09/24/2026
Thank you Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame for the recognition!
We are proud to recognize the MSU Rodeo Chute Boss Club as a 2026 Western Heritage Award recipient. The Club will be honored alongside this year’s class at the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall & Wall of Fame Banquet on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the Billings Hotel & Convention Center.
Behind the success of any great rodeo program stands a dedicated community working tirelessly beyond the arena lights. For the Montana State University Rodeo Program, that driving force is the MSU Chute Boss Club. The organization was born out of necessity in 2002 when Montana State University faced severe budget cuts. Rather than letting a cornerstone of the university’s identity fade, Butch Bratsky, Dean Folkvord, and Tom Holland established the Club to ensure the MSU Rodeo Program remained viable without relying completely on traditional institutional support.
Today, the Chute Boss Club boasts a membership of over 200 individuals. This network forms a diverse grassroots coalition of rural and urban supporters, representing a true cross section of Montana’s heritage, ranging from individual rodeo fans and multi-generational ranching families to Montana based businesses and corporate partners.
Through this community-wide support system, the organization contributes in excess of $400,000 annually to the MSU Rodeo Program. These vital funds provide essential scholarships, cost-of-living stipends, and performance incentives that allow top-tier Montana high school talent to pursue higher education at a first-class land grant institution while competing at an elite level.
The Club’s financial impact is prominently visible in its commitment to providing world-class practice facilities. Through incredible donor and supporter backing, the program secured a permanent home at the Stock Family MSU Rodeo Facility in Belgrade. Located on Spain Bridge Road, nestled against the Bridger Range, the property, formerly known as the VL Arena, which the university had previously leased for over a decade, was purchased for approximately $4.85 million, with the mortgage fully paid off through donor support. The facility features updated indoor and outdoor arenas equipped with specialized chutes for bronc riding, roping, and barrel racing. Additionally, it provides dedicated pastures, indoor boarding, and grooming stalls for around 80 team horses, alongside pens for stock animals such as calves and goats. This centralized home eliminates the previous requirement to shuttle horses and livestock between separate off-campus locations, enabling year-round training for the roughly 50 student-athletes on the team.
Beyond the arena, the Chute Boss Club serves as the operational heart of major regional events, supporting the MSU Spring Rodeo (rated as the best college rodeo in the nation) and the annual Cowboys & Candlelight Gala. What’s more, the Club’s dedication extends deeply into the rodeo “family” when tragedy strikes. They frequently coordinate crisis response and medical relief efforts alongside the Cowboy Crisis Relief Fund and the Cat Rodeo Scholarship Association. Most recently, when the wife of MSU Rodeo Coach Kyle Whitaker, Presley, suffered a tragic accident, club members immediately mobilized, coordinating private flight logistics to transport her family to the hospital and launching an official medical fundraiser platform to help cover mounting expenses.
Through its steadfast commitment to student athletes in the classroom, the arena, and times of crisis, the Chute Boss Club has fueled an unmatched competitive legacy. The MSU Bobcat Rodeo Program has officially claimed eight National Team Titles and 32 Individual National Championships. These achievements directly fulfill the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame’s mission to preserve Western heritage for future generations. Honoring the MSU Chute Boss Club brings the 2015 induction of Montana State University, recognized under the Great Montana College Rodeo Team category, full circle by celebrating the community of donors and volunteers who make the program’s success possible.
🌟The Montana Pro Rodeo Hall & Wall of Fame is proud to invest in the future of rodeo through our scholarship program. Every contribution helps provide opportunities for Montana’s young rodeo athletes as they pursue their education and continue building their own futures. Please visit montanaprorodeo.org to learn more about how you can contribute.
