Kruse headlines fair rodeo lineup

Great Falls cowboy top saddle bronc rider on PRCA circuit

By DAVID LESNICK/The Daily Inter Lake

A PRCA leader, a host of top 20 performers and a local favorite headline another star- studded lineup for the Northwest Montana Fair PRCA Rodeo at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.

Action begins tonight at 7:30, with performances scheduled for the same time on Friday and Saturday.

With Kesler Rodeo Company providing 5-star quality stock year-in and year-out, and fans packing the arena for all three shows, the fair rodeo remains a popular and must stop for cowboys and cowgirls hoping to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in December.

Montana currently has just one cowboy leading the pro rodeo standings - Jesse Kruse of Great Falls. He tops the saddle bronc earnings with $108,234.

Kruse is entered and will go tonight on a bronc called Neon Moon.

Kruse is in his fourth year on the PRCA circuit and has already earned a spot at the NFR. He is a former collegiate standout at the University of Montana.

Beau Hill of West Glacier, a top name on the PBR circuit, will compete here for the first time in several years. Hill has drawn the bull U Turn and will go Saturday.

The saddle bronc entry list reads like a who's who of top riders. Heith DeMoss of Helfin, La., will ride tonight on Square Knott. DeMoss is currently third in the standings ($73,994).

Also in the lineup for the opening performance is Cody DeMoss of Helfin, La. He's sitting fifth ($59,634) and has drawn the bronc Royal Visit.

James Irish of Lewistown won the fair rodeo last year aboard Royal Visit with a spectacular 85-point ride on the final night.

"Great bucking horse," Irish said after his eight-second go.

"That's the kind you love to be on. You get off, hear the score of 85, and then the crowd goes wild. That's one of the reasons you ride bucking horses."

On Friday, two more high-profile names in the saddle bronc are scheduled to go. Billy Etbauer of Edmond, Okla., is currently sixth in the standings ($55,224), while Tyrell Smith of Vaughn holds down the 20th spot (($35,285).

All total, 35 cowboys have turned in entry fees for the saddle bronc. Only two cowboys last year wound up at the pay window in that event. The other was Josh Reynolds of Corvallis.

Irish is not entered this year, but Reynolds will ride on Friday. He has been matched with Cool Moves.

The fair rodeo will have at least one top 20 PRCA cowboy/cowgirl in every event but team roping. Justin Viles of Cody, Wyo., who teamed with Derrick Fleming of Worden, to win it last year, is back. Fleming is not. Viles will ride with Matt Robinson of Augusta on Saturday.

In bareback riding, Bobby Mote of Culver, Ore., is sitting second ($124,669) on the PRCA circuit, followed by Ryan Gray of Cheney, Wash., sixth ($75,915) and Jason Havens of Prineville, Ore., 15th ($39,518). They are all up tonight.

Troy Solomon of Havre, last year's champion, will go Friday on Alley Agent.

Other ranked cowboys/cowgirls entered are: (tonight) Casey McMillen, Craig, Colo., 12th ($48,975) and Sean Mulligan, Coleman, Okla., 19th ($40,368) in steer wrestling; and Jesse Bail, Camp Crook, S.D., seventh ($63,241) in bull riding; (Friday) Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas, ninth ($50,451) in steer wrestling; Monty Lewis, Hereford, Texas, 14th ($52,720) in tie-down roping; and Tiffany Fox, Fox, Okla., fourth ($81,987) in ladies barrel racing; (Saturday) Sheena Robbins, Fresno, Calif., 12th ($50,235) in ladies barrel racing.

Brett Crump of Lewiston is the defending fair rodeo champion in the bull riding. He will ride on the final night.

Lindsey Knaff of Winston will compete in today's ladies barrel racing slack. She won it last year.

However, Cody Ohl of Hico, Texas, is not back to defend his tie-down roping title. The same holds true for Shawn Greenfield of Lakeview, Ore., in steer wrestling.