Flathead River Rodeo qualifies national competitors
Taylor Davison
2022 Flathead River Rodeo
Taylor Davison
2022 Flathead River Rodeo
Taylor Davison
2022 Flathead River Rodeo
Taylor Davison
2022 Flathead River Rodeo
Taylor Davison
Taylor Davison
2022 Flathead River Rodeo
Taylor Davison
2022 Flathead River Rodeo
Taylor Davison
2022 Flathead River Rodeo
Taylor Davison
2022 Flathead River Rodeo
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POLSON — The Flathead River Rodeo lit up Polson Aug. 25-27 with its second largest ever event, 599 entries.
This was the seventh rodeo put together by S&K Gaming LLC, a company created in 2006 by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to provide general gaming management oversight. Now, according to its website, S&K Gaming is a revenue generator with the goals of creating exciting and memorable entertainment and a better future for members of the tribe. While the rodeo was put on hold for a while from 2018 through 2020, it made its return in 2021 and has grown in the year since.
“We do our grand entries differently,” rodeo committee member and KwaTuqNuk general manager Sheila Matt commented. Each evening of the rodeo was headed up by the Honor Guard, the Veterans Warrior Society, and a drum group, honoring those who have served.
“This is a qualifying event for the Indian National Finals Rodeo,” she said. “So if they win here, they’re guaranteed an automatic shot to go to Las Vegas to the Indian National Finals.” This factor, Matt explained, has contributed to the event’s popularity and large number of entries.
The Indian National Finals Rodeo (INFR) event, spanning the U.S. and Canada, has a mission to “provide, promote and preserve the advancement of Professional Indian Rodeo by empowering families, youth and communities through positive role modeling, educational opportunities, competition, culture and tradition,” according to their website. Founded in 1976, the INFR currently sees over 350 qualified contestants across 75 Tribes. They come together and compete for over $1,000,000 in prize money and awards throughout the year. This year, that’ll include some contestants from right out of the Mission Valley.
“For us what’s really exciting is Danger Dave, our barrel man, (who) came out of retirement,” Matt said. With the rodeo since its start back in 2012, “Danger Dave” Whitmoyer retired last year to go into chicken farming with another contestant, Buck Lunak. Together, the two of them started Buck ‘N Dave’s Eggs. “This year he’s decided to come back, so we’re all happy,” Matt added.
With big screen TV showing replays and Ray Champ of PBR and PRCA fame back as announcer, hundreds of contestants faced off in all the usual events: Bareback riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc, tie down roping, team roping, bull riding, breakaway, and barrel racing.
The scores for the Flathead River Rodeo will be posted online on the Indian National Finals Rodeo Association website at infr.org, or on their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/IndianNationalFinalsRodeo.
