2020 NRA Rodeo event in Malta July 11; McEwen wants sponsors to use Arena

Over the last few weeks, the Trafton Park Rodeo Arena has seen plenty of action over the month of June, and the arena is set to host the 2020 Malta NRA Rodeo, an event that welcomes rodeoers within a 200-mile radius.

The NRA stands for National Rodeo Association, which holds rodeos throughout Montana. The NRA welcomes riders from Montana and part of Wyoming. The rodeo will feature stock contracted from Treasure State Rodeo.

The two-day event, features Slack events on Friday, July 10 at 6 p.m. and the following morning at 9 a.m.The Rodeo Event starts on Saturday, July 11, at 1 p.m. The Malta NRA Rodeo welcomes riders with PCRA, NRA, or CCA cards. All events can be entered by those without cards, but money won by “Local Entry” will be applied towards the cost of an NRA card.

“You can sample the waters if you want to be a local bronc rider,” said Jerey McEwen of the Trafton Park Arena Committee.

Events listed for the rodeo are Saddle Bronc, Bareback, Bull Riding, Calf Roping, Steer Wrestling, Ladies Breakaway, Ladies Barrels, and Team Roping. There will be a Wild Cow Milking event, open to Local Entires. The rodeo will also have two events for younger riders, including Jr. Breakaway and Jr. Barrels (ages 11-15).

McEwen said that Steer Wrestling is an exciting event that doesn’t happen often at rodeo events.

“It’s kind of a dying thing,” McEwen said. “But in the NRA there are a handful of steer wrestlers running around. When is it not cool to watch a guy jump off of a horse at 30-miles-per-hour onto a critter running around the arena.”

McEwen, who participates in rodeo events said that he had always wanted to do the event, but his knees would not cooperate.

“I fought bulls instead,” McEwen said.

One of the largest growing NRA Rodeo events has been Ladie’s Breakaway.

“A lot of these ladies have moved past barrels and have gotten into the breakaway roping,” he said.

For those that don’t have horsemanship skills, but would like to compete in their first rodeo, McEwen recommended the Wild Cow Milking event.

“There is your opportunity to rodeo,” McEwen said. “You just get two other guys, go mug a cow down after we let her out of the bucking chutes, grab a teet, give a couple of squirts, and the first to the finish line wins the money.”

Though he has no idea how many riders will be at the event, McEwen is hopeful that the event can pull plenty of talent into Malta.

“We are hoping to have some big numbers that weekend because there are only two rodeos going on in the State of Montana,” McEwen said. “There is the rodeo here and the PRCA in Wolf Point.”

He is thinking that riders from around the state may not want to drive all the way to Wolf Point but one chance at a check and the Malta NRA Rodeo will give riders another chance at winning money.

Fees to ride in the rodeo are $60 for most events, $45 for the Bull riding event, $50 per person in Team Roding, and $25 for each of the junior events.

Admission into the 2020 Malta NRA Rodeo is $10 for people ages 13 and older, $5 for students, and free for children ages five and under. There will be a beer garden available and it is asked that there be no coolers brought into the event.

The NRA Rodeo is just one of many ways McEwen hopes that the arena will be used.

As a member of the Trafton Park Arena Committee, McEwen wants every local business that is a sponsor and has a sign at the Arena to know that they are allowed to use the Trafton Arena at no cost, for almost any type of event.

“We just want to see the arena being used,” McEwen said. “Cliff Rustad and Randy Shores had a vision and a good bunch of guys got together and built the arena and built it right.”

McEwen said that there have been talks about using the arena for Battle of the Bands events, other concerts, and even Barbeque contests. For more information on the NRA Rodeo or the use of the Trafton Park Rodeo Arena, call McEwen at 390-3381. For Central Entries into the NRA Rodeo call 406-998-6788.