Great Northern Fair is full of sports

Vehicles are slammed into a dirt wall during the annual Havre Jaycees Demolition Derby at the Great Northern Fair. last summer. The derby closes out the fair, but sporting events run all week, beginning tonight with the annual junior rodeo.

Havre and the Hi-Line is busy when it comes to summer sports. There's lots of baseball and softball, golf, fishing, tennis and all of the sports which are associated with warm, sunny days.

But when the Great Northern Fair rolls around each year, all of those sports take a backseat to the excitement of the rodeo and the roar of engines.

This year's sporting events at the Great Northern Fair begins with the annual Junior Rodeo tonight at 5, and the action concludes on Sunday night with annual JC's Demolition Derby.

The junior rodeo features events for cowboys and cowgirls from ages 5 all the way to 18, and it always draws competitors from all over the Hi-Line. While the rodeo does feature the usual rough stock events, barrel racing and pole bending, it also gives the youngsters a chance to compete. And the sheep riding is always one of the highlights of the night.

But when the weekend comes, things get very serious inside the Great Northern Fairgrounds Arena as the two nights of annual Northern Rodeo Association takes place. There are performances at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday night, as well as slack on Saturday morning.

The annual Great Northern Stampede always draws some of Montana's best cowboys and cowgirls to Havre, with many Hi-Line competitors as well. And its run in conjunction with the National Indian Rodeo Association, making it two nights that shouldn't be missed.

When it comes to motor sports, it's hard to beat the weekend each year at the Great Northern Fair in Havre. If you like power, the roar of engines, mud and exciting car crashing, then Saturday and Sunday at the Great Northern Fair is for you.

Each year, the fair wraps up on Sunday night with annual Jaycees Demolition Derby, and it will again this year. The demolition derby is among the most popular events at the fair each year, and it continues to attract throngs of fans who come to see local drivers duke it out in the arena in specially built cars. The demo derby usually features three or four preliminary heats, depending upon the number of entrants, as well as a consolation heat and a championship heat. There is also a herby derby for compact cars.

But the demo derby isn't the only machine-driven event inside the arena during fair week.

On Saturday, truck pulls take center stage, both as afternoon and evening entertainment. The local truck pulls will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, while the professionals get their turn starting at 7 p.m. The pro show is put on by the Pro-West company and features nationally competitive drivers pulling sleds in competition.

The junior rodeo starts tonight at 5 at the Great Northern Fairgrounds arena.