Once again the summer is in full swing and so are the hopeful cowboys and cowgirls of the various rodeo circuits.

On Friday and Saturday, the Butte Vigilante Rodeo will take place as many athletes descend on 6354 Albany, site of the Butte Vigilante Rodeo and Saddle Club arena.

According to club president Lloyd Stringer, the rodeo should again provide quality entertainment as a number of National Rodeo Association (NRA) competitors will be in town for the two-day event.

“I think we will have a really good one,” Stringer said. “Ever since we went NRA we have a real good show. The fans have liked the rodeo, it’s just a good family entertainment.”

The gates will open at 6 p.m. both days with the competitions getting fired up at 7 p.m.

There will be a concession stand that Stringer says will have “the best hamburgers in town.”

Stringer emphasized that the event, which kicked off in 1938, will feature a field of cowboys and cowgirls from Montana

“We don’t have the money to put up full prize money,” Stringer said. “You will get an occasional PRCA cowboy come through here, but they usually never shop here. We used to have almost a couple of hundred and now we are still getting around 150-160 cowboys from the NRA. I am happy with that number. Few people in Butte follow the (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association — PRCA) and they just want to see a good rodeo. They want to come see the bulls get the best of the cowboys.”

Some of the events listed include bronc riding, bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, and calf roping. There will also be a Greenhorn Calf Tying competitor on both nights.

“Someone who has never tied a calf competes,” Stringer said. “We tie a rope around the calf’s neck and then one guy holds the rope, the other then tries to tie it down. There is no horse riding. It’s big fun.”

The winner with the best time receives a belt buckle.

Livestock will be provided by Fred Hershey from the Big Hole Valley in Wisdom.

A list of competitors won’t be available until a day or two before the start of the rodeo.

Tickets will be $12 to attend except all persons 12-and-under and accompanied by an adult will be admitted free. All seats are general admission.