Blaine County Kids' Rodeo wet and action-packed

It was raining and the grounds and the people and the animals at the Blaine County Kids' Rodeo were wet and covered in mud.

Walter Horn wasn't bothered by the rain.

"It's tough weather," he said, adjusting the kid's cowboy hat he was wearing on top of his own. "But cowboys don't care."

Horn said he had several grandchildren in the kids' rodeo, so many he couldn't remember exactly how many. The junior cowboy hat he was wearing belonged to his 4-year-old grandson Ky'us Bradley of Harlem, who was wearing a black helmet as he was preparing to ride a sheep in the Mini-Sheep Riding competition.

Ky'us was calm and smiled when asked if he was nervous.

Ky'us earned a score of 71, staying on the sheep long enough to get near the center of the ring before being thrown into the mud. He walked back to his grandfather, his chaps and vest smeared brown, a smile on his face.

But not everyone was as cool as Ky'us.

Minutes later, a boy in a yellow helmet mounted on a sheep was crying and dreading the moment the chute would open and the sheep under him bolt out and fling him to the ground.

"I hate this," the boy said in between sobs.

Once the gate opened, the sheep took off and immediately ran into the adjacent metal fence.

The boy was safe and glad it was over.

Announcer Bradley Bowles entertained the crowd with lines like "That'll look good on video" and "A sudden rush to the ground" as kids were thrown off the bucking sheep.

Other competitions included the  Mini Flag Race for 4- to 8-year olds.

Teegan Solomon, 8, of Havre was getting ready to ride 16-year-old Misty in the competition. Misty was nickering. Teegan's father, Troy Solomon, said the horse was nervous.

Teegan, wearing a black cowboy hat, said he wasn't nervous and that he was going to be a cowboy.

Troy Solomon, like many others, said he will be attending the Great Northern Fair in Havre next next week as they have in years past.

Other events Wednesday included the 5 and Younger Arena Race, Flag races, Goat Ribbon Untying, Barrel races, Calf Roping,  Breakaway Roping, Chute Dogging and Pole Bending.