Foote Memorial makes Father’s Day magic

By. Jerry W. Kram

MHA Times Reporter

Blaine Foote wanted to honor the memory of his father, so every year for nearly a decade and a half he has organized the Adrian Foote Sr. Memorial Rodeo every Fathers Day. It has become one of the premier Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association events on the Northern Plains.

“It is year 14 for Daddy’s rodeo,” Foote said. “We also did a PRCA show in the COVID year, but that wasn’t a memorial rodeo. It was just to help the cowboys out.”

Foote was enthusiastic after watching the opening events featuring bareback and saddle broncs. Both he and his father were bronc riders as well as breeding bucking horses.

“I was a state high school saddle bronc riding champion and my father was a hell of a good bronc rider until he broke his neck,” Foote said. “The doctor said if he ever hurt his neck again he would be crippled for life so he had to quit. I’m glad he did because he was aroundusforagoodlongtime.He’sthe one who made us cowboys. He’s the one we do this for, he and now my mom.”

One of the horses his father developed, Crow Woman, was Horse of the Year in the Indian National Finals Rodeo. He said this year fans saw one of the best fields of riders in the region.

“There were some remarkable rides out there today,” Foote said. “Some of the guys you saw today you will see in Vegas at the National Finals Rodeo in December. But everything is loaded. Saddle broncs, bulls, all the timed events – it’s going to be a tough show. You’ll have to be at the top of your game to win at this rodeo.”

Because points in the national PRCA standings are based on prize

money, cowboys choose the events to compete where they can get the biggest return. The Foote Rodeo offered more than $94,000 in prize money, attracting many top competitors. The other key is having good stock, and Foote said Bailey’s Pro Rodeo has some of the best.

“You got to have some good money up and you have to have good stock,” Foote said. “The cowboys can check the week before and if they don’t like the stock they drew they’ll go to a different rodeo. We have three contractors this year and Bailey Pro Rodeo is the one that runs the show for me. Shane Gunderson is my man.”

The rodeo also remembered some influential cowboys who have passed on. Pete Fredericks, who passed last week, was remembered with a riderless horse in the opening ceremony and releasing a riderless bronc before the competition started. Fredericks was remembered as a champion cowboy and co-founder of the Indian Nation Finals Rodeo. He was also a board member for the INFR for decades.

Foote has also presented a Hall of Fame award for important contributors to the sport of rodeo on the Fort Berthold Reservation. This year he inductedDelvinDriverSr.Driverpassed last year.

“Delvin has been with us since we have been rodeoing,” Foote said. “He was one of our original pickup men for the Foote Brothers Rodeo Company. After he quit doing that he was always here. He would sing my dad’s song at the opening. He is very deserving to be in our Hall of Fame.”

Foote added that the rodeo is now also in memory of his mother Virginia, who attended and helped with the rodeo until her passing last year.

“Both mom and dad are up there smiling, I know it,” Foote said.