NATIONAL INTERCOLLEGIATE RODEO ASSOCIATION
Formed in 1948, the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) oversees the fast growing sport of college rodeo in 11 regions that span the United States. Preserving Western heritage through collegiate rodeo has been a theme repeated over the course of fifty years. Today these efforts are being made through 110 college rodeos a year, over 3,500 student members annually and 137 member schools and universities.
Because of a common vision of preserving our western heritage and ranching lifestyle, Copper Spring ranch became a national sponsor in 2009.The ranch supports the association’s goals of providing educational opportunities through rodeo to help college students develop lifelong careers while conducting themselves in a professional manner in and out of the arena.
For more information please visit www.collegerodeo.com or www.cnfr.com
THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA WESTERN RODEO TEAM
The Men’s and Women’s Rodeo Teams from the University of Montana Western are among the standouts in their Big Sky Region at the national level of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. This successful team is coached by Iola “Olie” Else who uses her years of experience as a coach and rodeo expertise to lead her motivated contestants.
Through college rodeo at Montana Western, students learn the importance of teamwork, fundraising while they hone their skills in the arena and in the classroom. Excellence in both areas earns the student athlete scholarships that help them to further their education and to become professionals in their chosen field. At Montana Western, the unique Experience One experimental learning program offers students a number of business and equine studies options that train future leaders in the horse and ranching industry.
Copper Spring Ranch is a proud sponsor of the men’s and women’s team and supports the university’s educational goal that encourages high ethical standards and values that are in keeping with the western lifestyle supported by the ranch owners, managers and staff.
THE MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
BOBCAT RODEO TEAM
Bobcat Rodeo is one of the great, storied programs in the history of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. In addition to almost 30 years of hosting the College National Finals Rodeo, MSU Rodeo teams have claimed 6 national team titles, 31 individual national championships, and a multitude of Big Sky Regional crowns. At the completion of the 2010-2011 season, the Bobcat Men’s and Women’s Teams finished as Champions for the Big Sky Region.
Copper Spring Ranch is a proud sponsor of the men’s and women’s team and supports the university’s educational goal that encourages high ethical standards and values that are in keeping with the western lifestyle supported by the ranch owners, managers and staff.
For more information please visit www.umwestern.edu
MONTANA COWBOY HALL OF FAME
The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame has been created by designation of State Legislature to provide a unique understanding of the Montana cowboy way of life, Indian culture and roots of our Montana Western heritage by highlighting the colorful history and values that shaped the Treasure State. The organization is based in Wolf Point, Montana and operates a field office at Copper Spring Ranch in Bozeman. The mission is to honor Montana’s cowboys, cowgirls, settlers, landscape, rodeos, ranches, Indian cultures, industries, communities and wildlife that define Montana with carefully considered annual inductions into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. In the future, this non-profit organization hopes to build a multi-million dollar Hall of Fame to showcase the program.
Copper Spring Ranch has provided space for a Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame field office at the ranch in Bozeman because it shares the same passion to honor the cowboy way of life and the western heritage that is present in the Big Sky State. Through the Hall of Fame programs, the opportunity is present to educate future generations about the great ranching traditions left to them by the history makers and founders of Montana and the great cattlemen and empire builders that founded the western United States.
For more information please visit www.montanacowboyfame.com