DARBY — Rodeo can be an expensive sport; just think of the care the stock requires, let alone buying all the equipment
However, for kids in Western Montana, barrel racing and bareback riding just got a little more accessible.
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After raising $22,000, the Darby Rodeo Association (DRA) teamed up with Deer Lodge's Red Eye Rodeo to set up a gear closet.
"Rodeo right now is at an all-time spectator high, but we're a contestant low," stock contractor and Red Eye Rodeo owner Kaehl Berg said.
To make the next generation of rodeo professionals, kids need to try the sport and see if it's the right fit.
"You gotta have little cowboys and little cowgirls to make big cowboys and big cowgirls. That's just the way life goes," DRA president Cal Ruark told MTN.
However, getting started can cost thousands. Plus, getting on a bull or bronc is quite a bumpy ride, especially for first timers.
"It's really expensive for parents to go and buy rodeo gear. [Kids] go, 'Mom, I'd really like to start running barrels or I'd sure like to start riding saddle broncs'. Then, mom, you know, being the way we are, go and scrounge up the money to get them what they need," Ruark said.
"Rodeo is a pretty rough sport. It's pretty unforgiving. All of a sudden they find out it's a lot rougher than they anticipated, so they go, 'Mom, I don't think I wanna do this anymore.' So, there's mom with a $3,000 barrel horse," he continued.
For many, borrowing gear may be the only way to participate.
"When I first started, there's 3 of us kids who were all using the same bareback rigging," DRA board member Jim Stenger recalled.
At different rodeos across Western Montana, kids can check out a saddle just like a library book.
"This isn't reinventing the wheel, we're just adding some spokes to the wheel," Berg said.
"It's gonna be a more controlled environment for the kids to learn in instead of getting hurt," Ruark added.
Hoping to start a legacy, they find access and mentorship to be the first steps.
"We're building something here right now, today that there's no reason can't continue on for years and years to come," Stenger said.
With professionals to help assist, gear will be available to use at Kalispell’s NRA Finals early November.
