It Begins: Bear Paw Roundup on tap

Fair season has begun on the Hi-Line. For sports fans, that means it's also rodeo season.

The summer rodeo circuit got underway last night with the Blaine County Kids Rodeo, while the Havre Jr. Rodeo is a week away.

Of course, the grownups are ready to get in on the action, and while next week, during the Great Northern Fair, the annual Great Northern Rodeo will come to Havre, the Hi-Line's big PRCA event starts tonight in Chinook.

The Bear Paw Roundup has always stood on its own, as a June rodeo on the Montana PRCA circuit. However, the power's that be made a change this year to put the annual Chinook pro rodeo into the schedule of the Blaine County Fair. That means, tonight and Friday night, one of the Hi-Line's biggest pro rodeos will take center stage.

This week's Bear Paw Roundup is the only pro rodeo being held before Sunday's C.M. Russell Stampede, so that should mean plenty of the top cowboys and cowgirls on the PRCA circuit will be in Chinook the next two nights. Already this season, there are several locals who have found their way into the Montana PRCA standings, including Havre's Josh Granell in steer wrestling and Emily Kallenberger in barrel racing. Havre's George Marcenko is also ranked in tie-down roping, as is Malta's Shane Bishop in team roping.

Of course, local rodeos don't just bring out the top cowboys and cowgirls in Montana, they also bring in even more local competitors, who will try their hand at different events tonight and Friday night in Chinook. Both this week's Bear Paw Roundup, and next week's Great Northern Rodeo, always attract cowboys and cowgirls from areas like Big Sandy, Box Elder, Rocky Boy, Harlem and as far west as Chester.

Still, the Bear Paw Roundup has always been known as one of the best PRCA rodeos of the summer in Montana, and now, as its purses are always outstanding. With it running in conjunction with the Blaine Country Fair for the first time in years, this week's Bear Paw Roundup should be an exciting and fun time for all.

The rodeo will feature stock from Brookman Rodeo, while Bert Davis will work as the clown and Barney Sheridan is the announcer. There is also Monkey on a Rope during both performances, and slack will be held Friday morning at 9 a.m.

The 2016 Bear Paw Roundup starts tonight at 7 and continues Friday night at 7 p.m. inside the arena at the Blaine County Fairgrounds. The pro rodeo action will then shift to Havre for next Thursday-Friday's Great Northern Ram Rodeo at the Great Northern Fairgrounds.