Breaking ground at the brand-new MetraPark arena, the inaugural Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rodeo Billings debuted during the MontanaFair, bringing a fresh wave of excitement to Big Sky Country. The event unveiled the updated fairgrounds while showcasing some of the sport’s top athletes at one of the most picturesque times of the rodeo season.
Produced by the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE), the weeklong celebration welcomed more than 250,000 fans to the MetraPark grounds and paid out over $133,000 to PRCA’s elite cowboys and cowgirls. Supporting the sport’s continued surge in popularity, the new construction and debut event attracted both longtime supporters and first-time fans to the historic occasion.
As the newest stop on the Montana Circuit, Rodeo Billings also created new opportunities for circuit athletes looking to capitalize on late-season wins. Montana Circuit competitors like team ropers Dustin Bird and Ryan Zurcher took advantage, capturing the inaugural title with a run of 4.9 seconds and earning $2,852 each, boosting their circuit standings.
With fewer than six weeks remaining in the PRCA season, every paycheck carries extra weight as athletes battle for a spot in the top 15 of the world standings. For tie-down roper Zack Jongbloed, Rodeo Billings proved pivotal. With a winning time of 7.9 seconds worth $3,180, the Louisiana cowboy climbed to 10th in the standings as he looks to secure his third trip to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR).
Bareback rider Sage Allen also delivered a standout performance. Scoring 90.5 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo Co.’s Night Crawler, Allen earned $5,182 and vaulted to No. 17 in the world, tightening the race for the final NFR berths.
Another home-state favorite, Melstone, Mont., cowboy, Sage Newman, seized the crowd’s attention with an 88.5-point ride on J Bar J’s Hell On Hooves to earn $5,189 and the inaugural saddle bronc title. Newman, currently sitting sixth in the world, is chasing his fifth consecutive trip under the bright lights of Las Vegas. Fellow Montanan Ross Mosher added to the local dominance with a victory in steer wrestling.
As the dust settles on the inaugural Rodeo Billings and MontanaFair, fans and athletes alike now shift their sights to a packed late-August rodeo lineup — and the final stretch toward the 2025 NFR.