Ranch Rodeos
Turning Daily Work into Play
by Cyd Hoefle
photography by McKenzie Holmberg
Dusty horse trailers pulled by pickup trucks are parked haphazardly around the arena. Cowboys on horseback visit, joke and challenge one another. All wear blue jeans, long-sleeved shirts, scuffed cowboy boots and well-worn straw hats. Families and friends rally close by.
Soon all are called into the area where the official rules will start and a prayer will be said. It is the start of another ranch rodeo, one of dozens scheduled around the region this summer.
Ranch rodeo is a reminder of the rich history of Western culture, with cowhands racing against the clock and other teams, competing for bragging rights of being the best at what they do. Teams compete in events involving skills they might use on a typical day on a working cattle ranch. Calves need to be branded, mother cows outwitted, sick ones doctored and always, it seems, there’s a reason for a cow to be loaded up and hauled somewhere.
The events unroll as a team takes to the arena and tries to outsmart not only the other teams, but the critters involved. A mounted team of four rapidly approaches the small herd of steers at the end of the arena. One cowboy moves forward swinging his lariat. The cattle start to break up and he aims for the head of the designated one. His loop glides out from his hand and drops expertly over the horns of the steer. He pulls it tight and dallies around his saddle horn at the same time as he starts to maneuver the steer around for one of his teammates to heel it.
Another cowboy, already swinging his loop, waits for the perfect moment, aiming accurately as he lets go, successfully catching both heels. The two riders stretch their ropes tight as the two remaining cowboys dismount and race toward the steer, bringing him to his side. They scramble to remove both ropes, throwing their hands in the air as the clock stops. The event is team doctoring, and the object is to catch the steer, lay it on its side — which is when the doctoring would take place if it was being done on a ranch — and get the ropes off as fast as possible. Less than two minutes have passed.
The event rules may differ slightly with each rodeo, but the code of conduct remains the same. Abuse of personal or event animals and unsportsmanlike behavior is prohibited and results in instant disqualification. The cowboys represent not only their ranches, but a way of life that still plays out across the country, where hard-working men and women battle against time and change to maintain the lifestyle of the American cowboy.
The dust has barely settled when the current team of cowboys exits the arena and the next one takes over. The heat of the day beats down on them as each team waits its turn.
Just outside the arena, in welcome shade, family members not competing, wait patiently, talk openly, and laugh loudly as they visit with neighbors and friends. Children, all wearing cowboy hats, swing lariats and chase one another across the green grass of the expansive yard behind them.
Ranch rodeos are becoming more popular each year. They typically attract 10 to 12 teams that enter in all of the events. Cowboys and cowgirls compete in teams of four, each teammate ready to step in if the first member misses a loop or needs help. But it’s more than just events and winnings. It’s part of the social circle that area ranchers and their families look forward to every summer.
For Kayla Dickenson of Miles City, the mother of five boys, it’s a chance to be with friends she hasn’t seen for a time.
“It’s all about camaraderie, community, and catching up,” Kayla says. “It can get lonesome living out on the ranch. Seeing other families is really fun for me.”
Kayla’s husband is part of a team from Miles City. His influence is already sprouting up in their boys, as 11-year-old Luke and 14-year-old Todd compete in as many Youth Ranch Rodeos as possible during the summer. At this rodeo, the adult teams are vying for a chance to win a spot at the NILE Ranch Rodeo Finals in Billings, held in October.
A team from Wyoming, consisting of Andrew and Eric Wasserburger and Lane and Brett Hageman, is already a contender. The Wasserburger brothers ranch at Lusk and the Hageman brothers ranch at Fort Laramie. They have competed together for almost a decade and are the 2018 NILE champions. The team is hoping for a title repeat.
“Raising a family and keeping up with the ranch has kept us from going to as many rodeos as we have in the past,” Andrew says. “But we always look forward to the ones we attend. We like coming to Billings. We make a few days of it. We bring our families and get together with friends. It’s a good way to spend some time before winter sets in. We’re competitive, all the teams are. The social part is fun, but we want to win. It’s the last rodeo of the year and we’d like to take home some winnings!”
His wife, Anne, is quick to say she enjoys watching her husband and his team compete, but loves the social aspect of the rodeos, too.
“We’re all around the same age,” she says, “and most of us have kids under 5. To get together with neighboring ranches and friends during the summer is fun for the entire family. The NILE is especially enjoyable because our guys are confident. I think it’s the place and timing. It’s exciting to come to Billings. The fall work is done and we’re not as busy at the ranch, so no one is thinking about what has to be done back home.”
The last event at most of the rodeos, and perhaps the favorite of the spectators, is the wild cow milking. It’s a fast-paced, entertaining event and has the entire crowd on edge and cheering wildly. The time starts when the mounted roper crosses the line. He makes a bee line for the cow, hoping his first loop will be enough. It’s imperative he catch her quickly. His team is waiting in the wings and time is of the essence. As soon as the loop surrounds the cow’s head, the men on foot take off running for her. The cow fights them, twisting in opposition to the rope and using her head and feet to fight the men off. Her tail swishes madly. She wants no part of this.
The men wrestle her into submission, and the team member with the bottle takes just enough milk to qualify. He scrambles toward the finish line, holding the bottle of precious liquid as tightly as a quarterback carrying a football. He crosses the line as the flag drops, but the final determination remains. Is there enough milk in the bottle? The judge holds the bottle high in the air for everyone to see and ceremoniously lets the milk spill to the ground. The crowd roars with contagious cheering. The next team steps up and a repeat of the contest takes place.
When the events are done and the dust has settled, saddles come off the horses, hats are brushed off, cool beverages quench dry throats, and a potluck meal is shared. Fellowship replaces competition and the families enjoy one another’s company.
Rodeos around the region sanction with the NILE and send their winning teams to compete. It’s a coveted position to make it. The competition is tough, the bragging rights honorable, and the winning team advances to the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association finals in Winnemucca, Nevada. It will all be determined the first night of the NILE.