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Bulls, sheep and outdoor adventures
The fifth annual Big Sky PBR
By Finley Timon EBS Contributor
BIG SKY – I had been waiting to go to Montana all summer, and my trip couldn’t have been better. We did so many cool things, including horseback riding on July 29 at Big Sky’s Lone Mountain Ranch – I rode a horse named Tank.
Finley and Grayson horseback riding at Lone Mountain Ranch, with Big Sky Resort’s Lone Mountain in the background.
We saw evidence of how bears use their claws to scrape trees and then use them as back scratchers. We also learned how elk and deer use the trees to scrape velvet off their antlers. We rode through a meadow where I could see the grass swaying in the breeze, and that was a beautiful sight, but having Lone Mountain in the background was the icing on the cake.
The first night of the Big Sky Pro Bull Riders event finally
Grayson and Finley enjoying the fifth annual Big Sky PBR as the Blue Moon rises over the eastern horizon.
I went whitewater rafting on July 31 with Geyser Whitewater Expeditions, before the second night of bull riding. Our guide was named Dylan and he piloted “Team Awesome” – my nickname for our crew of paddlers – past House Rock and through the Mad Mile of the Gallatin River. A few of the bull riders also went with us and it was funny to see them out of their element – they are so tough on the bulls, but kind of wimps in the cold water.
The second night of the PBR was even better than the first, as the bull riders got off to a better start and Rasmussen had his dancing shoes in full gear. I do love the bulls but one of my favorite events is the mutton bustin’ where kids try to hang on to a sheep as long as possible. During the July 31 mutton bustin’ event, a girl that won it last year, Kelsey Ladd, repeated as champion this year.
I can’t imagine what was going through her mind other than “Hold on!” I remember her from last year, when her animal ran right into the group of sheep and she still stayed on. The other kids did a great job too, and it is so cute to see these little kids out in the arena.
Finley paddleboarding on Big Sky Resort’s Lake Levinsky
On Sunday I had to head back home to Colorado, but I’ll miss my home away from home in Montana. This year Big Sky hosted an incredible PBR event, and I’ve already told my parents we better come for the sixth annual Big Sky PBR next summer.
