Rodeo team hosting clinic for horsemen

Montana State University-Northern men’s and women’s rodeo teams are bringing in renown bit maker and equine specialist Dave Elliott Friday evening for a horse-related clinic that offers the public a chance to learn about bitting and equine anatomy and to support the teams’ fundraising efforts.

The clinic is Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Applied Technology Center’s Hensler Auditorium on the MSU-Northern campus. Cost is $40 per person at the door.

“We’re just really excited to get him in,” said Doug Kallenberger, head coach of the Northern rodeo teams.

From an early age Elliott, who is from Fort McLeod, Alberta, has trained and competed in horse sports of all disciplines on a variety of breeds, Elliott said in a press release. He attended farrier school, then shoed horses for about 35 years.

In 1980, he said, he started making bits, and this led him on a quest to learn more about how bits really work to influence the horse, its boy and its mind. He attended equine dentistry school and in the past decade has studied equine anatomy and physiology extensively, the release said.

He also has worked with several nationally renowned horse sports competitors and National Finals Rodeo and Canadian Finals Rodeo barrel racers, including Judy Myllymaki, an NFR qualifier and international clinician from Arlee, Mont.

The clinic in Havre will cover topics ranging from anatomy and neurological systems and their effects on bitting to nutrition, effective equine exercises and riding, and choosing and using bits properly.

“It’s literally just an excellent clinic about everything about a horse, not just performance horses,” Kallenberger said.

Elliott will have visual aids, including a horse skull, to demonstrate to participants specifically how the skeleton, muscles and other soft tissues work, Kallenberger said.

He said he approached Elliott about a month ago about coming to Havre to put on a clinic to share his knowledge with area horsemen and to raise money for the rodeo teams.

“Dave was super nice to us,” Kallenberger said, adding that when Elliott found out they were bringing him in for a fundraiser, he said he would make them a good deal.

Elliott is allowing rodeo team members to attend for free. If money raised from other attendees doesn't meet his usual fee, he will discount that fee to what is brought in.

“He’s just amazing that he’s going to come here and help us out like this,” he said.

Kallenberger said that the rodeo teams are unique among college sports in that many of the expenses, like competition entry fees and horse care, as well as the horses and tack, are paid for by the team members themselves, and they use their own pickups and horse trailers for transportation.

Funds raised through donations and by rodeo booster club members, at annual events like Bulldazzle, held recently, and Cowboy Christmas, help pay for gas and motel expenses and provide about $14,000 in scholarships each year, he said. The university contributes another $16,000 support through scholarships and tuition waivers.

The teams compete in rodeos each year, traveling to nine around the region and hosting one in Havre mid-September, he said.

“We are one of the smallest teams,” Kallenberger said, with some of the teams having 50 or 90 rodeo competitors compared to Northern’s 20. “But the nice thing that’s different about Northern is every one of our kids, I think we’re the only college that every single kid that goes gets their travel paid for. We are one of the only teams that are able to do that.”

“The community support has just been tremendous. I just can’t thank the community enough,” he said. “It’s just amazing to see.”

Kallenberger said that the money raised at the bitting and equine anatomy clinic will be set aside to purchase training equipment in the future.