60th Annual Helmville Labor Day Rodeo

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Helmville Labor Day Rodeo for their 60th year old operation, The Helmville Rodeo is commonly called ``the biggest little rodeo in Montana,'' drawing folks from all over the state to a town of less than 50 people to enjoy the events and festivities.

Helmville has been around since Irish immigrants first made their way to the Big Sky, chasing fortune in the Gold Rush. Some of the first families to settle in Helmville back in the 1860s still live and work there. The ranches in the valley are passed down from generation to generation.

Helmville is a classic Montana town, with one long road going through the middle, an old western bar on the side named the ``Copper Queen,'' and a school where several grades are taught at the same time. The kind of the place where you don't just know your neighbors by name but the whole town. It is nestled deep in a beautiful valley in the Garnet Mountain Range, the kind of gem that is scattered all around Montana.

Once a year, Helmville is flooded with rodeo enjoyers from around the State. The Helmville Labor Day Rodeo is a major event in the area and has delivered on the promise of summer fun for 60 years now. Two days of bull riding, team roping, steer wrestling, mutton bustin' and many other events are more than enough of a draw for Montanans to drive the hours that it takes to get from one small town to another. It is the last rodeo of the season for the Northern Rodeo Association, so top riders all show up to impress the crowds and try to score points to make it to the post season. The burgers or barbeque could draw any redblooded American to the scenic valley, but the one-of-a-kind events keep them there for the long haul. Whether it is trying to find the cow in a herd of steers at the wild cow milking event or the community dance, there is no shortage of western fun to remind us of what rural life is all about.

Don't mistake the size of the town for the heart that is put into the event. Folks in Helmville are proud of the show they put on and anyone who has attended would attest to that. The rodeo club works year-round organizing the event, but as the date grows closer, the whole community comes together to pitch in and be ready on Labor Day weekend. 60 years is a lifetime of bringing joy, good sport, and great community to Western Montana. As it has grown from a ranch-led rodeo to a professional event, it has never lost its character.

Mr. Speaker, and my esteemed colleagues, I ask that you join me in congratulating the Helmville Rodeo on their 60th year of hosting a legendary Labor Day Rodeo. Bravo Zulu.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source