Meet Your 2015 Breakaway Roping and All-Around Champion

Blink and you’ll miss.  It happens that fast. Blink again and the standings lead could change that fast. The competition was fast and furious in the breakaway roping.  Reigning all-around champion Tammy Jo Carpenter of Kalispell maximized every throw this past summer, averaging a healthy $623 a catch.  Carpenter only won once, at Havre, but it was worth $1,072.  She also had seven other top-five finishes.  Tammy Jo also returned to defend her all-around title and was being chased by Milee Dailey of Emigrant and Choteau’s Shelby Rasmussen.  Carpenter, a software engineer from Kalispell and a graduate of Montana State, put herself in contention for another championship by sweeping both the breakaway roping and barrel racing in Twin Bridges.  Tammy Jo had a finals that was about average, she roped her best with what she had drawn and was consistent.  She placed in all three rounds, aboard the 2015 Breakaway Horse of the Year “Ike”, with two 3rd place finishes and a 4th place, that was good enough to put her 2nd in the average and hold her top spot in the breakaway roping.  This was Carpenters first Ladies Breakaway Roping Year End Title and her 2nd consecutive All-Around Title.  Congratulations Tammy Jo on your back-to-back victory and your first Breakaway Roping Year End Title.

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Meet Your 2015 Barrel Racing Champion

Mandy Hamilton didn’t waste anytime this summer.  Everywhere she entered, Hamilton returned home with a check or at least it sure seemed that way.  The Manhattan cowgirl was the high-money winner – male or female – for an individual event in 2015.  With a dozen checks, Hamilton stuffed $8,104 into her jeans.  The 2011 all-around champion won the barrel racing at Gardiner, Wilsall, Townsend and Boulder.  She also earned money at Big Timber, Choteau, East Helena, Three Forks, Havre, Eureka, Superior and Deer Lodge.  Hamilton is trying to track down her first barrel racing year-end championship.  She was fourth in 2014, 2011 and 2009.  Abby Knight of Charlo was coming into the finals in third.  Knight also competes for the University of Great Falls and she started her finals off with a bang.  Abby won the first two go-rounds closing the gap on Mandy’s lead. Mandy was not able to run her famous horse Okie Dokie Dutchess, who was also voted the 2015 NWRA Barrel Horse of the Year, at the NWRA Finals and was on a back up horse.  Hamilton’s finals defiantly did not go as planned and Abby Knight was hot on her tail in the standings.  Coming into the final round Abby was sitting good but had an unfortunate turn when she tipped a barrel.  Hamilton did not pull a check the whole finals but had a big enough lead coming in that it didn’t matter.  Congratulations Mandy and Dutchess on your first NWRA Barrel Racing Championship!

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Meet Your 2015 Tie Down Roping Champion

All 10, that’s right all 10, finalists had a chance at the tie-down roping year-end title.  Zane Holdbrook, smart both in and out of the arena, lead a swift group of ropers.  The Roberts’ cowboy is an accounting major at Rocky Mountain College and was honored for his entrepreneurship in raising Dorper Sheep, a hardy breed from South Africa.  Taking a break from the pasture, Holdbrook was trying to pad his bank account in the Butte Civic Center. Holdbrook had to be on his game, with only a lead of $419 on Josh Harris of Ronan. Only $18 behind Harris was reining champion Ben Ayre of Glendive.  The former Montana State University standout now saddle maker was looking for another NRA Championship.  Haven Meged of Miles City set the pace in the first round with an 11.6 to take the win with last years champ, Ben Ayre in a close 2nd.  With that first one under Ben’s belt all he needed to do was keep catching and he had a pretty decent shot at winning another championship.  That’s exactly what the Glendive cowboy did. Holdbrook missed his first calf but tried to rope his way back to the top.  Ayre was not backing down by placing in the 2nd round and winning the average it all came down to the numbers in the end. Ben Ayre managed to get Holdbrook by just over $300 in the year-end standing.  Congratulations Ben on your back-to-back wins!  We will be watching to see if you can make it 3 for 3.

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Meet Your 2015 Saddle Bronc Riding Champion

The last two year-end champions – Philip Shields and Chase Brooks – returned for a chance at another championship.  Andrew Evjene had a very considerable lead coming into the finals over Tanner Hollenback by just over $1,100.  The young Melville cowboy won the saddle bronc riding at five rodeos. Evjene was being chased by four cowboys from Dillon with one of them being Philip Shields. Shields kicked the finals off with a bang.  Taking a win in the first go-round aboard Big Circle Rodeo Company’s Cat Power.  For the Dillon cowboy it was all high rolling from there.  He placed in the next two go-rounds and won the average.  Evjene, the newlywed, had high hopes coming in and taking what he had worked so hard for this summer and with the lead he had all that was needed was a couple small checks or a 1st place win to hold off anyone from taking his championship.  Well luck was defiantly not on Andrew’s side and he failed to post a score the entire finals opening the door for Philip Shields to come in and take the championship.  Andrew was awarded a set of Hard Luck Trophy Spurs from the Reynolds family in memory of Joe Reynolds. Congratulations Philip Shields on your come from behind victory!  There is always drama to play out at the NRA Finals.  I’m sure we will see Andrew and Philip battling it out again next year.

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John Felix Hill Obituary

Raynesford MT —John Felix Hill, 75, of Raynesford, MT changed his address to Heaven on Thursday Dec. 3, 2015, at home with Lois by his side.

He was born in Great Falls on Jan. 30, 1940 to Felix and Anna Hill of Geyser MT.

John attended the one room Davis Creek School through 8th grade, then Geyser High where he fell in love with Lois Klind and they tied the knot on Nov. 4, 1957. John always said "and not a slip knot either."

They were blessed with three children, Mary (Jeanne) of Raynesford, MT; Lyle (Kathy) and their sons Cody & Justin of Huntley, MT and Lureen Ann, Heaven.

John had a lifelong love of ranching, and together with Lois they ranched at Geyser and Worden, MT, retiring in 2003. They raised cattle, grains and registered Quarter Horses. They also had an outfitting and summer guest business for almost 40 years and housed one of Geyser's fire trucks on the ranch to help with fire response north of Geyser. John served on the board of the Montana Outfitters & Guides Assn., Geyser School Board and was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Raynesford.

John competed in rodeos most of his younger years, and qualified for the National High School Rodeo Finals. He then steer wrestled and team roped in the Northern Rodeo Association and had one of the top steer wrestling team of horses in the state.

John felt great joy in helping others in any way he could. You could see the joy in his eyes when small children were on his lap or being entertained. Several young people lived with John & Lois and attend school in Geyser. Their ranch was home for many foreign agricultural exchange students. John would never turn down a piece of pie or a cribbage game.

John smoked for 50 years therefore battled lung and heart problems for many years. He would encourage people not to smoke or stop smoking.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Felix and Anna Hill, daughter LuAnn Hill, sisters Peggy Stenzel and Teresa Tower and in-laws Art and Lureen Klind. John is survived by his immediate family, his sister Jean Anderson of Raynesford, brother Ray Hill (Kathy) of Raynesford, brother-in-law Doug Tower, of Missoula, and brother Oscar Hill (Betty) of Lovell, WY along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The vigil and sharing of stories will be on Friday, Dec 11 at 7 pm at the Geyser Community Hall, in Geyser. Funeral mass will be on Dec 12 at 11 am at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Belt, followed by a Celebration of Life reception at 1:30 pm at the Geyser Community Hall. Burial will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials for the repair of the Geyser Community Hall, Box 3, Geyser, MT 59447 would be appreciated.

Condolences can be posted at www.oconnorfuneralhome.com

John Hill

Our thoughts a prayers are with Lois and her family during this difficult time.  "Although no words of sympathy can ease the loss you bear. Still may you find some comfort in the thought that others care."

My soul mate and love of my life, John, changed his address to Heaven this morning. He was called by God about 6:30 am with very little pain or discomfort smile emoticon we are blessed for that and that God let us borrow him for so long--almost 76 years.
Tentative plan plans are for a vigil-- prayers and a time for sharing stores about John will be Friday the 11th at 7 pm at the Geyser Community Hall, there will be a funeral mass at our little church in Raynesford on Saturday at 11 am and a reception back at the Geyser Community Hall about 1 on Saturday afternoon.
PLEASE no flowers, in lieu of that, if you want, donations to the Geyser Community Hall, Box 3, Geyser, MT 59447 would be great. Remember us in your prayers also remember a great time you shared with John
Thanks for all the memories we have shared with all of you.  Lois Hill

Meet Your 2015 Team Roping Champions

 

You better be fast and you better be on target.  Shawn Bessette of Great Falls returned to defend his team roping heading title.  Bessette, who also won in 201, trailed 2015 standings leader Ryan Ferguson by $912.  Bessette won his 2014 and 2011 titles with his father Shane Bessette.  This year, the younger Bessette roped with three-time NRA heeling champion Sid Sporer, of Cody, Wyo., Sporer, who won in 2011, 2008 and 2006 was third in the standings.  Bessette and Sporer won at Wilsall, Three Forks and Havre.  Ferguson roped with Taner Sorge of Shepherd.  Sorge lead University of Montana rodeo coach Kory Mytty of Lolo by $1,389 for the heelers.  Sorge was fourth in both 2013 and 2011.  Shawn and Sid started their jump in the standings with a win in the first round. They went into the 2nd round with the same mindset…win.  They did just that but split the round with Ryan and Taner, the team Bessette and Sporer were trying to inch out of the lead.  The 3rd round did not go as planed for the Great Falls/Cody team but they still managed to hold onto the average lead.  Ryan and Taner on the other hand were trying to hold onto the lead they had coming in with and placed 2nd in the 3rd round and 4th in the average.  It was not quite enough for Ferguson to hold on and Bessette inched him out by just over $50.  So the 2015 NRA Team Roping Championship was split between Shawn Bessette and Taner Sorge.  Congratulations to Shawn Bessette and Taner Sorge.