Montana cowboys put on show

Josh Boka says the Northwest Montana Fair PRCA Rodeo at the Flathead County Fairgrounds always seems to bring out the best in him.

Regardless of the type of year he’s having.

“This has always been one of those rodeos that has been good for me,” the 34-year-old Dillon steer wrestler said.

“You have those rodeos were you always do well, and those where you don’t. I know that sounds kinda weird, but it’s true. Kalispell has always been a good place for me — good people and a great rodeo.”

And that held true to form again.

Boka was the second steer wrestler out on the opening night Thursday and he posted the best time with a flashy 4-second flat run.

“It’s never easy,” he said of his near-perfect effort.

“Jabe Anderson (III) was my hazer, things came together and I was riding my own horse.”

Anderson III followed later and turned in the second-best time at 4.6 seconds.

“I had my feet in the ground, the steer was pretty good and all I had to do was my part and get a good score,” Boka said.

“They’re huge,” he said of hazers.

“You can’t do this without them. They are priceless. They do a lot for you, more than it looks.”

Boka finished sixth last year at this rodeo.

Montana cowboys also had the top showing in two other events.

Bareback rider Jessy Davis of Power posted an 83-point ride on Journal Keeper. He finished second here in 2016 with an 84.5 score.

Chase Erickson of Helena was second with a 75 score on Thursday.

Team ropers Max Kuttler of Dillon and Kory Mytty of Lolo turned in a 6.9-second go to edge Delon Parker of Warden and Ryan Zurcher of Powell, Wyo., for the top spot on the leader board. Parker and Zurcher were timed in 7 seconds.

Jabe Blackwell of Rapid City, South Dakota, leads a tightly bunched saddle bronc event with his 85-point ride on Spanish Pair.

Jacobs Crowley of Boerne, Texas, and Sterling Crawley of Stephensville, Texas, are tied for second with 84s.

Cody Wright of Milford, Utah, is fourth at 83.

“I came here with high expectations,” Blackwell said.

“There was some really good bronc riding, everyone rode good.”

There were nine bronc riders and six earned scores.

“One of my buddies from home won a set on him (Spanish Pair) in Texas,” Blackwell said.

“Really a nice horse. He takes a lot of reining and he was a lot of fun.

“I’ve been very fortunate,” he said of his successful year thus far.

“Better than last year. That’s a blessing. It was tough. I wasn’t drawing well, a tough year riding.”

Tim Pharr of Resaca, Georgia, set a high standard to beat in tie-down roping with his 9.9 second effort.

Kellie Collier of Hereford, Texas, and Kim Wermling of Great Falls had 17.58 and 17.96 times to hold down the 1-2 spots in barrel racing.

And Jacob Smith of LaSalle, Colorado, stayed on long enough to tally a 78-point score in bull riding on Rumor Has It. The Kesler Rodeo Company bulls bucked off the other five cowboys.

The second performance of the rodeo is tonight at 7:30.

Montana Fair PRCA Rodeo

Thursday

Flathead County Fairgrounds

Bareback riding — 1. Jessy Davis, Power, 83 on Journal Keeper; 2. Chase Erickson, Helena, 75; 3. Cavan Wrzesinski, Boulder, 71 1/2.

Steer wrestling — 1. Josh Boka, Dillon, 4.1; 2. Jabe Anderson III, Dillon, 4.6; 3. Luke Gee, Stanford, 5.9; 4. Will Stoval, Roberts, 7.0.

Saddle bronc riding — 1. Jade Blackwell, Rapid City, S.D., 85 on Spanish Pair; 2. (tie) Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, and Sterling Crawley, Stephensville, Texas, 84 each; 4. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, 83; 5. Spencer Wright, Milford, Utah, 81 1/2; 6. Ryder Wright, Milford, Utah, 79 1/2.

Team roping — 1. Max Kuttler, Dillon/Kory Mytty, Lolo, 6.9; 2. Delon Parker, Worden/Ryan Zurcher, Powell, Wyo., 7.0; 3. Brady Tryan, Huntley/Travis Tryan, Billings, 11.0.

Tie-down roping — 1. Tim Pharr, Resaca, Ga., 9.9; 2. Chad Johnson, Cut Bank, 21.3.

Ladies barrel racing — 1. Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, 17.58; 2. Kim Wermling, Great Falls, 17.96; 3. Milee Dailey, Pray, 18:05; 4. Gayleen Malone, Pray, 18.12; 5. Tammy Fischer, Ledbetter, Texas, 18.28; 6. Taci Bettis, Round Top, Texas, 18.30; 7. Tammy Thompson, Ramsey, 18.76; 8. Brittney Ford, Helena, 23.55.

Bull riding — 1. Jacob Smith, LaSalle, Colo., 78 on Rumor Has It.