Western Way of Life Embodied in 75th Annual Miles City Bucking Horse Sale

It sure is refreshing to see the pride that Miles City, Mont., has regarding this prestigious event.

Sage Newman | Fernando Sam-Sin

In this day and age, the world is all about fast-paced everything. What is new, who is doing what, and how quickly can the next thing come out? Well, in Miles City, Mont., each May, the western lifestyle is celebrated.

The World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale has adapted over the years since it was first held back in 1951, but one aspect has remained the same: top equine athletes and cowboys teaming up for one heck of a production.

One misconception that has always come to be regarding rodeo is the mistreatment of animals, but that is far from the case, especially at events like this bucking horse sale that displays the athletic talent that these animals have.

There is no production quite like this annual event in Miles City, where the top cowboys in the world come to get on the best equine athletes in the world for one heck of a production. This year, it was a fight to the finish, and in a storybook kind of way, it was a Montana native who left the arena as the overall winner.

This one-day affair of bucking horse action paid out over $78,000 this year, and Sage Newman took home more than $20,500 with an 88-point ride in the long round, followed up by the highest-scored ride of the event at 91 points.

Newman was paired up with J Bar J's Fringed Jacket in the finals, the same stock contractor who owns the horse that Rusty Wright spurred for 90 in the first go round. It was a standout showing for J Bar J.

Newman, a Melstone, Mont., cowboy, now sits at No. 7 in the world standings with nearly $70,000 won on the year. Newman is on the hunt for his sixth National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualification, and he can thank the 75th annual Miles City Bucking Horse Sale at the end of the year when he crosses that finish line.

75th Annual World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale Matched Xtreme Bronc Ride Results

First round: 1. Rusty Wright, 90 points on J Bar J's Hell On Hooves, $14,128; 2. Chase Brooks, 89, $10,832; 3. Sage Newman, 88, $8,006; 4. (tie) Dawson Hay, Zeke Thurston, Kolby Wanchuk, Brody Wells, and Statler Wright, 87, $2,826 each.

Finals: 1. Sage Newman, 91 points on J Bar J's Fringed Jacket, $12,558; 2. Dawson Hay, 90, $9,419; 3. (tie) Zeke Thurston, Brody Wells, and Rusty Wright, 89, $3,140 each.