by Naomi Loomis,
WSRRA Association Representative
Being a Western States Ranch Rodeo Representative puts me on the road to sanctioned events and the Black Hills Stock Show Ranch Rodeo and Broncs for Breakfast is one of my favorite stops of the year. The stock show has a great atmosphere. It is filled with traditions of the west. The Black Hills Stock Show has been a South Dakota tradition since 1959. Every year this winter show grows.
These events were held, January 29 and 30 in the James Kjerstad Events Center.
This ranch rodeo starts my 2019 WSRRA rodeo trail. This rodeo awards more than $16,000 worth of cash and prizes to the top winning teams. Forty three teams consisted of four members, competed in the preliminary round. They competed in Steer Loadin’, Stray Gatherin’ and Range Doctorin’ with a time limit of 5 minutes. The top 10 teams in the preliminary round advances to the finals round. In order to qualify for the final time, these teams had to be under two minutes to qualify for the final round. The final round includes events: Blake’s Trailer Loading, Rope, Mug and Tie, and Head, Heel and Brand and Ranch Bronc Riding.
As the night fell on Rapid City, the James Kjerstad Events Center filled with excited people to watch cowboys perform in the final round of the Black Hills Stock Show Official Ranch Rodeo. These cowboys showed off theirs skills with like duties that they are used to doing on the ranch. One of the highlights of the ranch rodeo was the Outhouse Race. Two people raced to get in the Port-a-Potties while a Dodge Ram pickup man dragged it across the arena. The crowd loved this new event.
At the end of this WSRRA sanctioned, the winners included:
1st Place- McPherson Auction 2
2nd Place- Promise Land Livestock
3rd Place- Broken Arrow/ Cross H
4th Place- Cowboys Till Death
“Well it’s the one event during the winter I look forward to and even more exciting to win it. Burch brings great horses and what a blast to be apart of it all.” – Wes Aragon
“Burch broncs, biscuits and gravy, Bloody Mary’s…..Merica” TeJay Fenster
Bright and early the next morning at the James Kjerstad Events Center, folks from around South Dakota headed to the arena where they listened to live music, ate biscuits and gravy and had a cup of coffee while waiting for the Broncs for Breakfast event to start.
This event at the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo’s “Broncs For Breakfast” event in Rapid City, South Dakota, brings 30 cowboys and cowgirls to take on some tough Burch Rodeo broncs — including some that may have never made a trip to town before. This event is less “poetry in motion” and more “hang on for a wild, west ride- 8 Second Ride” with buckin’ rolls, a rope and a good cinch.
“I think it’s a part of our history that we forget about, and I’m super excited that people are willing to come out and watch it,” “Think about what your grandma and grandpa used to do: they would drive days in a covered wagon to come watch a neighborhood ‘you can’t ride this horse’ competition.”
The top ten advanced to the short-round; where they were matched up against a Burch horse one more time to compete for a total purse of $6,000. The Broncs for Breakfast event continues to grow in popularity at the Black Hills Stock Show with an estimated attendance over 2000.
The 2019 Broncs for Breakfast results:
Champion – Wes Aragon from LaGrange, Wyoming
2nd Place – Jake Frazier from Whitehouse, South Dakota
3rd Place – Wesley Rosengreen from Wheatland, Wyoming
4th Place – Paul Kearns from Lakeside, Nebraska
“The BHSS Ranch Rodeo has been a staple part of the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo for many years. It’s so wonderful to watch the talent of the cowboys and their horses each year. We have cowboysnter from all over SD, into NE and MT. We strive every year to continue to enhance the prize money and events to continue to bring a great competition for the constants and the spectators. – it takes a village of volunteers and staff to have such a successful 10 day event and I’m proud to be a part of it.” Tif Robertson, BHSS/CSF Board of Directors and Ranch Rodeo & Broncs for Breakfast Committee Chair.
On behalf of the of WSRRA, thank you to all the Black Hill Stock Show Ranch Rodeo and Broncs for Breakfast committee members for all your support and congratulations on a successful event.
