Miles City Bucking Horse Sale facts for kids

The Miles City Bucking Horse Sale is a big event in Miles City, Montana, USA. It happens every May on the third weekend. It's like a huge market where people buy and sell special horses and bulls. These animals are trained to buck, which means they jump and kick to try and throw off riders in a rodeo.

People from all over the United States and Canada come to find the best bucking horses and bulls for rodeos. The sale is also a fun community event with a parade, horse racing, and a rodeo.

How the Sale Started

The first official Miles City Bucking Horse Sale took place in 1951. But there was an unofficial one a year before, in 1950.

A local historian named John Moore shared the story of how it began. A man named Les Boe, who owned the Miles City Livestock Center, bought some young steers (cattle). The seller, Heavy Lester, also included 35 bucking horses in the deal!

Les Boe wasn't sure what to do with all these bucking horses. So, he got the idea to hold a special sale just for them. They told people about it, and the sale ended up lasting for three full days!

What Animals Are Sold

The horses sold at this event are not "wild" horses or Mustangs. Wild horses are protected by a law called the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, so they cannot be sold.

Instead, the horses at the sale are specially raised to be bucking stock. This means they are bred to have the natural ability and spirit to buck. Some horses are also young ones from big ranches that aren't needed for other tasks. Sometimes, even riding horses that have learned to buck off riders really well are sold here.

Just like the horses, most of the bulls sold at the event are also bred specifically to be bucking bulls for rodeos.

A Unique Event

The Miles City Bucking Horse Sale is held every year, no matter what the weather is like. It's a very important event for the community and for the rodeo world.