In only its second year, the Maah Daah Hey Stampede will bring many spectators and plenty of prestigious athletes.
World-class saddle bronc riders and other rodeo competitors are coming to the Kling Arena in Grassy Butte beginning at 6 p.m. today, with the rodeo concluding Sunday.
Bull riders such as Kody Lostroh, the 2012 Professional Bull Riding world champion and Rookie of the Year, and many more professional rodeo contestants will face off against each other.
However, cowboys from all over the map and of various skill levels are set to showcase their talents in each event, such as saddle bronc and bareback riding.
"We left it open to anybody that's wanting to do bronc riding," said organizer Russ Kling, who helped put together the event last year. "We've drawn people from New Mexico, Florida, Texas -- the top hands in the world."
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Also on the roster for the Maah Daah Hey Stampede will be approximately 30 bronc riders that have National Finals Rodeo experience.
The rodeo is put on by Bar C5 Rodeo Company, so most of the event is individually run, as opposed to relying on community efforts.
"We're putting this together to make this one of the elite events in the world," Kling said. "We prepare all of this ourselves."
There has been much work done to the Kling Arena to get ready, such as landscaping and other preparations to make the atmosphere as unique as any other rodeo in the country.
"We're super excited," Kling said. "Every year we prep it a little bit more and put a little bit more work into it. We've added a lot of stuff. It's just an amazing arena.
"(Kling Arena) is different from any arena in the whole, wide world."
Inclement weather will always pose a threat for a good turnout at a rodeo, especially if it's outdoors. Despite the bad conditions that some fans and competitors experience in North Dakota, Kling hopes that this will only encourage people to get out and come to the arena.
After all, the show must go on.
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"People are tired of being in their house," Kling said. "It's going to go on, rain, snow, or shine. That's just how it is."
The goal for Bar C5 Rodeo is to put on a show for locals and non-natives alike. With so many high-level entries from all over North America, the Maah Daah Hey Stampede has the makings of a prime-time rodeo.
"We've attracted some of the greatest fans and the greatest cowboys," Kling said. "We're just trying to make this event stand out and draw people out of town, out in the country to go out and have a good time."
