The Three Forks Rodeo is here this weekend beginning Friday, July 14.
Gene Townsend has been a rodeo board member for over 25 years. He has helped serve an average of 2,000 cheeseburgers during the annual Three Forks Rodeo weekend. This year, he's hoping to see a large attendance.
“We used to be happy if we would get 900 or 1000 people on Friday night and maybe 2000 on Saturday night. We were tickled to death and like I said earlier, I expect 3,500 tonight, probably more tomorrow night,” Townsend said.
Townsend says with higher attendance, the rodeo board can fund brand-new bleachers and other improvements.
“If we can swing it this year. We don't know but that's in our plans and we continually work on the radio. We've gotten a new tractor and we get new equipment all for new equipment all the time,” Townsend said.
The need for new equipment means the need for more vendors serving up food and merchandise.
“There’s people selling clothes, there's people selling jewelry, there's a little bit of everything here and it didn't used to be that way,” Townsend said.
Three Forks local, Karen Cobb is setting up for her fifth year selling an assortment of customized goods
I have water bottles and tumblers that hold ice-cold drinks. I do all the lasering myself so all the rodeo events, mostly horses since that's my favorite, and I just love doing this I don't compete so it just keeps me busy and keeps me in the loop,” Cobb said.
Cobb says people can take home a part of Montana when they buy what she sells.
“I’m hoping people are looking for something to take home and for Montana because I do have some stuff with Montana on them. I'm hoping it's great but I'll be happy with whatever I do,” Cobb said.
The Three Forks Rodeo starts at 7:00 PM Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15 followed by a street dance.
