When the chute gates open in Darby on Saturday night at the Elite Bull Connection Shoot-Out, there will be two sets of athletes on display – the cowboys and the bulls. The bull riders are wiry, strong, extremely athletic and never ones to give up. The bulls are specially bred to buck and twist with one intention, to remove the bull rider and more often than not, they come out the victors.
Billed as ‘The Biggest Little Bull Riding in the Northwest’, this event has evolved from being a part of Darby Logger Days to having its own weekend and being a premier bull riding event. Cal Ruark is the man behind the bulls as well as the Logger Days revival. This year he stepped away from Logger Days, which will be July 15 and 16, to focus on the bull riding event. As the vice president of the Elite Professional Bullriders Association, he has his hands full making sure the event is successful. The pressure is on; after all, last year the event was voted the Best EPB Bull Riding event of 2010.
“The bull riders and the contractors voted on this,” said Ruark. “So it makes you feel better. Unfortunately, we’re not eligible for five years now so it makes me feel sick.”
Unlike a rodeo where one contractor supplies all of the bucking stock, several different contractors will provide up to 65 bulls for the Saturday night performance. There are 50 bulls in the long go-round and then the top 10 come back for the short go-round. Bulls are also needed in case there is a re-ride awarded to a rider. (Re-rides are given if the bull fails to buck or if there is an equipment malfunction on the gate or chute.)
Contractors from throughout the Northwest and Canada will bring the bulls. Some of the best are raised right here in the Bitterroot Valley. Jim Hale has been raising bulls for a few years and even had one or two make the Professional Bull Riders circuit. He and his partner, Philip Hofer of Billings have teamed up to bring in some really tough bulls. Priest Creek Ranch from Colorado, Get A Grip Bucking Bulls from Clayton, Washington, Red Eye Rodeo out of Deer Lodge and Two Bit Bucking Bulls from Canada, will all have bulls bucking on Saturday night.
Ruark says the only difference between the bulls that will be in Darby and the bulls seen at the PBR events is experience. These bulls have many of the same bloodlines as those seen on television or at the ‘big’ events. They are just younger and haven’t fully developed their action.
Last year there were 28 EPB sanctioned events throughout the Northwest and Canada, this year there are 42. Ruark says the association is growing tremendously. One factor is the popularity of the PBR, the Professional Bull Riders association, which has a huge following across the United States. These events are often aired on television and have even had several international events. Members of the PBR can compete at the EPB events if they are members. Currently there are 176 members in the EPB.
One such cowboy is Matt Triplett of Columbia Falls. He recently competed in the Built Ford Tough Professional Bull Riding Circuit and has already won over $21,000 this year. He will be competing at Darby on Saturday night. Other local Bitterroot cowboys who have entered are D.J. Berger of Florence and Eric Bissett of Victor.
Another cowboy who has entered up this weekend is Russell Friend of Irricanna, Alberta, Canada. Friend was actually entered in the Senior Pro Rodeo last weekend. After Saturday night’s performance, he jumped in his car and headed home. Irricanna is north and east of Calgary. On Friday, he’ll make the trip back to Darby to ride Saturday night. Friend said the energy and excitement at Darby create a great bull riding atmosphere.
“They have great bulls, and when you’re putting up that kind of money at this time of year, you’re going to get the top riders,” said Friend who is also the Canadian director for the EPB.
And speaking of money, the Elite Bull Connection event has a $10,000 purse. When you add the $200 per rider entry fee, that is a very nice chunk of change for the winner. Last year’s winner, Stetson Lawrence of Killdeere, North Dakota, took home $12,500.
So how does one go about winning that kind of money? A bull ride is eight seconds long. The bulls are scored on how well they buck and the bull riders are scored on how well they ride. The bulls are scored from 1-25 on each side for a total of 50 points. The same is true for the riders. A perfect score would be 100 points. However, that has happened only a handful of times over the years in all associations. The rider holds onto a braided rope that is looped tightly around the bull and then the rider’s hand. The rider may not touch the bull with his free hand nor may he hit any part of his own body with the free hand. When the gate opens, the bull jumps, rolls, kicks and does everything he can to remove the rider. If the rider makes it eight seconds, a score is given. The rider with the highest score wins.
The bull riding begins at 7 pm on Saturday night but the gates open at 4:30. Ruark says to get there early because the seating goes fast. There were 3,200 in attendance last year. Tickets are $15 at the gate or $12 if you buy them early at any Farmers State Bank Branch.
There will be music both Friday and Saturday night at the Darby Rodeo Grounds. Friday night will feature the Bitterroot Icon, an American Idol style talent contest, as well as bands from all genres. Saturday’s band, the Country Boogie Boys, will begin at 6 pm.
The Chick’n Chaps organization is also having a rodeo clinic to benefit Tough Enough to Wear Pink, an organization dedicated to raising money for mammograms for local women in the Bitterroot. Last year over $4,000 was raised and utilized right here in the valley according to Ruark.