Kootenai Stampede still going strong after all these years

Persevering through the coronavirus and ongoing economic turmoil, the Kootenai River Stampede is still going strong.

Organizers were able to increase the prize money for the competitors in the 2026 event. Purse money was raised to $4,000 for each event and first entries show that the number of potential contestants ballooned.

While the numbers may change after re-entry, four events are showing double-digit competitors. They include barrel racing, breakaway roping, saddle bronc and tie down roping. For bull riding, six are entered for Friday and five for Saturday, while steer wrestling has six on Friday and eight on Saturday. Team roping has seven entered Friday and eight Saturday. Bareback has one Friday and five Saturday.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. with competition begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday night at the J. Neils Memorial Park Arena.  

There will be some competitors from Northwest Montana. Friday, Polson's Quinn McQueary is scheduled to be in the tie-down roping. Saturday, Trevar McAllister and Trapper McAllister will be in the bareback riding while Browning's Randin Wagner will be in the saddle bronc. 

Also Saturday, in team roping, Kalispell's Chris Westphal will team with Caleb Anderson while Browning's Kyle Whitford works with Huntley's Miles Kobold. 

In the second section of saddle bronc, Browning's Alankole Gobert will compete Saturday. In breakaway roping, Kalispell's Tammy Carpenter is entered. In the barrel racing, four NW Montana locals will compete, including Ashley Schad and Molly Fisher from Whitefish as well as Kalispell's Carpenter and Bigfork's Lexi Murer.

In the bull riding, Polson's Gavin Knutson and Columbia Falls' Octavius Christian are scheduled to compete.

Organizer Patty Rambo recalled how in 2020, the Stampede was one of the very few rodeos in the Northwest that allowed rodeo contestants to earn a living.

"That was the year of Covid," Rambo said. "That was just days after the governor shut down any activities that would draw a crowd. Because this event was outdoors and every possible advised precaution was put into place, the rodeo happened. Not only were there no new outbreaks following this or any of the other main community events that summer, there were over 200 contestants in town eager to cash in on a paycheck that weekend."

Presale tickets are $20 for adults, but will be $23 at the gate. Veterans, seniors (age 60 & over) and students (age 7-15) can purchase tickets for the presale price of $15 or at the gate for $18. Kids 6 and under are admitted free.   

Tickets are available from the following ticket outlets:  Libby Area Chamber of Commerce, Timberline Auto Center, The Printing Press, High Spirits Liquor plus Homesteaders Farm & Ranch Supply.  In Troy, tickets can be obtained at The Iron Creek Café & Cantina or online at www.rodeoticket.com.

Canada's Outlaw Buckers Rodeo Company and its superior bucking livestock will challenge rough stock riders. Added to the mix will be the cowboys and cowgirls competing in the fast-paced timed events - roping, dogging and running barrels.

Adding splash and a little glamour, there will be 10 visiting young ladies - rodeo royalty - current and past queens, princesses and flag carriers from Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington. Some of these young ladies have been returning to the Stampede for the last nine years. They are an invaluable asset to the continued success of the Libby show. 

Funny man, clown and barrel man Mike Wallace, with his special brand of humor, interacts with the crowd and ensures there are no lulls in the activity. A flash of entertainment will be provided by trick roper Dalton Morris  - he caps off his act with a flaming lariat. In the vein of family entertainment, young and old will enjoy trick roper, trick rider Spencer Rose Coughlin with her up-and-coming stars, 7-year-old daughter Lottie and 4-year-old daughter Dolly!  

Following the action in the arena each evening, there will be live music with Elliott Crowe in the pavilion by the Beer Gardens until midnight.  

In conjunction with the rodeo, 4B’s Restaurant will have a special menu and remain open from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. each night.

This is a feature they hope to offer Libby after every special event this summer, including the Riverfront Blues Festival (Aug. 7-8), Ignite the Nites Car Show (August 13-15) Clash of the Carvers (Sept. 10-13) and Kootenai Harvest Festival (Oct. 3).

As of Monday, online ticket presale sales are showing 186 for Friday and 98 Saturday.

The list of cities and states where attendees is impressive, including New York, Chicago, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Louisinana Texas, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, California. Event organizers said there are concentrated cluster sales from Washington (Seattle area), Iowa and, of course, Northwest Montana.