West Glacier man puts up with lots of bull and gets world recognition

Hungry Horse News

Beau Hill is pleased for two reasons.

He finished third in the bull riding competition at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, and he gets to go home to West Glacier.

"I thought I had a great week," said Hill, who graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1997.

But after 10 straight days of bouncing on the backs of angry bulls, he is ready to chill.

"I'm just kind of glad it's over," he said. "I'm ready to come home and relax for a little while- get out of this rat race down here."

He said he has a couple of bruised ribs and a ruptured tendon in his left wrist, which he uses to hold on to the bull.

"I'm pretty banged up, pretty sore," he said.

Hill has been riding with an injured wrist for a couple months, but it just started bothering him really bad in Las Vegas, he said.

"Ten days in a row of getting on probably wasn't too good for it," he said. "There is just too much money down here not to get on. I was going to get on no matter what."

Hill earned $24,312 for his finish in the NFR. He also took fifth in the world standings with $159,456 this year. Dustin Elliot won the world title with $193,778.

Hill, 25, said he was glad to accomplish his goal of finishing in the top five in the world rankings. But his other goal was to win the aggregate at the NFR. With 499 points for six rides, he was just 1.5 points behind Paulo Crimber, who took the title with an aggregate of 500.5.

In the final round on Sunday, Hill placed second with an 86-point ride. Crimber won that round with an 89.5.

Hill said he was bucked off a couple bulls he thought he should have ridden. Hill rode six out of 10 bulls.

In West Glacier, his grandma, Ferne Hill, said family members who couldn't make the trip were watching on TV.

She thought he had a good chance of finishing first.

"The only thing that hindered him was his wrist," she said.

This was Hill's best finish in the world rankings. He took seventh in 2002. His career earnings before this year were $240,033. Now his total is $399,489, so he added a big chunk of change in one year.

Hill's near future is uncertain. He was supposed to ride in an invitational rodeo in Billings this weekend. But depending on the result of his wrist examination, he might have to skip it and get surgery. He said that would probably keep him out for a couple months.

That would also give Hill some well-deserved extra rest at home. And, yes, those bruised ribs might heal too.