Y’s Men’s Ranch Rodeo

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RANCH RODEO RESULTS

Earning top points in the Y's Men's Ranch Rodeo Saturday was the North Towner team with Orrin, Chris and Todd Nelson and Keith Medalen.

The team claimed the $1,400 first-place prize from the $3,420 purse.

Other teams receiving cash awards were: second, Ross Ranchers of Stanley, Jeff Ruud, Josh Steele and Monte and Justin Lund; third, B & P Trucking of Velva, Brett Saville, Terry, Nicki and Shelby Brandt; fourth, Gooseneck Implement of Stanley, Jed Bohmbach, Wade Skaar, Curt Meyer and Dude Varty.

Teams also competed from New Town, Carpio, Minot, Des Lacs, Berthold and Granville.

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The theme song from "Mission Impossible" pulsed through the sound system as a group of rodeo cowboys from Des Lacs chased their steer in a race against the clock Saturday.

The mission wasn't impossible, although it might have seemed that way at times, for teams competing in the Y's Men's Ranch Rodeo held in conjunction with the Badlands Circuit Finals rodeo in Minot this weekend.

Competing in events such as steer mugging and wild-cow milking, 12 teams took part in a different kind of rodeo that's been catching interest in the area.

Ranch rodeo has had a presence in North Dakota for about five years. Saturday's rodeo was the seventh event this year.

Ranch rodeos offer events that are closer to true ranching, said Lynn Asheim of Mohall, who has been involved in getting ranch rodeo started in the state.

"It's a little more laid back. We try to run it real fast, but the pressure isn't there. It's not standard rodeo."Asheim said.

The nature of ranch rodeo makes it accessible to competitors who aren't traditional rodeo participants as well as some who are. There's opportunities for families to get involved. There's quite a few instances of father-son, father-daughter and husband-wife teams, Asheim said. Saturday's contest featured teenagers, senior citizens, men and women.

Teams typically have four or five people, although no more than four participate in an event at a time. In the trailer relay race, ranch rodeo runs two teams at a time in the arena, heightening the action for spectators.

The trailer relay requires team members to jump out of a pickup, unload their horses from a stock trailer, individually race around the arena with the relay baton, reload the horses and get back into the pickup.

Several competitors had trouble with the baton, which isn't a typical ranching tool. But they quickly recovered dropped or bobbled batons to get themselves back into the race.

Spectator Mike Sauber of Palermo said loading trailers doesn't necessarily happen that way on the ranch, but it's still fun to watch. Saturday's event was the third ranch rodeo that he's attended.

"I enjoy them but the best part is I know probably half the people who are involved in it. That's what I enjoy most," he said.

His favorite event to watch is the wild cow milking because it bears a resemblance to what can happen on the ranch, he said.

To milk the cow, contestants first must rope the head and hind leg of a Longhorn cow. The team holds the cow to allow a member to fill a bottle and rush it to the judge. The judge must be able to pour out at least a small amount.

The North Towner team accomplished the feat in less than 35 seconds. Most teams were successful in less than a minute, although just roping the ornery critter proved to be a trial for a few teams.

A team needs to have good ropers to be successful, said Orrin Nelson of Towner. Nelson, one of the older competitors in the event, also has competed in regular rodeo team roping. He was roped into ranch rodeo by his two sons, Chris and Todd, who also are involved in team roping and bull-dogging in regular rodeo.

Keith Medalen joined the Nelsons to make up the North Towner team, which took top honors in Saturday's rodeo.

Orrin Nelson said he witnessed his first ranch rodeo in Drake this past summer and became one of its fans. As he ages out of regular rodeo, ranch rodeo gives him the chance to still compete, he said.

"It's really a lot of fun. It's very competitive, which makes it fun," he said. "It's really fun to watch because there's so much action."

Jeff and Carmen Ruud, Ross, both participate in ranch rodeo sometimes together and sometimes in competition.

Carmen Ruud joined the all-women's West Dakota Seed & Feed Cowgirls team from Stanley while Jeff Ruud rode with the Ross Ranchers from Stanley in Saturday's rodeo.

Competing against her husband is no big deal unless they're both in the same heat going head to head in the arena at the same time, Carmen Ruud said. That happened for the Ruuds during the rodeo held during the State Fair this year.

"That was just frustrating," Carmen Ruud said. "Then I couldn't cheer for him."

For her, ranch rodeo isn't about competition.

"You need to just have fun," she said. She sees that sense of fun in her husband, whose enthusiastic whooping and hollering in the relay is his trademark.

"He loves it. He's absolutely loves it. He's been rodeoing since he was a little kid and this ranch rodeo is more fun," Carmen Ruud said.

Jeff Schaefer of Des Lacs, who has participated in ranch rodeo for about three years, said performing in the events comes naturally because it is based on the kinds of activities associated with ranching, including working with a game plan and speed.

"You don't want to stay out there all day," Schaefer said of managing the cattle on the ranch. "So you have to try to be one step ahead of them."

Neither ranching nor rodeo are immune from the difficulties of uncooperative cattle, either. The Cowgirls discovered that when they had to give up trying to get a resistant steer into a trailer.

The Windbreak Bar team of Berthold was the lucky-break team when their steer cooperated by running right into the trailer. Still, they were beat out by 0.38 of a second when Gooseneck Implement of Stanley gave their struggling steer a final, desperate shove to shut the tailgate and bring down the judge's yellow flag.

Another event in Saturday's rodeo was steer mugging, in which one person ropes a steer and the others bulldog him and tie up his legs. The steer must remain tied for six seconds.

An event that wasn't included in Saturday's contest is ranch doctoring. It involves roping and bulldogging a steer, but rather than giving medication, the team marks him between the eyes..

North Dakota's ranch rodeo is not affiliated with the national Working Ranch Cowboys, which includes bronc riding and has more stringent rules.

Asheim sees ranch rodeo gaining a stronger following as more people become familiar with it. Ranch rodeo already has a good following, he said. When Antler, a town of 47 people, can draw a crowd of 350 to watch ranch rodeo, that says something about its popularity, he said.