Miles City Bucking Horse Sale facts for kids
The Miles City Bucking Horse Sale is a really exciting event held every May in Miles City, Montana, United States. It's a huge auction where people buy and sell horses and bulls that are good at bucking. These animals are used in rodeo shows. It's also a big party for the whole community!
The sale happens over a two-day weekend in May. It brings together people from all over the United States and Canada. They are often stock contractors, which means they provide animals for rodeos. They come to find new bucking horses and bulls for their shows.
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What is the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale?
A Big Event in Montana
The Miles City Bucking Horse Sale is one of the most important events in Miles City. It's not just an auction; it's a whole festival! People come to watch a big parade, enjoy horse racing, and see a thrilling rodeo. There are also many other fun activities for everyone.
What Happens at the Sale?
The main part of the event is the auction. Here, horses and bulls that are known for their bucking skills are sold. These animals are special because they are strong and can throw riders off their backs. Rodeo contractors want these animals to make their rodeo events exciting.
How Did It Start?
The First Sales
The very first official Miles City Bucking Horse Sale happened in 1951. But there was an unofficial one a year before, in 1950. A historian named John Moore shared a story about how it began. A man named Les Boe bought some young steers (cattle) and, as part of the deal, he also got 35 bucking horses! He wasn't sure what to do with so many bucking horses, so he decided to have a sale. They told people about it, and the sale lasted for three full days.
Where Do the Animals Come From?
Not Wild Horses
The horses sold at this event are not "wild" horses like 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 bred to be good at bucking.
Bred for Bucking
Many of the horses are bred specifically for rodeo. Some are young horses from big ranches that are not needed for other work. Others are riding horses that have learned to buck really well and are no longer good for riding. The bulls at the sale are also usually bred to be bucking stock. This means they are raised to be strong and challenging for rodeo riders.
Fun Facts About the Sale
The Miles City Bucking Horse Sale is so famous that it was even featured in a country song! A writer from Montana named Greg Keeler wrote a fun song about it. The sale happens every year, no matter what the weather is like.
