Home on the Range Champions Ride Celebrates 70 Years of Bronc Riding Tradition
July 28, 2026
One of the nation's longest-running saddle bronc riding events is preparing to celebrate a major milestone as the 70th Annual Home on the Range Champions Ride returns to Sentinel Butte, ND on Saturday, August 1.
Board member Rick Thompson says excitement continues to build for the anniversary event, which has become a summer tradition for rodeo fans across the Northern Plains.
"We're really excited to get to do it again," Thompson said. "Every year it seems like it gets bigger and better, and it's always a fun Saturday on the hillside at Sentinel Butte. We'll have another one of those this year."
Elite Bronc Riders Returning
The Champions Ride annually features 32 of the top saddle bronc riders in the country, and Thompson expects another elite field this year as the popularity of bronc riding continues to grow.
"We get 32 every year, and you can imagine they're 32 of the very best," Thompson said. "If you looked at the world rankings, they'd all be within that top 32 or 35. There are some injuries out there, but we certainly get them all every year, and they're coming back again this year."
Honoring a Rodeo Legend
One highlight of this year's event will once again be the presentation of the Bill Smith Excellence in Bronc Riding Award, honoring one of rodeo's all-time greats.
Smith, a three-time world champion saddle bronc rider, captured the Home on the Range title in 1968 before becoming one of the sport's most respected ambassadors.
"Bill Smith was a great friend to everybody," Thompson said.
The award was created through a partnership involving the Home on the Range Champions Ride, the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale, Jordan's Match Bronc Ride, and the Brad Gjermundson Xtreme Bronc Ride.
Thompson credited Smith's wife, Carol, for helping bring the project together.
"Carol was really instrumental in getting us to do this," he said.
The bronze sculpture recognizes the rider who earns the most money across all four premier bronc riding events during the season.
"We're calling it the Excellence in Bronc Riding Award," Thompson said. "It goes to the guy who amasses the most money won in all four of those extreme bronc ridings. It'll be a coveted award for sure."
More Than Just Rodeo
Beyond the action inside the arena, Thompson says the event offers families an opportunity to experience western North Dakota, with attractions like nearby Medora and Theodore Roosevelt Country drawing visitors from across the region.
"There really is a lot to do," Thompson said.
The Home on the Range Champions Ride also continues to attract generations of loyal fans.
"We'll have people there this year who have never missed one of these events," he said. "Seventy years is a long time, and they'll be there again this year—I guarantee you."
For event information, schedules and tickets, visit HOTRND.com.
Source: Western Ag Network
