do, Havre and the Hi-Line were represented well.

Havre's Charles Mack earned 54 points and a fifth-place finish in bareback bronco riding, while Havre's Candi Zion ran the ladies barrel racing in a time of 17.79 seconds, good enough for ninth place overall.

Several other local competitors were in the mix Thursday and Friday, but just couldn't squeeze their way into top contention.

Local competitors took part in events such as bull riding, team roping, steer wrestling, tie down roping, saddle bronc and ladies breakaway roping. In steer wrestling, Box Elder's Jesse Colliflower finished in a time of 9.4 seconds, three seconds outside the top placers. Wade Colliflower had a similar finish with a time of 9.8 seconds on Friday. Jesse Colliflower also narrowly missed a top finish in saddle bronc, finishing with a score of 71, one point outside the top five.

Overall average winners included Helena's Colter Davis, who won the bareback with a 74, Browning's Beau Michael, who won saddle bronc with an 83, and Dodson's AJ Crasco, who won the bull riding with a 75. The top tier bulls brought in this year had their way with the cowboys. Only three individuals recorded scores, including the 75 to win the event. Andrew Smith of Shawmutt earned a 73, and Dusty Benoit of Miles Cith scored a 64, as the field found it very hard to make it past the buzzer this year.

Buffalo's Bryant Mikkelson, won the steer wrestling with a time of 4.2 seconds, and Magrath's Dustin Hatch, won the calf roping with a time of 9.5 seconds. In the team roping, Miles Kobald and Kory Mytty, won with an impressive time of 6.2 seconds. They narrowly beat out the second place team, by just one tenth of a second.

Lindsay Karp of Winston won the lady barrels with a time of 17.50 seconds, while Billings' Cadee Tew recorded a 2.3 to win the ladies breakaway. Three Forks' Tayla Moeykens, won the junior barrels in 17.75, and Billings' Culley Morgan, won the junior breakaway with a 2.5.

Great Northern Rodeo

Thursday and Friday

Final Results

Bareback

1. Colter Davis, Helena, 74; 2. John Salois, E. Glacier, 69; 3. Kiin Salois, E. Glacier, 64; 4. Sylvan LaCrosse, Baker, 61; 5. Charles Mack, Havre, 54.

Saddle Bronc

1. Beau Michael, Browning, 83; 2. Dustan Birrer, Greybull, 81; 3. Billy Hendrickson, Corvallis, 76; 4. Adam Bink, Vaughn, 75; 5. Leroy Eash, Fortine, 72.

Bull Riding

1. AJ Crasco, Dodson, 75; 2. Andrew Smith, Shawmutt, 73; 3. Dusty Benoit, Miles City, 64

Steer Wrestling

1. Bryant Mikkelson, Buffalo, 4.2; 2. Ross Mosher, Augusta, 4.7; 3. Eddie Getten, Helena, 5.3; 4. Josh Boka, Dillon, 5.3; 5. Jabe Anderson, Dillon, 5.7; 6. Jordan Holland, Belgrade, 6.1

Calf Roping

1. Dustin Hatch, Magrath, 9.5; 2. Treston Vermandel, Shepard, 9.8; 3. Ryan Siemsen, Worden, 10.9; 4. Orry Fruit, Bozeman, 12.4; 5. Andy Bolich, Belgrade, 12.9; 6. Donnie Benson, Dillon 13.5.

Team Roping

1. Miles Kobald/Kory Mytty, 6.2; 2. Bill Parker/Delon Parker, 6.3; 3. Ryan Siemson/Tanner Sorge, Billings, 7.4; 4. Kody Lahaye/Trevor Sunvision, 7.5; 5. Kevin Peterson/Orry Fruit, 11.3; 6. Cody Joyce, Miles Suberg, Highwood, 11.7.

Lady Barrels

1. Lindsay Karp, Winston, 17.50; 2. Cate Hirschy, Jackson, 17.55; 3. Deena Moeykens, Three Forks, 17.61; 4. Joeleen Cox, Billings, 17.65; 5. Nikki Barta, Buffalo, 17.70; 6. Cate Birk, Kalispell, 17.71; 7. Julie Lenoir, Cut Bank, 17.73; 8. Kaela Murphy, Helena, 17.75; 9. Candi Zion, Havre, 17.79; 10. Mandy Hamilton, Manhattan, 17.82.

Lady Breakaway

1. Cadee Tew, Billings, 2.3; 2. Milee Dailey, Pray, 3.0; 3. Jacey Fortier, Laurel, 4.6; 4. Torrie Eiker, Glendive, 5.4; 5. Amber Crowley, Popular, 5.7; 6. Cate Hirschy, Jackson, 6.4; 7. Shaylee Hance, Circle, 12.2; 8. Megan Lunak, Browning, 12.3.

JR Barrels

1. Tayla Moeykens, Three Forks, 17.75; 2. Stephanie Bartmess, Helena, 17.90; 3. Jordyn Everson, E. Helena, 17.96; 4. Shai McDonald, Gardner, 18.16.

JR Breakaway

1. Culley Morgan, Billings, 2.5; 2. Caleb Guardipee, Cut Bank, 3.9; 3. Ty Everson, E. Helena, 4.6.

Rocky Boy's Wade Colliflower takes down a steer during Friday night's NRA rodeo in Havre.