By Leslie Kilgore EBS STAFF
All photos by Fischer Genau
Last weekend, the Montana State University campus echoed with Bobcat excitement as the annual MSU spring rodeo drew competitors, families and rodeo fans to a weekend of high-stakes collegiate competition, including a celebrity appearance as famed rodeo entertainer, Flint Rasmussen, took to the dirt.
“People keep talking about me being retired, and I’ve never been retired, I just changed jobs,” Rasmussen said of his return. “It’s interesting. It feels surreal. I don’t know if I really crave it, but I think my heart rate goes down when I dress like this cuz I’m like, I’m back where I’m supposed to be.”
The MSU team posted several standout finishes across both roughstock and timed events, scoring well in saddle bronc, team roping, goat tying and barrel racing showcasing the Bobcats’ depth across disciplines. It also served as a display of the long-running role rodeo plays in Montana’s campus tradition for both current students and alumni, and Western identity. Each spring, the event provides a showcase for talent headed into the late-season circuit and regional collegiate qualifiers, while honoring the practical horsemanship skills that remain central to Montana’s rural communities.
Standout MSU athletes included sophomore Holden Atkinson, who was the only bull rider to hold on for eight seconds Saturday to score a 78, and junior Faith Marshall, who won the goat-tying with a 6.1 second run.
“This has always been a big dream,” Jordan Lyles said. From Hext, Texas, Lyles competed in goat tying and breakaway roping, and attended her first rodeo at two years old–it was her first time at the Brick this weekend. “I came here my junior year of high school. It’s such a full circle moment to be here and how blessed I am to be a Bobcat here.”
“I love it all. The atmosphere is amazing,” Lyles continued. “I’ve been all over the world rodeoing. Being from Texas there’s a lot of big Texas schools that have rodeo, but nobody supports their kids like Montana State and it’s just a huge blessing to be here.”
With the regular collegiate season moving toward regional championships and spring finals, MSU’s rodeo team will use the experience and momentum from the weekend’s performances to sharpen entries and strategies.
“It has been a goal [to compete in rodeo here] for years, I love it here so much,” said Ava Shepherd, an MSU barrel racer from Bozeman. “You can never complain when you’re in the Brick.”
As events concluded, Rasmussen summed up the weekend well:
“You give to them,” he said of the crowd. “And then hopefully their response will fill you up and give it back.”
Fischer Genau contributed to reporting in this article.
