By Jen Clancey STAFF WRITER
On Tuesday, July 15, kids from across the U.S. competed in the 2025 Community Day Mutton Bustin’ competition. Some riders were new to the sport, hopping on a sheep for the first time, while others like Trey Wottrich were more seasoned in the sport.
Wearing a belt buckle from his mutton bustin’ win at a local rodeo in his home state of Texas, Wottrich told EBS how he felt ahead of the ride.
“I feel pretty confident,” Wottrich said. He and his family had spent the morning riding horses and exploring the Gallatin Canyon. The ride was likely good practice for Wottrich who’s favorite part of the Mutton Bustin’ is getting to ride a real animal.
“I’m thinking to squeeze my knees against the sheep … and hold on,” Wottrich said of his technique for staying on. Next up for Wottrich’s mutton bustin’ career is the Wimberley Rodeo in Texas.
In the carnival area of Big Sky Community Day 2025, kids rode a mechanical bull, tossed rings on glass bottles, practiced acrobatics and waited in a queue for balloon art.
Two of the girls standing on the line were Tulsa McCoy and Denim Atwell, both from Oklahoma. Though their interests are more in horseback riding than mutton bustin’, they were excited to see competitors mount the sheep and hold on.
They spent their morning feeding horses at Lone Mountain Ranch and although barrel racing is their favorite rodeo sport to watch, they are excited to see Big Sky PBR, in which both of their dads are involved. On the microphone Tulsa’s dad, Cord McCoy judged and announced the little riders strutting into the arena for mutton bustin’.
One by one, kids donning vests and pink and black helmets took their shot at collecting the golden sheep trophy. Some only had to travel a couple miles from home like Rocky Schott, a first grader at Ophir Elementary School. Previously, Schott has participated in mutton bustin’ at Lone Mountain Ranch.
Schott’s family, including grandparents came to watch his ride which scored 67 points. In one word, Schott described the ride as “awesome.”
Other Big Sky contenders included William Hargrave and Levi Poalino, who according to announcers “lives for the thrill of the ride.”
McCoy described the challenge of judging the short, brave rides of competitors on the dirt on Tuesday night.
“Just to let all you guys know, this event is harder to judge than the PBR World Finals,” McCoy joked. After a first night full of qualifying rides at Big Sky PBR a couple days after Community Day, the bull riding competition will continue tonight and tomorrow and eventually crown Big Sky’s top cowboy of 2025.
