Injury not a show-stopper

By Ryan Woodard, Journal Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

Bareback rider Scott Montague riding tonight despite broken leg.

Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association bareback rider and Belle Fourche native Scott Montague broke his leg while riding in Steamboat Springs, Colo. two and a half weeks ago. Despite the injury, he will still be competing at this weekend’s Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo in an event that Espn.com compares to “riding a jackhammer with one hand.”

The 10-year pro figures he’ll have other things to think about while he’s on the wildly thrashing horse he’ll be facing tonight.

“The adrenaline gets pretty good, you forget about everything for eight seconds,” he said, adding that he knows he’ll pay the price after the event is done. “When I get off it’ll sure ache.”

Montague, 29, said he has had to ride through injury before, including last year at the National Finals Rodeo, when he sprained his ankle and rode through nine more rounds. But he isn’t just experienced in riding through pain, he is experienced, period. He broke into the PRCA in 1997, when he was PRCA Resistol Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year.

Montague, who lives in Black Hawk, has also been to the National Finals Rodeo three times and placed sixth last year, finishing the year 10 in the World Standings.

“It was good, that was my third time being there. I had some good years the years before but nothing like last year,” he said.

Although the NFR is a prestigious competition and features the “15 best in the world,” as Montague puts it, he said he is looking forward to his tenth Rapid City Stock Show and Rodeo.

“Coming off a good NFR, I’m pretty excited about being home and riding in front of the hometown crowd,” he said. “It’s real nice you come here and the crowd is behind you, there are people coming to tell you good job.”

Growing up in South Dakota has long been an advantage for Montague, who was born in Rapid City. He said he learned many of his rodeo skills while growing up on a ranch east of Belle Fourche. He said his neighbor, Scott Reeder, helped him learn how to ride “buckin horses.” From there he competed in 4-H, high school and got a scholarship to South Dakota State University in Brookings.

He said he continues to enjoy competing as a PRCA member in the state where he learned so much about the sport that has become his career and livelihood.

“Growing up in South Dakota, it’s the number one sport. Lucky enough we have three rodeos here,” he said.

Montague said he also credits persistence and hard work to his success. He said one of the keys to the very physically demanding sport is fitness.

“When I’m healthy I go to the gym every day and run 3 miles a day, usually a total workout of about two and a half hours,” he said.

He said the broken leg has caused him to revise his workout schedule, but is using his time before the Rapid City rodeo to recover and is excited about the event.

“Other than the bum wheel, it’s good. I’m excited to be home in front of the home town crowd,” he said.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com