Champions Ride Rodeo | Home On The Range

Sentinel Butte, ND: The Champions Ride Saddle Bronc Match will be celebrating its 71st Anniversary in 2027! For more than six decades, the Match has been the premier saddle bronc competition. This event has a history of promoting the top-rated cowboys and broncs. Past champions are a Who’s Who in saddle bronc riding, including Jim Tescher, Alvin Nelson, Larry Mahan, Butch Small, Lewis Field, Brad Gjermundson, Robert Etbauer, Dan Mortensen, Ty Murray, Rod Hay, Cody Wright. Q Taylor was the Champion in 2026.

The Match will be celebrating its 13th year as a sanctioned “extreme bronc riding” event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA). Thirty-two cowboys ride a bronc and compete in the long-go round. The top 12 highest scores advance to the short-round to compete for the title and money. The prize money that a cowboy wins counts towards their earnings to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals in Las Vegas.

The Champions Ride not only has a rich history of cowboys, but also as a major fundraiser for the organization Home On The Range (HOTR). HOTR is a nonprofit organization which helps abused, neglected and traumatized teenage boys and girls. In 1957, the fledging HOTR relied heavily upon donations to care for the children. A group of cowboys got together to create the Match of Champions to raise money for Home On The Range. 69 years later, this is still the main intent of the Champions Ride.

For those who like games of chance, there’s some of that too. A live Calcutta will be Friday, August 6, 2027, at the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in Medora, ND at 6:00pm. Guests will have an opportunity to bid on a cowboy’s chance of winning at the Match. If you are the winning bid on that cowboy, and he places in the top eight at the Match, you win some money back! A second Calcutta takes place during the intermission of the Match on Saturday. At this time, guests will have an opportunity to bid on the top cowboys and their skills that make the qualifying short round.

It’s wild! It’s woolly It’s western! Home On The Range has been sponsoring this unique fundraiser for 71 years and it is going strong! The Saddle Bronc Match is a premiere event that features thirty-two of the top professional cowboys mounted on some of pro rodeo’s toughest stock from contractors in the United States and Canada. It is truly entertainment at its finest, and many have ranked it right up there with a performance of the saddle bronc riding at the National Finals Rodeo! In fact, every world champion saddle bronc rider except one has ridden at Champions Ride.

Annually, on the first Saturday in August, spectators gather in the natural amphitheater to watch “champions ride” to benefit the children who call the ranch home. The rustic arena is nestled on the grounds of HOTR in the serene beauty of western North Dakota.

The Ranch and the Rodeo have grown up together and it would be nearly impossible to separate the two and the strong western heritage they share. In 2000, Champion’s Ride was honored with the prestigious Special Achievement Award from the ND Cowboy Hall of Fame and was inducted into its ranks – only the third such event to have been honored in this way.

Champions Ride Print

The rodeo itself is truly a class act, but more importantly, it brings people to Home On The Range, to see the working ranch dedicated to helping homeless, troubled, neglected and traumatized children.

Champion’s Ride is an affordable quality entertainment event for all ages. All proceeds from the event go to support the children that call Home On The Range home.

It was an oppressive 100 degrees on August 1st for the Champions Ride Match Rodeo. The heat may have kept some guests away, but those who braved it were treated to a great show celebrating the Match's 70th anniversary.

A Salute to America

In honor of America's 250th anniversary, the rodeo committee chose a patriotic theme for the day. The Grand Entry opened with President Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders charging into the arena. Roosevelt, portrayed by well-known historical performer Joe Weigand, addressed the crowd, praising everyone who has helped make the United States a great country and honoring veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces for their sacrifice.

Jaylynn Hicks, Miss Rodeo North Dakota, presented the American flag, while twenty-seven members of the Knights of Columbus 4th Degree raised their swords in salute as the National Anthem was sung.

The Saddle Bronc Match

With the ceremony complete, the first horse burst from the chutes and the saddle bronc match was underway. At the end of the first round, two cowboys tied for the lead: Chase Brooks and Gus Gaillard, each scoring 88.5 points. The scores stayed tight throughout the pack, with Tanner Butner, Shorty Garrett, Sage Newman, Waitley Sharon, and Rusty Wright all posting 87.5 points, and Q Taylor, Cash Wilson, and Ryder Wright close behind at 87 points each.

Honors at Intermission

Intermission brought several special recognitions. Glee Nett, Executive Director of the Children's Western Wish Foundation, presented gifts to the 2026 Honorary Rodeo Ranch Hand, including a special Bible, an autographed cowboy hat, and a quilt. Each year, the Foundation honors someone who embodies a love of rodeo and the western way of life.

Special guest Shawn Davis was also in attendance. A two-time Match champion (1962 and 1964), Davis was a three-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider, served as NFR General Manager for 33 years, and is a past president of the PRCA. Throughout the performance, he shared stories from his career and reflected on how rodeo, and the PRCA, evolved into the Las Vegas showcase it is today.

The day also celebrated milestones closer to home, honoring HOTR employees who have worked here for thirty years or more. Several of these longtime employees rode in on a wagon, recognized for their dedication and commitment to helping children.

And the Champion Is...

After two rounds, Q Taylor was crowned the 2026 Champion, scoring 87 points aboard Dakota Rodeo's Smarty Pants and 92 points on J Bar J's Shady Jacket, for a total of 179 points on two head.

The Match's broncs were supplied by several PRCA stock contractors, including J Bar J Rodeo, Big Bucks ProRodeo, Dakota Rodeo, Burch Rodeo Co., and Pickett Pro Rodeo. The Best Bronc Award went to J Bar J Rodeo's Fringe Jacket (694), accepted by Sparky Dreesan.

Save the Date

Plans are already underway for the 2027 Champions Ride Match, set for August 7th. Mark your calendars today!

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