Jaci Johnson, 5, of Mesquite, rides a woolly mount and wins her qualifying round on Sunday in the Mutton Bustin’ competition.

By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

The terrible weather had little impact on the 90 young entrants who participated last weekend in the Clark County Fair and Rodeo’s Mutton Bustin’ competition.

Kids, 4-7 years old weighing less than 60 pounds, came from states all over the west to attempt a 6-second ride aboard a fluffy, wooly running sheep. Some were wildly successful, some were not, but nearly every single one had the time of their lives.

Kevin Pratt, arena director in charge of the annual event, said youngsters from California, Utah, Idaho and Oregon, as well as Nevada had signed up to participate. The demand to participate is overwhelming.

“We try to run this just as professional as a PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) event,” Pratt said. “A lot of these kids look at this as the first step in the line to a professional ride and we do everything we can to make it real.”

Andun Pratt, 7, of Logandale, won a Montana Silversmith belt buckle for his high score in the Mutton Bustin’ competition.

In the Mutton Bustin’ event, kids equipped with helmets and protective vests are helped aboard a 3-year-old Suffolk or Dorset sheep that’s being held in a gated pen designed just like any rodeo gate, according to Justin Barlow, the Logandale contractor who supplied the sheep.

When the youngster signals he/she is ready, the gate opens and out pops the sheep with the rider clinging with legs and hands clenched tightly in the thick wool of the sheep. Most of the time the animal makes a rapid dash to the other end of the arena, it’s helmeted rider stuck like a second wooly coat to its back.

Tumbles were frequent but the sandy arena was groomed daily to make it as soft as possible.

Every participant won something in each round and the five riders with best scores in the daily qualifying rides competed again to win a $100 Montana Silver Smith’s belt buckle. The buckle was won by the rider with the best aggregate score of their qualifying round and championship round.

Girls rode as well as the boys even taking the buckle on two of the four days of the fair.

• Thursday, Dally Barlow, 7, of Logandale had the best score in the qualifying round and Sophia Stimpson, 6, of North Las Vegas had the best score in the championship round and the highest aggregate score to win the belt buckle.

• Friday, best scores for the qualifying rounds were Brady Sorenson, 6, Las Vegas, and Paige Bodily, 6, Logandale, and Andun Pratt, 7, Logandale, had the best championship round score and the best aggregate score to win the buckle.

• Saturday, best qualifying scores, Gunner Cortez, 4, Pahrump; Luke Davis, 5, St. George; Trysten Williams, 4, Beaver Dam, AZ; Elijah Deniger, 7, had the best championship round score, but Trysten won the belt buckle with the best aggregate;

• Sunday, Jaci Johnson, 5, of Mesquite, high qualifying round score; Jacob Greenwood, 7, Las Vegas, had the high championship round score and won the belt buckle with the high aggregate score.