Ennis has become a must stop for on the Mountain Health Co-Op Tour

Ennis is a postcard community located in southwest Montana.

Sitting alongside the Madison River and surrounded by three mountain ranges, the small town -- population 917 according to the 2020 census – swells with tourists every summer.

And during July 3 and 4 every year, cowboys and cowgirls from all over the state and beyond find their way down Highway 287.

But they are not there to admire the scenery or test their fly-fishing skills. They have a more tangible reason.

They are in Ennis for the money.

Ennis has become a must stop for those competing on the Mountain Health Co-Op Tour.

The rodeo – one of three during the July Fourth run – is a game-changer for those pursuing a berth in the Northern Rodeo Association and Northern Women’s Rodeo Association Finals in October.

The Ennis rodeo committee handed out 16 checks of $1,000 or more to competitors and 34 of $500 or more. The rodeo this year had 337 contestants, more than a third of the town’s population.

“We have oodles and oodles of sponsors,” said Chief Croy, the committee president of being able to increase the added money. “We work closely with the business community. We try to promote people in Ennis.”

The event winners receive an additional prize.

“We hand out trophy stirrups to the winners,” Croy continued. “We did buckles and we did coffee mugs. Everybody seems to like those stirrups.”

Along with cosmetic changes, “We cleaned up the arena,” said Croy, the committee also made important changes for the fans.

One was simply changing the performance times.

“Probably what turned us around, we changed the time of the rodeo,” Croy said. “We were always 2 p.m. on the Fourth. You could fry and egg anywhere.”

The committee tried having the July 3 performance at 8 p.m. and the July 4 show at 7 p.m. But that was confusing for visitors.

“My phone blew up,” said Croy who grew up on a ranch north of Cameron. “Nobody knew the time for which day. Now we do both at 7 p.m.

“And our rodeo runs really fast. We don’t need a four-hour rodeo. We keep it snappy.”

In times of increasing costs, Ennis has held its ticket prices to $15.

“We could go higher,” Croy acknowledged. “We want to keep it affordable for everybody. We don’t want to have it too high for a family and lose them.”

Croy estimates the Ennis audience to be approximately 90 percent tourists. “If we didn’t have those tourists, we wouldn’t have a third of the crowd,” he said.

And to lure that tourism dollar, the Ennis rodeo joined social media. The event has its own webpage.

“You can buy tickets online, we put pictures on it, we keep it updated,” said Croy. “I tell committees, find a grandchild, somebody who can get you on the web. Doing that was huge.”

This year’s rodeo drew almost 8,000 fans across the two performances. Which is a good thing but has caused another problem.

“Now we have a seating issue,” said Croy.

Last week

Rodeos in Havre, Three Forks and Shelby brought some movement in the standings and additions to the all-around cowboy and cowgirl races.

Helena’s Austin Whitehouse won the steer wrestling at Havre and Three Forks while bull rider Caden Fitzpatrick of Polson extended his lead in the standings with wins at Three Forks and Shelby.

Dalton May of Coram won the bareback riding at Shelby, along with placing third at both Havre and Three Forks.

Kayla Stephens pocketed $1,521 by winning the breakaway roping at Three Forks. It is one of biggest checks of the year for a single event.

Circle’s Blayne Hubing and Brooklin Baukol of Clyde Park tossed their hats in the all-around standings. Hubing, also a team roper, won the tie-down roping at Shelby.  Baukol shared the breakaway roping title with Molly Salmond of Choteau and placed third in the barrel racing. Baukol also tied for seventh in the barrel racing at Three Forks.

Havre winners: Spur Owens, Helena, bareback; Jason Colclough, Libby, saddle bronc; Caleb Oshea, Helena, bull riding; Austin Whitehouse, Helena, steer wrestling; Carson Stevenson, Hobson, tie-down roping; Brad Yerian-Brandon Nicholls, Whitehall, team roping; Nina Moore, Red Bluff, barrel racing; Shanda Armstrong, Helena, breakaway roping; Sylvia Eash, Fortine, junior barrel racing; Bryton Mikkelson, Buffalo, junior breakaway roping.

Three Forks winners: Trevor Kay, Chester, bareback; Garrett Varilek, Dillon, saddle bronc; Caden Fitzpatrick, Polson, bull riding; Austin Whitehouse, Helena, steer wrestling; Jesse Meadaris, Belgrade, tie-down roping; Caden Gines-Jake Newton, Ballantine, team roping; Brittney Sporer, Cody, Wyoming, barrel racing; Kayla Stephens, Corvallis, breakaway roping; Addison Conway, Cut Bank, junior barrel racing; Everly Sarazin, Livingston, junior breakaway roping.

Shelby winners: Dalton May, Coram, bareback; Kolby Kittson, Browning, saddle bronc; Caden Fitzpatrick, Polson, bull riding; Justus Peterson, Dillon, steer wrestling; Blayne Hubing, Circle, tie-down roping; Caden Gines-Jayson Carl, Ballantine, team roping; Jessica Stroop, Helena, barrel racing; Brooklin Baukol, Clyde Park and Molly Salmond, Choteau, breakaway roping; Sylvia Eash, Fortine, junior breakaway roping; Camilo De La Cruz, Augusta, junior breakaway roping.

Up next

The Mountain Health Co-Op Tour makes the turn into the second half of the season with three rodeos July 25-27.

Valley View in Bozeman has its second rodeo on July 25 and 26 with performances at 7 p.m. each night The Sheridan Saddle Club Rodeo is July 26 in Plentywood at 6:30 p.m. while Eureka is July 26 and 27 with 8 p.m. performances.

The tour begins August in at the Daniels County Fair in Scobey on Aug.1 at 6:30 p.m. That is followed by the Broadwater Rodeo and Fair in Townsend and the Superior Lions Club Rodeo. Both are August 2-3.