CowboyChristmaS S

For most folks in rural Montana and Wyoming, the Fourth of July is a break from work and an opportunity for joyous celebrations, parades, camping, barbeques, and, of course, rodeo. Not only is rodeo a thrilling spectator sport, but there is nothing more American than Old Glory carried horseback while the StarSpangled Banner blasts over arena speakers. Those able to attend the Fourth of July rodeos in Cody, Red Lodge, or Livingston are treated to a world class, annual event which will have spectators on the edge of their seats cheering on their “hometown” favorites.

For the competitors in the arena, the Fourth of July week is one of the busiest of their careers. Gambling their entry fees against large purses, contestants vie for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money during what is known as “Cowboy Christmas.” For those making a living on the rodeo trail, it can be the “Christmas bonus” which boosts their standings in the race for their spot at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) – the more rodeos they can compete in, the better. Between trekking across the nation, eating what’s quick and handy, sleeping when and where they can, and maintaining their competitive edge, anything can happen throughout the week-long marathon.

Though there are hundreds of rodeos nationwide during “Cowboy Christmas,” Montana and Wyoming are at the heart of it all. Rich in rodeo history and cowboy culture, even the top competitors from Texas to Oklahoma and everywhere in between seize the opportunity to enter Red Lodge, Cody, and Livingston.

“Everybody knows that Montana and Wyoming have the best Fourth of July run,” Sarah Verhelst, a professional breakaway roper from Pryor, Montana, said.

A two-time high school state champion and member of the 2005 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Champion Women’s Team, Sarah has been at the top of her event for decades. Roping took a backseat for a while as she raised her three young children, but the convergence of two things – the aging of her kids and the advent of professional breakaway roping – allows her to compete at the highest level once again.

Sarah’s Cowboy Christmas used to be spent as a spectator in the grandstands, watching her husband, KC, serve as a pickup man for the Red Lodge Home of Champions Rodeo. During those years, she watched and hoped someday Red Lodge would add her