Last Chance Stampede- Helena!

On July 27^th I was off to Helena for the Last Chance Stampede. This rodeo was one of my favorites as Miss Teen Rodeo Montana and I was really looking forward to going again. I stayed with the Gurnett family (Miss Teen Rodeo Montana 2010 and her parents) and we had a TON of fun!

On Thursday I helped put on a kiddie rodeo at Capitol Sports also a wonderful sponsor of the rodeo.  This was one of the biggest kiddie rodeos I’ve ever seen!  I was then off to get ready to lead the parade carrying the American flag.  When I was Miss Teen Rodeo Montana, I met a wonderful couple who provided me a horse back in 2007, (thanks to Sue Thompson).   Bev and Sonny Stiger are the nicest people and this year they let me ride their new horse “Rocky.” They are great supporters of MRM and I truly appreciate all they have done for me over the years.

The Last Chance Stampede is a truly unique weekend. There is a Grand Entry each night before the rodeo.  All the flag carriers and queens walk a lap carrying a flag or waving to the crowd.  Just before the National Anthem, I loped a lap carrying the PRCA flag and posted in the middle of the arena.  Then Wayne Brooks, the announcer, rode in on horseback and interviewed a cowboy or cowgirl in the top 15 in the world. I then came out carrying the American Flag for the National Anthem, when that song ended, the enthusiastic crowd of 4,000 people started cheering, giving me goose bumps!! What an amazing experience, and one I will always remember.

On ‘Tough Enough to Wear Pink’ night I wore the pink chaps that the rodeo committee was going to auction off just before the bull riding event.  They were truly BEAUTIFUL!!! When it came time to auction them off, I rode Rocky back and forth in front of the grandstands so that the crowd could see how beautiful they were and bid on them.  After it was all said and done, the chaps sold for $4,750 with the proceeds going to help breast cancer patients in Montana.

While I was in Helena, I got two surprises … one was great and the other … well, not so much… The great one was my parents surprising me Saturday night of the rodeo, since I had not seen them much this summer! The unpleasant surprise was my wallet and camera and Libby Gurnett’s camera getting stolen out of my pickup… Luckily I didn’t have any cash and not very many debit/credit cards.  Thank goodness my parents were there because I was to leave right away for Great Falls and not returning home until the middle of August. But it all worked out in the end and I wasn’t going to let it affect my next couple of busy weeks!

I will be in Great Falls for five nights of the Big Sky Pro Rodeo Roundup!!!