Last one out, but the second fastest in.

Kalispell’s Tammy Jo Carpenter overcame a tough draw, starting last, with a clean, smooth ride for a 16.48-second time in barrel racing on the opening night of the Montana Fair PRCA Rodeo at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.

“The last one to ride it’s usually pretty tough,” the veteran cowgirl said.

“The ground usually gets pretty chewed up by then, making it slow at the end.”

But not Thursday night.

“It was clean, the ground was good,” she said.

And a time-pleasing performance for her and the horse.

“It hasn’t been the best summer, but I was happy with my horse tonight,” she said.

Gayleen Malone of Pray was the first one out and responded with a 16.23-second run. Milee Dailey, also of Pray, ran second and was nearly as fast. She turned in a 16.49 effort.

After that, it was much slower going for the next four.

Two riders had times in the 17s and two more, with penalties, were much higher.

“Only three times,” Carpenter said of competing in the fair rodeo.

“It was loud,” she said of cheers from the grandstands when her name was announced.

“My horse was getting excited with the noise.”

Barrel racers and bull riders, the final two events, enjoyed the best weather conditions of the night. The rodeo opened with gusty winds, plenty of dust and later on a brief drizzle had fans heading for shelter or the nearest exit. But the grandstands were packed to the very end.

Montana cowboys set the high marks in bareback and saddle bronc riding.

Jessy Davis of Power, the third rider out in bareback, turned in an 84.5-point go on Sno Cone.

Tyrell J Smith of Great Falls had the top score in saddle bronc with a 71.

Davis won the Augusta Rodeo two years on Sno Cone and finished in the top three at another event with that horse.

“He’s getting a little older like me,” Davis joked.

“We’re both slowing down a little bit.

“That’s my highest score on him,” he was quick to add.

“That’s the best he’s felt.”

Davis, who is 35, came into the rodeo ranked 13th in the PRCA circuit standings. The top 15 qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

“Twenty of them,” he said of rodeo’s he’s entered in this month. Today he’s in Caldwell, Idaho, and Saturday night in Billings.

The birth of twin girls in January and shoulder surgery delayed his rodeo season until June. He’s been making up for lost time since then.

His other shoulder, the left one, has been operated on twice.

“I’m more cautious on what I get on now,” he said.

“Some horses I won’t get on because of my shoulder. I’m hoping to go two more years.”

Davis has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo six times, the last being 2014.

His highest finish in the standings is a third place back in 2007.

Montana cowboys, overall, had a strong showing on the first night.

Josh Boka of Dillon has a time of 4.5 with Ty Erickson of Helena, the PRCA world standings leader, close behind in 4.7 for second and third, respectively, in steer wrestling.

Clayton Hass of Terrell, Texas, has the top time at 4.1.

Logan Hofer of Magrath, Alberta, leads tie-down roping with a 9-second go and first in team roping is Miles Kobold of Shepherd and Doug Cox of Gillette, Wyoming, with their 6.9-second run.

The bulls ruled the first night with no scores posted.

The second performance of the fair rodeo begins tonight and the final session is Saturday starting both nights at 7:30 p.m.

Northwest Montana Fair PRCA Rodeo

Flathead County Fairgrounds

Thursday Night — First Performance

Bareback riding — 1. Jessy Davis, Power, 84.5 on Sno Cone; 2. George R Gillespie IV, Hamilton, 78; 3. Luke Creasy, Denton, Texas, 71; 4. Paden Hurst, Navasota, Texas, 61.5.

Steer wrestling — 1. Clayton Hass, Terrell, Texas, 4.1; 2. Josh Boka, Dillon, 4.5; 3. Ty Erickson, Helena, 4.7; 4. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, Louisiana, 5-0; 5. Jabe Anderson III, Dillon, 8.9.

Team roping — 1. Miles Kobold, Shepherd/Doug Cox, Gillette, Wyoming, 6.9; 2. Trent Barrett, North Platte, Nebraska/ Toby Vineyard, Arvada, Wyoming, 7.3; 3. B.J. Brown, Whitlash/Jack Brown, Whitlash, 7.6.

Saddle bronc riding — 1. Tyrell J Smith, Great Falls, 71 on Trail Smoke; 2. Keenan Reinhardt, Cochrane, Alberta, 67; 3. Louie Brunson, New Underwood, South Dakota, 64.

Tie-down roping — 1. Logan Hofer, Magrath, Alberta, 9.0; 2. Chad Johnson, Cut Bank, 11.3; 3. Rawlee Yamauchi, Grace, Idaho, 12.4; 4. Bill Boyce, Lewistown, 14.3; 5. Steele De Paoli, Longview, Alberta, 16.3.

Barrel racing — 1. Gayleen Malone, Pray, 16.23; 2. Tammy Jo Carpenter, Kalispell, 16.48; 3. Milee Dailey, Pray, 16.49; 4. Tammy Thompson, Ramsay, 17.04; 5. Kellie Collier, Hereford, Texas, 17.32; 6. Jana Griemsman, Piedmont, South Dakota, 21.19; 7. Cally Goyins, Helena, 35.51.

Bull riding — No scores.