Under the M

Richest XTREME Bareback Riding Returns to the Bitterroot Valley

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:31:11 GMT

Dutton Ranch Darby XTREME Bareback Attracts the World’s Top PRCA Riders

May 1, 2026-Darby, MT – The Darby Rodeo Association (DRA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, will host the 7th Annual Dutton Ranch Darby XTREME Bareback (formerly the Yellowstone Darby XTREME Bareback) at the Darby Rodeo Grounds in Darby, MT, June 6–7, 2026.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) sanctioned event will once again attract many of the top-ranked bareback riders in the country to compete for $60,000 in added money, making it the richest standalone bareback riding event in the world. Paramount Network’s newest series, Dutton Ranch will be the title sponsor of this year’s event. Beth and Rip are back in a new series, Dutton Ranch starting May 15 streaming on Paramount Plus.

The Dutton Ranch Darby XTREME Bareback will run over two days, with the qualifier day taking place Saturday, June 6 at 5:00 PM (gates open at 3:00 PM) with $10,000 in added money up for grabs. The top ten qualifiers will advance to Sunday’s XTREME Finals, where they will be joined by twenty of the world’s top PRCA bareback riders, with $50,000 in added money and the coveted Capri trophy on the line. The Finals performance will take place on Sunday, June 7 at 3:00 PM (gates open at 1:00 PM) and will be streamed on the Cowboy Channel +. Calcutta’s will be both days of the event with one Saturday and two on Sunday.

This year you can see returning 2025 YDXB champion, Jess Pope and reigning PRCA World Champion, Rocker Steiner, who earned a record $507,532 in 2025, both are expected to headline the competition alongside other top-ranked PRCA athletes.

A sneak peek on Saturday night, June 6th, into the upcoming, August 23 ^rd , Darby XTREME Bulls event, featuring a special $20,000 Bounty Bull Ride.

This featured bull ride will showcase Wacey Schalla, who competed in both bareback riding and bull riding at the 2025 National Finals Rodeo. If Schalla completes the eight-second ride, he will take home the $20,000 prize. If not, the payout will go to support a local family whose 11-year-old daughter is battling cancer and hopes to attend the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, NV, along with PRCA bareback rider Dean Thompson, who was diagnosed with cancer last month.

Tickets for Saturday’s qualifier are $25.00. Tickets for Sunday’s event are $45.00. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.darbyrodeo.org/tickets-events . A combo ticket for both events can be purchased for $60.00 at Darby Wine & Spirits, Double H Hats and Murdoch’s in Hamilton, MT, or at the gate. Net proceeds from both days of competition will benefit the DRA and their community programs, including their youth, high school rodeo and scholarship programs. Children under the age of 2 are admitted for free.

“The support we’ve received in the way of sponsorships from businesses and friends of the DRA, in the Bitterroot Valley and Missoula area is what allows us to bring these great events to the community,” said DRA President Cal Ruark. “Our vision is to create rodeo at its finest.” The net proceeds from these events go directly to support all our programs, including youth and high school rodeo and our scholarship program for graduating Bitterroot Valley rodeo athletes. To host the richest bareback event in the country, attracting the best riders is pretty darn special,” continued Ruark.

About Darby Rodeo Association (DRA)
The Darby Rodeo Association is a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the sport of rodeo and the western way of life through quality events, youth development programs, and community investment.

About Bareback Riding
Bareback riding is a rodeo event in which a cowboy rides a bucking horse for eight seconds while being judged on control, spurring technique, and overall performance. Horses are judged on power, speed, and agility. A strong score in bareback riding is typically in the mid-80s.

Photos available upon request

For more information on media or sponsorships for this event, contact:

Greta S Dorshorst, Media Coordinator (406) 240-6515

Nancy Shearer, Sponsorships (817) 269-0779

First Interstate Surpasses $100 Million in Community Support

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:44:32 GMT

At First Interstate Bank, relationships are at the heart of everything we do. We meet people where they are, helping them get to where they want to be. Today, we're proud to announce a major milestone: $100 million in philanthropic giving!

Since 1990, First Interstate Bank and our Foundation have proudly invested in the communities we serve, supporting nonprofits, empowering volunteers, and funding programs that create lasting impact. Please join us to celebrate this significant accomplishment.

Community Open House

Tuesday, April 21, 2026, | 2 to 4 p.m.

101 East Front St Missoula MT 59802 6th Floor Garden City View Room

“This achievement reflects the strength of our community and what we can accomplish together,” said Ryan Jones, Commercial Market President. “We're proud to celebrate this moment and look forward to new opportunities to collaborate and make an even greater difference here in Missoula and Western Montana.” For more details about this amazing milestone and what it means for our communities, visit our special $100 Million and Counting webpage.

Missoula Area Forest Resources Spring 2025 Fact Sheet Released

madelineg@missoulachamber.com (Madeline Gaffigan) — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 15:12:49 GMT

Please click the image below for a downloadable version of the fact sheet.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 16, 2025

Contacts:

Chad Bauer

(406) 543-6623, chad@missoulachamber.com

President and CEO, Missoula Chamber of Commerce

Erin Clark

(406) 763-8884, erin.clark@mtforests.com

Co-chair, Missoula Chamber Forest Resources Committee

Zachary Bashoor

(406) 369-5162, zbashoor@mtforests.com

Co-chair, Missoula Chamber Forest Resources Committee

MISSOULA AREA FOREST RESOURCES SPRING 2025 FACT SHEET RELEASED

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Missoula Chamber of Commerce’s Forest Resources Committee today released a spring 2025 forest resources fact sheet summarizing current challenges and opportunities facing the forest resources industry in Missoula County. The last three years have seen rapid changes in local forest resources infrastructure, recognition of the value of wildfire risk reduction services for our communities provided by the forest resources industry, and forest project costs and timelines. The fact sheet highlights these changes in combination with forest values, community benefits, local business perspectives, and existing opportunities.

The Chamber’s Forest Resources committee invested in the production of this fact sheet because the changes our forest resources industry is experiencing can be felt throughout our Missoula area communities and this has resulted in increased inquiries, demand for detailed information, and interest in exploring innovative solutions to keep this industry healthy and contributing across western Montana. Challenges illuminated by the fact sheet include reduction of ponderosa pine processing capacity in our region, recent production facility closures, increasing demand to manage our forests to reduce wildfire risk, rising project costs, and the loss of high-quality local jobs. The fact sheet also illuminates the contributions of our local forest resources industry - from jobs to financial support for public schools to climate mitigation.

Sean Steinebach, Sun Mountain Lumber’s communications and outreach forester, provided information for the factsheet about the changing local markets for residual bark and chips, helping the factsheet to “highlight both the challenges and enduring value provided by our forest resources industry. The fact sheet reflects what many of us see on the ground–an industry that is adapting, innovating, and continuing to play a vital role in wildfire risk reduction, local employment, and community well-being. It’s a powerful reminder that supporting sustainable forest management means investing in the long-term health of both our landscapes and our local economies.”

Cindy Super, Blackfoot Challenge’s forestry and prescribed fire coordinator, contributed a non-profit and private landowner perspective to the fact sheet’s creation. “When a landowner wants to do fuel reduction work on their property, it's critical to have folks who know how to do the work and market options for any material generated. This work is expensive, and most often does not generate enough revenue to pay for itself. Losing our local secondary processing infrastructure has made doing this work far less efficient and extremely expensive. Maintaining this infrastructure within local communities and expanding it to efficiently utilize small diameter wood is critical to the success of a hazardous forest fuels reduction program."

The Forest Resources Committee of the Missoula Chamber of Commerce contains representatives from more than a dozen local forest resource businesses, non-profit organizations, and local management agencies. Chad Bauer, Executive Director of the Missoula Chamber of Commerce, supported the committee in producing the fact sheet and expressed that, “The Missoula Chamber hopes that the fact sheet invites positive dialogue about the importance of our forest resources, opportunities that our community can seize to keep this industry healthy, and creates a renewed awareness of the forest resources industry as a keystone of the history and fabric of our Missoula County communities.”

Erin Clark, co-chair of the Missoula Chamber’s Forest Resources Committee and Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships at Montana Forest Consultants emphasized that, “Our area’s forest resources have provided for our communities for generations in ways that range from economic prosperity to recreation opportunities to clean air and water. Keeping our forest resources healthy is important to everyone who calls Missoula home.”

The fact sheet is available on the Missoula Chamber of Commerce website at missoulachamber.com and print copies are available at the Missoula Chamber office at 825 E. Front Street from 9-5am Monday through Friday.

The Forest Resources Committee thanks the following fact sheet contributors: Sun Mountain Lumber Company, Arno Forestry, Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana, Missoula BLM Field Office, U.S. Forest Service Region 1, and Montana DNRC.

The Missoula Chamber of Commerce mission is to preserve and advance the quality of life in Missoula by advocating for a healthy, responsible, and diverse business environment and by providing resources that help businesses succeed. The Missoula Chamber has been serving the Missoula area since 1904. The Chamber is committed to the success of local businesses by staying abreast of relevant issues and facilitating the flow of vital information among its more than 650 members.

The Missoula Chamber’s Forest Resources Committee brings together forest resources-focused businesses, non-profits, and land management agency partners to discuss forest and natural resource management in the Missoula area. The committee coordinates an annual Forestry Tour. The Missoula Chamber also hosts agri-business and young professionals committees.

Erin Clark

Strategic Development & Partnerships Director

Montana Forest Consultants Inc.

erin.clark@mtforests.com

406-763-8884

Mtforests.com

Remembering our colleague and friend, Frank Cudia

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 00:28:50 GMT