Yellowstone Darby Xtreme Bareback Rodeo
I usually write about Sustainability and Regenerative Design, but since I just spent two weeks in Montana with our grandchildren, I’d like to share something completely different. Our daughter generously purchased tickets for our entire family to attend the Yellowstone Darby Xtreme Bareback Rodeo, in the small (pop. 800) town of Darby, MT. The town has become more well known of late due to its being the setting for the fictional Yellowstone Ranch in the series Yellowstone. Interestingly, the prime sponsor of the Rodeo event was a new streaming series – Dutton Ranch, featuring some of the same characters as Yellowstone. I did not, however, see either Beth or Rip in attendance.
I am not a rodeo fan but appreciate the skill and courage of the riders and the athleticism of the horses. Sitting in the stands, enjoying the spectacle of the rodeo but equally the magnificent surroundings, I was struck by the uniquely American and Western quality of the event. It even appeared that virtually all in attendance stood respectfully for the national anthem and cheered enthusiastically at its conclusion.
This rodeo did not include events such as roping and bull riding; it was only for bareback riding and included some of the best in the business. As it unfolded, I realized I had no ability to discern what constituted a good rode and elicited a high score. We learned from other spectators some of the basics. The rider is scored based on leg action, timing, keeping the free hand off the horse, and of course staying on for the minimum 8 seconds. The horse contributes to the ride score through front-end drop, high kick, and rider control.
Back to the setting of the rodeo, we were in the Bitterroot Valley, with the Bitterroot Mountains at our backs and staring at the Saphire Range foothills in front of us. This location is well known to geologists as the setting for ancient Lake Missoula. The lake was the result of a glacier blocking the Clark Fork River and backing water up for many miles. At its peak 11,000-13,000 years ago, it held half as much fresh water as Lake Michigan today. Even our setting in Darby, more than 60 miles from that blockage, was underwater in that era.
#DarbyRodeo #DuttonRanch #BitterrootValley #LakeMissoula