“We do rodeos all over the western states, and we’re super excited to come to Ronan,” Leland McMillan said. The Huntley, Mont., rodeo contractor is bringing bucking stock, panels, gates, chutes and pens to Ronan for a rodeo on Aug. 1 and 2.

LKC Rodeo Productions might have a convoy hauling all that stuff. After a LKC rodeo in Big Sky on July 28, Leland, his son Cooper, and the crew will trek up to Ronan and set up shop at the fairgrounds.

When the Mission Valley community grew disappointed because there wasn’t going to be a Pioneer Days Rodeo this year, Mike Lien, Lake County Fair Board member, was scouting around to see if there might be a remedy when he read about LKC Rodeo Productions and gave Leland a call. Suddenly a rodeo was a possibility and then a go.

The Friends of the Fairgrounds and the fair board will need the whole community’s help, whether by being a sponsor, helping put up panels, making a monetary donation, or coming to the rodeo. It’ll be like the good old days, finishing up the Lake County Fair and sliding into Pioneer Days and the open rodeo on Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. and Aug. 2 at 3 p.m., with slack Aug. 2 at 8 a.m.

Leland said entries are being accepted beginning July 20, so text or call 406-498-9249 and get entered. 

Leland’s parents had rodeo stock and produced amateur rodeos around the state and a night rodeo in West Yellowstone. As well as picking up flanks, untying calves and feeding broncs and bulls, Leland was a calf roper and team roper when he high school rodeoed. He said he’d been to Ronan during his high school rodeo years. The rodeo life agrees with Leland. 

“Every day I love it a little bit more,” he said. 

Now his son Cooper is carrying on the tradition; he’s in Lincoln, Neb., right now roping calves in the National High School Finals Rodeo. Leland and Cooper are going to team rope at the Ronan rodeo, too. 

As far as stock goes, Leland said Voodoo Child is one of their best broncs, either as a bareback horse or a saddle bronc. LKC also has weekly rodeos in Big Sky and one coming up in Palmer Gulch, so all the stock's good.

Besides bareback broncs, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, ranch broncs and bull riding, there’ll be a special Iron Cowgirl contest and calcuttas

The Pioneer Days Committee is having a rebuilding year, but they will probably be back in the rodeo business again since the group has a long-term lease on the Mission Range Event Center land west of Ronan. They’ll be writing grants and fundraising to get the new arena built. Also, long-time stock contractor Elmo McDonald had told Pioneer Days he wouldn’t be bringing his bucking stock or bucking chutes to town this year. 

The Pioneer Days concession committee will be selling hamburgers at the rodeos both days and running a beer garden.