It's Rodeo time in Havre

Professional rodeo comes to Havre but once a year. And it's always during the Great Northern Fair.

However, this year's Great Northern Ram Rodeo will have a slightly different look and feel to it than many of the past rodeos during the annual fair. That's because this year, the Great Northern Ram Rodeo, which starts tonight and concludes Friday night, will be a completely open rodeo.

The local rodeo association decided that the rodeo at the Great Northern Fair would not be attached with the Northern Rodeo Association or the PRCA, two sanctioning bodies that have been attached to the Havre rodeo in the past.

Still, the slight name change, and no need for a professional rodeo card to enter, will be about the only differences fans will notice during the two nights of pro rodeo inside the Great Northern Fairgrounds Arena.

This week's rodeo will still feature all of the classic events, including saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. The event will also still have a strong payout, and of course, it comes with the traditional bull fighter, a top-notch announcer and an excellent stock contractor, as well as all of the exciting side events that local rodeo fans have grown to love over the years.

There will also be plenty of talent inside the arena, as cowboys and cowgirls will come from near and far to compete for the prize money that will be handed out on Friday night.

And, being that the rodeo is open, the event should have a very local flavor too. While the Great Northern Rodeo has always attracted local competitors, this year's open rodeo may bring even more local talent into the arena. So, there will be plenty of cowboys and cowgirls from Havre, Rocky Boy, Box Elder, Harlem, Hays, Big Sandy and the entire western Hi-Line in competition this week, and the more locals, the more strongly the fans feel connected to the event.

The Great Northern Ram Rodeo will get underway tonight at 7, and there will also be slack Friday morning and a second performance Friday night at 7 p.m. All of the action takes place inside the Great Northern Fairgrounds Arena in Havre.