COEUR d'ALENE - The best rodeo competitors in the Northwest will be in Coeur d'Alene this weekend to vie for a buckle in the Pro-West Rodeo Finals.

The Professional Western Rodeo Association (Pro-West) is inclusive of the best ropers, riders, and racers from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia and has chosen the Kootenai County Fairgrounds as the official home to the Pro-West Finals for the next three years.

Events will take place Friday and Saturday nights and include bareback riding, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, and of course bull riding.

Among the cowboys and cowgirls set to compete this weekend is local tie-down roper, and recent Post Falls High School graduate Jacob Paul. Paul, son of North Idaho Rodeo Committee member Dave Paul, also recently placed in the top 40 for tie-down roping at the National High School Rodeo Association.

Other local and international favorites on the line-up include 6-time NFR and Pendleton Roundup Champ, Brad Goodrich from Hermiston, Ore.; Orlun McGuffin, bareback champion from Ellensburg, Wash.; Barrel Racer and High School champion Katy Bremner from Ellensburg; Bullrider Thor Hoffer of Priest River, Idaho; and the one and only lady saddle bronc rider in North America: Kaila Mussell out of Chilliwack, B.C.

Finals will take place at the Fairgrounds this Friday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m., with official rodeo after-party featuring music by Earl Wear & Haywire to follow in the upstairs clubhouse; and Saturday, Oct. 5, at 5 p.m with official rodeo after-party at the Country Club Bar and Grill featuring live music and buckle presentation. The rodeos are open to the public and tickets are selling fast at www.prowestrodeofinals.com and at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds office. Onsite tickets will be $12 for reserved grandstand seats and $10 for bleacher seats. Pre-sale pricing is a $2 savings per ticket.

Kristi Blaver is the marketing and public relations manager for the Kootenai County Fairgrounds and the executive director of the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo Foundation.