With 68 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bareback riders set to converge on the Bitterroot Valley, the field is set for the fifth annual Yellowstone Darby XTREME Bareback (YDXB). The event was formerly known as the Yellowstone Darby Riggn’ Rally. The XTREME event takes place Saturday, June 1st and Sunday, June 2nd. at the Richard Cromwell Memorial Rodeo Grounds, in Darby.
Bareback Riding is a rodeo event that involves a participant riding a bucking horse that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. Originally based on the necessary horse breaking skills of a working cowboy, the event is now a highly stylized competition that utilizes horses that often are specially bred for strength, agility, and bucking ability. A rider must stay on for eight seconds to complete a qualifying ride. Riders are judged on their control, spurring technique, and ability to adapt to whatever happens during the ride. The horses are judged on their power, speed, and agility. A good score in bareback riding is in the mid-80s.
Saturday’s qualifying event will feature 48 riders, including WNFR Qualifiers Caleb Bennett, Richmond Champion, Jayco Roper, Tilden Hooper and others, all who will be competing for the chance to move on in the 10-rider advancement to Sunday’s event, while taking home a slice of the $10,000 purse.
Ten qualifiers from Saturday’s XTREME will return along with 20 PRCA invitational riders on Sunday, to compete for $50,000 in purse money, again the richest purse ever offered in a PRCA bareback event, the sought after YDXB buckle and trophy, along with other prizes.
In addition to Saturday’s qualifiers, the stellar list of world class riders competing on Sunday includes PRCA #1 ranked rider, Leighton Berry, as well as last year’s Wrangler NFR Champion Keenan Hayes and the XTREME world record setting champion from 2022, Rocker Steiner.
The 68 riders competing over the two-day event hold an astonishing combined record of 92 Wrangler NFR appearances and 11 World Champion Titles.
Gates open at noon Saturday, with the first rider in the chute at 2:10 p.m. Saturday’s event will include a Calcutta at 12:30, where attendees can wager on their favorite riders.
Gates opens at 3:00 p.m. Sunday. At 3:15 p.m. riders will be available for a Meet & Greet where fans can get autographs and take pictures with their favorite riders. At 4:30 a Calcutta/Draft Party will be held for all 30 riders. A second Calcutta will be held prior to the final round.
Tickets for Saturday’s June 1st Qualifier are $25.00. Tickets for Sunday’s June 2nd event are $45.00. A combo ticket for both events can be purchased for $60.00. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.darbyrodeo.org/yellowstone-darby-xtreme-bareback,
at Murdoch’s in Hamilton, at Darby Wine & Spirits and at the gate.
The Darby Rodeo Association is a qualified – 501(c)(3) charitable community organization on a mission to preserve and promote the sport of rodeo and our western way of life through the production of quality western entertainment events, support and encouragement of youth and high school rodeo, and investment in building the community.