Fairgrounds join Plains Day activities

Plains Day was extended beyond the town limits this year and went on for a second day with the Sanders County Fairgrounds "First Annual Plains Day Events" of team roping and barrel racing.

Chip VonHeeder, formerly of Plains, and Jolene Burke, a Plains resident, held rodeo events on Saturday's Plains Day and Sunday, and the Kelly Hughes Band provided musical entertainment on Saturday night. It was the first time for Burke and VonHeeder to utilize the fairgrounds arena for their competitions.

Eighteen riders from Montana and Idaho traveled to the fairgrounds on June 1 to test their team roping expertise, including Hot Springs residents Scott McAllister and his son, Nick, along with VonHeeder and his son, Dallas, who grew up in Thompson Falls. The team roping event was put on by Blackjack Roping Arena of Kalispell. Team roping involves two riders on horseback going after a steer. The header ropes the steer's head while the heeler gets the hind legs.

The competition lasted just over four hours and all the riders took turns with each other in the round robin contest, said Chip VonHeeder, who took second place in the heeler position in round two with Gabe Thomas as the header. In first place in that round was the team of header Dallas VonHeeder and heeler Keith Richmond.

Dallas VonHeeder also nabbed top honors in the combined total results with Richmond as heeler and won B.R.A. trophy buckles, sponsored by Juan Lulack of Block Mountain Stone and Stump Grill Enterprises, owned by Derek VonHeeder, who served as the competition announcer.

In round one, Dallas VonHeeder as header and Tad Rhoda as heeler took second place. In the Lone Star Ropes class, Chip VonHeeder, as heeler, and partner Hector Pol took third place. Fourth place in round two went to 16-year-old Nick McAllister as header on Tango, with his dad Scott on Nip as heeler.

Tammy McAllister, Scott's wife, said he and Nick team up every chance they can, including at the Ronan and Hot Springs rodeos. She was sure they had won as a team, but said the real reward is the father and son entering rodeos together. Nick McAllister has been a team rope competitor since around age 10 and his father competed in high school youth rodeos.

Burke had a full day of barrel racing with a good turnout on Sunday. She had seven kids in the peewee class, 12 riders in the seniors class, 16 youths, and almost 70 riders in the open class. Winners of all classes received monetary prizes, except the peewee class, said Burke, whose Chase N Three Productions barrel racing business has been in operation for 10 years and sponsored the event.

Most of the competitors were from outside Sanders County. Some traveled from Idaho for the competition, but there were riders from Heron, Trout Creek, Thompson Falls, and Plains, according to Burke, who has also competed in the sport for 25 years. Her sponsors included: Studs Building and Home, NAPA Auto Parts, Printery, and Wild Horse Home Ranch and Feed, all of Plains, and Sanders County Feed of Thompson Falls.

The peewee class started the competition with a parent leading a child's horse around the three barrels. Barrels one and two are 90 feet apart while the third barrel was 105 feet from the second barrel. Contestants paid $35 to enter the contest. Some paid for more than one entry. Cash prizes ranged from $28 to $373. All entries in the pee wee class, regardless of placement, received a special box of goodies.

Five-year-old Reece Forkum of Heron took first place in the peewee class on her pony Brandy with her father, Ted, leading, finishing with a time of 53.129. "She wants to grow up to be on her own and not being led by Dad," said Aleta Forkum, Reece's mother. Ted was the only dad to lead in the class, said Burke. Forkum, a member of the Sanders County Fair Commission, also volunteered to run the tractor to groom the arena.

Also in the peewee class was Dakota Holotta on Woody of Plains, although she didn't place. Maggie Goodwin of Plains competed twice, once on Bonnie, taking first in division three with a time of 65.726, and once on her horse Woodie finishing third at 66.714.

In the youth class, Thompson Falls resident Matea Keefe on Grasie Lou finished third in division four with a time of 34.183. Trout Creek resident Bobbie McKenzie on Just a Royal Dame finished fourth in the same division at 53.055. Neviah Black of Plains competed on Jasper in the youth class, but did not place.

In the open class, Plains resident Ashley Bache on Awesome Dual Dandy finished in 10th place with a time of 21.360 in division four. Heron resident Amber Reimer, competing in division three on Vanishing Cash, finished in 13th place at 19.004. Carlie Wagoner of Plains on Miss Spinning Cash placed 17th in division three at 19.237 of the open class. Tiffany Firestone, also of Plains, crossed the finish line at 36.652 in the open class on Go Buggs Benny Go, but did not place. None placed high enough to receive any cash prizes.

Volunteers for Sunday's event included members of the Hot Springs football team, Nick McAllister, Ben Aldridge and Chase DePoe, and members of the Plains football team, Greg Tatum and Nick Hill.

The Kelly Hughes Band of Post Falls, Idaho, performed for about four hours Saturday night at the fairgrounds beer garden and drew more than 200 people.