EAST HELENA — Four days of the 55th annual East Helena Valley Rodeo came to an end on Sunday with the contesting of the inaugural East Helena Youth Rough Stock "Mini Buckers" Rodeo.
The rodeo was comprised of more than 40 young cowboys, ages 4-17, from four different states — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah.
Four days of activities and events concluded Sunday at the East Helena Rodeo
There were five age groups, Buckaroo (ages 4-6), Pee Wee (6-8), Junior (9-11), Senior (12-14) and Novice (15-17). The rough stock consisted of steers, horses, and mini bulls. The 14- and 15-year-old bull riders were aboard bigger JNFR bulls.
Among the winners were Helena's Sam Petersen, who scored a 76 in the Novice 15-17 bareback, and C. Jay Firnekas of Wyoming, with a 69-point ride in the 14-15 JNFR bull riding.
"This is the fourth time I drew this horse, 'Christoff,' I knew he was a good horse and I tried my best. And this was my best score on him so far," said Petersen, who has ridden Christoff all four times.
People are also reading…
Petersen placed seventh in the world at the Jr. National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas last year. Next up, he'll be in Wyoming from July 22-23 competing in the junior rodeo during the Cheyenne Frontier Days. Helena's Leighton LaFromboise and Will Nordstrom, as well as Toston's Spur Owens will also be competing.
"If you have a relative that competed in Cheyenne Frontier Days, you're invited," he explained. "My grandpa, Gordon Clark, and my dad, Pete Petersen, both won money there; it's the daddy of them all."
Locals Bartmess, Levine, Wortman win NRA events
The NRA portion of the East Helena Rodeo concluded on Saturday - in front of the largest crowd in EH history - with two local-area cowboys and one cowgirl garnering their respective events.
Helena's Stephanie Bartmess captured the ladies barrel racing, spinning around the cloverleaf in 17.99 seconds while pocketing $1,010 for her efforts.
In the bull riding, Cody Wortman of Boulder collected $695 for his winning ride of 82 points, and Wolf Creek's Sam Levine teamed up with Dave Graham to win the team roping in 4.4 seconds, earning $1,006 apiece.
"I was so proud of 'Czechs' this weekend, she stepped up and overcame having ulcers in her mouth and having to use a hackamore for the first time instead of a bit," said Bartmess, referring to the 5-year-old mare she just started running on the NRA circuit this summer. "I'm thankful for Dr. Rod Warren for treating her ulcers, and this is the best she's done so far in her short career."
Horseback riding is in Bartmess' genes. Her grandmother, Peggy (McGowan) Huntington, ranks among Montana's greatest female riders. A former barrel racing and O-Mok-See champion, back in the 1970s Huntington was a professional jockey, posting her share of victories on horse race tracks statewide.
Bartmess, 21, mentioned Huntington, along with her mother Peggy Bartmess, cousin and multiple NRA champion Cally Goyins, Jaimie Steiner and George Eichorn among the folks who've had the most influence on her career.
A senior member of the University of Providence's rodeo club, three years ago Bartmess won the NRA Finals average championship, aboard her horse "Rain."
But she said it's this year's "(East Helena) run I think I'm the most proud of."
Wortman, who leads the NRA standings and now owns back-to-back East Helena crowns, said he watched a video of his bull before the rodeo, and he "saw that he really bucked, and I knew if I rode him" it could be a lot of points.
"He was hard to ride, but when I heard my score it was the best feeling in the world," the Boulder bull rider related, "probably about like kissing a princess."
Curt Synness is on Twitter @curtsynness_IR and can be reached at curt.synness@lee.net or curt52synness@gmail.com