Steppler Ranch Earns Fifth At NILE Ranch Rodeo
Steppler Ranch brought Culbertson-area ranching skills to the arena with a fifth-place team finish at the Northern International Livestock Exposition’s ranch rodeo.
The local finish came during NILE’s annual celebration of livestock, agriculture and Western traditions. This year’s exposition ran Oct. 9-17 at MetraPark in Billings, with the Ranch Rodeo Finals held Oct. 10.
For ranch rodeo competitors, success depends on teamwork, horsemanship and the ability to handle livestock — skills that connect the competition to everyday work on a ranch.
At NILE, four-person teams compete in sorting, doctoring, and loading and tying livestock during the preliminary round. Only eight teams advance to the finals, where team branding adds another challenge to the competition.
Steppler Ranch’s fifth-place finish adds to its history of representing Culbertson in regional ranch rodeos.
In 2021, the team earned the Eastern Montana Ranch Rodeo yearend championship, accumulating points through a season of sanctioned competitions. That team included Alex Munoz, Ruben Munoz, Alberto Rico, Joe Winters and Rainie Mullanix.
Away from the arena, Steppler Ranch raises Black Angus cattle south of Culbertson. The ranch describes a bull-development program that begins on native range and emphasizes physical soundness and longevity for breeding cattle.
Another local placing at this year’s exposition came from Chasyn Arneson of Culbertson, who finished second in ranch bronc riding. NILE holds that competition separately from its team events, with bronc riding results having no effect on team scores.
Beyond the rodeo arena, the NILE event brings together livestock exhibitors, horse enthusiasts and young agricultural participants.
