Hill to compete at Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo

West Glacier pro bull rider Beau Hill will be back at the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo on Aug. 14-18 hoping to pull off another big win for the hometown crowd. Last summer, Beau scored 91 on a bull named Whiskey Jack.

“He’s one of the rankest bulls around,” said Hill. “When you draw a bull like that, you have to step up to the plate.”

Because the bull accounts for half the rider’s score, the best bulls are those that kick and spin. Earlier this year, Hill won the Ram Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo in Great Falls with a score of 92 atop Whiskey Jack.

Hill recalled going to the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo when he was growing up.

“I have a lot of memories of going to the fair when I was a kid and watching greats like Dan Mortenson (saddle bronc) and Scott Redding (bull rider),” Hill said.

Hill grew up in the Nyack Flats area east of West Glacier. With no prior rodeo experience, Hill decided at age 14 that he wanted to try bull riding after going to a little rodeo in East Glacier with his sister. A neighbor outfitted him with the necessary equipment, and Hill soon found himself in the arena. He was bucked off his first ride and won $40 on his second ride.

“I got addicted,” he said.

He turned down college baseball scholarships to accept a rodeo scholarship to Miles City Community College. Now 34, Hill has been riding bulls professionally since he was 20 years old. No spring chicken in the arena, Hill concedes that the peak years for a bull rider are likely between 26 and 32, but he still believes he can compete with anyone.

“Bull riding is crazy,” he said. “It takes experience and wisdom to win, and I will use that to my advantage as best as I can.”

The Northwest Montana Fair’s rodeo is the largest outdoor rodeo in Montana, featuring world-class male and female competitors from Canada and throughout the western United States aiming for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December.

Events include bareback, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping, barrel racing and bull riding. Tickets are available at the fairgrounds office or online at www.nwmtfair.com.