The members of the Milk Cow Ranch team pose with their winning buckles after the Ranch Rodeo at the N.D. Winter Show on March 11, 2021. From left to right, Miss Rodeo America Jordan Tierney, Miss Rodeo Iowa Brittany Gunn, Lane Kvien, Garrett Oland, Sam Bell, Austin Beaty, and Miss Rodeo North Dakota Callie Enander.

By Ruth Nicolaus

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Ranch Rodeo at the N.D. Winter Show featured nine teams in five events: branding, steer mugging, pick up race, steer trailer loading, and hide race, and after the dust settled, the Milk Cow Ranch team of cowboys came out on top.

Garrett Oland, Sheldon, N.D., Lane Kvien, Grinnell, Kan., Austin Beaty, Deer Creek, Minn., and Sam Bell, also of Deer Creek, joined forces to finish no lower than third place in all five events.

They came in first in the hide race and tied for first in the pick up race, won second in the branding and the steer mugging races, and finished third in the steer trailer load race.

Oland, Kvien and Beaty have participated at the Winter Show’s Ranch Rodeo before, on different teams, sometimes with each other as teammates and sometimes not. Bell was new to the bunch.

The name of the team came about as joke. Bell and Beaty, who often help Oland out on his ranch, Crossover Genetics, tease him about raising bucking bulls by calling them milk cows. Thus, the name of the team became the Milk Cow Ranch. “I just ran with the name,” he said.

The four credit their winning today to good horses. “They make it work,” Kvien said. “It’s hard to win on a bad horse.” All four rode horses that they had started or trained themselves.

Kvien works on a feedlot in Kansas but grew up in Valley City. His dad, Matt Kvien, is a former director on the board; as a teenager, Lane worked at the Winter Show.

The men have plans for the money they earned by winning first place. They may have a drink or two, but all four agreed they’d spend their share on horses, feed, and fuel.

Unofficial results from the Ranch Rodeo follow.

The 84th annual NDWS continues March 12-14 with PRCA rodeo, the Battle of the Border High School Rodeo, and an NDRA rodeo. The second annual King of the Sale Ring auctioneer contest takes place March 14, and vendors and

Tickets are available at the Winter Show ticket office. For more information, visit www.NorthDakotaWinterShow.com or call 701.845.1401.

Unofficial Ranch Rodeo Results:

Unofficial Results, Ranch Rodeo – March 11, 2021 –N.D. Winter Show

Branding
1. The Greenhorn team .35 seconds; 2. Milk Cow Ranch team .40; 3. WSC team .42; 4. Sodbusters team 1.03 minutes.

Steer Mugging
1. Vigen Horse Co. .52 seconds; 2. Milk Cow Ranch team .53; 3. Double G Arena team 1.01 minutes; 4. Long Riders 1.05.

Pick Up Race
1. (tie) Milk Cow Ranch and 6T Whiskey Bound teams, .26 seconds each; 3. The Greenhorn team .27; 4. (tie) Sodbusters team and WSC team .30 seconds each.

Steer Trailer Load
1. Vigen Horse Co. team .26 seconds; 2. Sodbusters team .36; 3. Milk Cow Ranch team .37; 4. 6T Whiskey Bound team .38.

Hide Race
1. Milk Cow Ranch team .24 seconds; 2. WSC team .25; 3. Greenhorns team .27; 4. Vigen Horse Co. team .30.

Overall winners:
1. Milk Cow Ranch team; 2. Vigen Horse Co.; 3. The Greenhorns.

Team members:
Organized Chaos team: Blaine Beaty, Cole Schmelz, Katie Grefsrud, Ethan Skogquist.
Sodbusters team: Garrett Van Asperen, Bobbi Jo Manikowski, Troy Brown, Austin Dockter
WSC team: Danny Anderson, Jason Langerud, Dwight Sahaff, Rory Connell
Milk Cow Ranch team: Garrett Oland, Austin Beaty, Sam Bell, Lane Kvien
Vigen Horse Co. team: Bryce Vigen, Brent Vigen, Kevin Bitz, Keith McCleary
6T Whiskey Bound team: Jason Bind, Tanner Long, Tate Prante, Dude Koester
Long Riders team: John Pennington, Logan Bang, Tim Schmieg, Sean Hermes
Double G Arena team: Cassidy Schroeder, Mariah Anderson, Barry Berndt, Austin Schroeder
The Greenhorns team: Klay Oland, Frank Wall, Michael Fogarty, Wade Benson.