At midnight Wednesday, the J.S. Rodeo Company truck pulled into the J. Neils Park north of Libby off Highway 37. It was late, it had been a long haul from south of Billings but temperatures had cooled off from another hot day of near 100 degree weather.

Stepping out of the cab was none other than the stock contractor John Smith himself. Waiting to help him unload livestock was PRCA Rodeo Secretary Trisha Davis-Stacy, the wearer of many hats as she is also the secretary-treasurer of the newly formed Kootenai River Stampede Rodeo Committee. Also waiting, with Burger Express cheeseburgers and fries in hand, was Committee Vice President Patty Rambo.

Food had to wait, however, as animals come first in the world of rodeo. John unloaded his three saddle horses first, followed by the bucking horses and then the bulls. All were put into the corrals where, earlier in the day, volunteers had filled water tanks and spread fresh hay provided from the fields by Al Colclough. With livestock cared for and put to bed for the night and with his two cow dogs waiting expectantly at his feet, Smith finally was able to settled down to his hamburger, fries and a much deserved cold beer.

Smith recently moved his operation from Cascade, Montana to the Billings area. John has been a PRCA member for 30 years during which time he earned 12 trips to the Canadian National Finals in saddle bronc and bull riding, winning the Saddle Bronc Championship two times. He rode saddle broncs twice in the National Finals Rodeo.

Smith founded the company as a PRCA stock contracting firm in 2005. Since that time his outstanding bucking stock has won rounds at most major PRCA rodeos across the country from Montana to Texas to the NFR Finals. Last January, he was honored at the Montana Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame.

J.S. Rodeo stock is some of the top four-legged athletes in the industry with multiple appearances at the National Finals Rodeo plus annual appearances to the Montana Professional Rodeo Circuit Finals. Several of the noted stars are 152 Black Market, N17 Black Knight, H42 PowWow Trail and 426 Bald Lie. A successful ride on 301 Red Feathers has earned cowboys a big paycheck. A few of the top J.S. bulls include 10 Turned On, 59 Joey Walesm and 312 Phess. 601 Cool Cowboy was Bull of the MPRCA Circuit after only being ridden 3 times.

Keeping the rodeo moving along with all the glitz and glamour will be PRCA announcer Brent Jordan, a third-generation card holder who has announced at all the big shows, even as far away as Spain. An additional treat this year, assisting Brent in the announcer’s booth, will be PRCA Music Director Brian Rapier, a second-generation PRCA card holder.

There will be a variety of vendors supplying a variety of food from cotton candy, old fashioned sodas, hamburgers, pizza, kettle corn, water and pop as well as several jewelry and clothing booths. The beer gardens will be manned by the crew from the Silver Spur in Troy. There will be an ATM machine available for convenience.

The Libby High School Close-Up students will be parking cars for $1. This will help them raise the funds for their trip to Washington, D.C. next March to tour the nation’s capital. The students will also be offering shuttle service from the parking lot to the rodeo arena for anyone needing assistance of that kind.

There will be several drawings for Kootenai River Stampede PRCA Rodeo T-shirts throughout both performances plus a gift basket from Aunt T’s Coffee Shop on Friday night and a certificate for a round of 18 holes at the Cabinet View Country Club for two on Saturday night. After the rodeo each night entertainment will be provided by Kalispell DJ Scott Brester of Scotti B Productions.