World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale
7 Decades of Wild Rides in Eastern Montana
“In ’97 we had 500 horses for sale and a whole slew of rodeo contractors attending. Today, it’s less about the bucking horse sale and more about a celebration of the Western culture.”
-ROB FRASER
Written by Cyd Hoefle Photography by Woody Smith
The World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale has become so well known in commemorating the saddle bronc challenge that it has been dubbed the Cowboy Mardi Gras. It’s the biggest event of the year in eastern Montana, where cowboys and cowgirls gather from across the country to take part in an old-style Western shindig.
It’s where wannabes are welcomed and encouraged to dress like the locals and spend some time and money. It’s when the population of Miles City more than doubles its size of 8,500, and in four days millions of dollars are pumped into the community and beyond.
Celebrating its 70th anniversary, which was canceled last year because of the pandemic, the bucking horse sale promises it will make a comeback strong enough to be proclaimed the best ever.
No one would have believed in those first years that the sale would become a historic, world-renowned event, nor would anyone have thought that the town would try as it has to maintain the event. In fact, the first sale, held in 1950, was nothing more than an innovative way that Les Boe, owner of the local livestock yards, used to help sell 30 some bucking horses that he’d taken in on a trade.
Les decided the best way to market the horses was to let them buck. He invited cowboys willing to try their skills at riding broncs, along with several horse buyers, area ranchers and rodeo consigners. As each cowboy rode a horse, it was also auctioned off to the highest bidder. The event was successful and surprisingly entertaining, so Les tried it again the next year and it became an annual event.
The stock yards at Miles City continued to host the event as the years evolved, and by the late 1950s and early ’60s, the event grew to the point that hundreds of horses were sold each day. At times, more horses than cowboys were at the event and the sale continued long after the crowds headed to town for some revelry. Year after year, legendary characters, and local legends to be, have taken turns in the arena trying their best to ride out the broncs.
“It’s evolved for sure,” said Rob Fraser, past owner of the Miles City Livestock Commission and auctioneer for the event for 25 years. “In ’97 we had 500 horses for sale and a whole slew of rodeo contractors attending. Today, it’s less about the bucking horse sale and more about a celebration of the Western culture. The sale has become part of many events over the entire weekend. There’s so many things going on in the four days that it’d be impossible to not come away with a story or two.”
And stories there are of cowboys riding their horses into the bars on the promise of free drinks, which may have continued if it wouldn’t have taken days to shovel out the aftereffects of the horses.
There’s the story of the cowboy that hauled his tame buffalo all the way from Belle Fourche, South Dakota, and after performing at the arena during the rodeo, he rode it downtown and, fittingly, into the Bison Bar.
There are stories of fist fights and gun fights, of friendships made and marriage proposals offered and even fulfilled.
There are stories of veteran party attendees who could pace themselves for partying over the span of four days and the rookie partiers who gave it their all the first night and ended up behind bars for a day of recouping.
“The governor’s board of the Bucking Horse Sale has worked hard to make the event appealing to a wider set of participants,” said Tony Harbaugh, who recently retired after 35 years as sheriff. “There are still people that come solely for the horse sale and don’t even attend anything else and there’s the ones that only come to party and don’t have a clue that there are horses for sale.”
Thirty years ago, the sheriff’s office and police department tried to keep the people who wanted to drink inside the bars. But with the bars overflowing and an open container law in effect, it became a nightmare for the partiers and the law enforcement.
“We wanted people to come to the Bucking Horse Sale and have a good time,” Tony continued. “We just needed to figure out a way to manage it.”
By working jointly, law enforcement authorities, business owners and the board of governors came up with a plan that has worked effectively over the years. Now, the downtown is fenced off so patrons can walk from bar to bar, listen to music, dance at the street dance and not be arrested for open containers, as long as they stay in the pen.
“We needed to manage the mayhem,” Tony continued. “We want everyone to have fun until their idea of fun starts to interfere with someone else’s fun.”
Tony has carried the American flag in the parade on Saturday morning since he took over as sheriff. It’s been a big part of his weekend.
“I rode my horse into a bar a couple of times after I led the parade,” he laughed. “It was just part of the tradition.”
The stories are fun to tell and laugh at, but the town of Miles City has made a concentrated effort to make the event more diverse. Without the dedication and hard work of hundreds of volunteers, the event might not have kept going. The determined ones who saw the potential it would have economically for the community have helped it grow into a well-attended, distinctive event that books out hotel rooms and restaurants reservations months in advance. For four days folks crowd local businesses to overflowing, making the weekend a financial boon and an opportunity to showcase the best.
“The community has tried hard to make it more family-oriented,” Rob continued. “There’s camping at the fairgrounds and activities for kids, there’s the concert and parade. The town really puts its best foot forward. In fact, over the years, there’s a number of people that ended up living here because their first experience to Miles City was their exposure to the bucking horse sale.”
It has become a tribute to the lifestyle of the historical Old West, a gathering place for local ranchers and a destination for thousands across the country and the world to experience the hallmarks of rodeo, ranching and the Western culture.
This year the event will run May 13-16. But the weekends leading up to the Bucking horse sale will be just as fun. Starting on May 1 with Derby Day Racing, the first pari mutuel horse races of the year, followed by the Churchill Downs’ Simulcast of the Kentucky Derby, with live betting. The second weekend will be followed by more pari mutuel horse races, along with a simulcast of the Preakness Stakes, which will also include live betting.
“I rode my horse into a bar a couple of times after I led the parade. It was just part of the tradition.”
“We’re bringing in some new things,” John Laney, executive director of the Miles City Chamber of Commerce and past board member of the bucking horse sale, said. “The live betting is new, and I think it will be well received.”
Beginning on May 13, the bucking horse sale will kick off with a concert with headliner Casey Donahew, followed by three full days of fun-filled events including parades, art in the park, barbeques, trade shows, street dances, horse races, bronc riding, bull riding, wild horse races and of course the bucking horse sale.
“Last year hurt us having to cancel,” John continued. “It’s the biggest economic weekend of the year for a lot of people in Miles City. We’re ramping up this year to be the best one yet.”
Unofficial records indicate that the community lost $20 million to $25 million with the cancelling of the 2020 sale.
“It’s hard to believe until you start breaking the numbers down,” John said. “With not only lost ticket sales, and the average of $115/day that attendees spend, but the lost revenue the hotels, restaurants, local businesses, vendors, nonprofits and then the horse racing, it’s a lot. Every dollar spent is turned over from three to seven times.”
That alone has the community excited about the return and ready to roll out the red carpet for their visitors. By the end of the weekend, visitors to the events will know that Miles City is proud of her heritage and big on the cowboy way of life and is definitely back in the saddle!