Rodeo: Shawn Bird follows in family roping tradition

The Bird name is synonymous with rodeo in Montana and beyond.

And soon Shawn figures to add to the Cut Bank family's great roping tradition.

"Our name, I'm very proud of it," Shawn said. "It's pretty cool. I look up my grandpa and grandma, really my whole family. Many of them have rodeod their whole lives and it's great to be a part of it."

Shawn, 21, was in Great Falls last weekend for the University of Great Falls Big Sky Region college rodeo. The Northwest (Wyo.) College sophomore and his partner, Zach Schweigert of Livingston, finished third in the team roping average.

The Bird-Schweigert team is headed for the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., next month. The top three finishers in each event in the Big Sky Region qualify for the CNFR, and with just one rodeo left in the spring season the tandem is in first place.

"It's good," said Shawn of his rodeo success. "It feels real good."

Big brother Dustin, of course, is one of the best headers in the team roping industry. The three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier has earned more than $500,000 in professional rodeo and last season placed sixth in the final PRCA heading standings.

Little brother seems headed in the same direction.

"I went to some winter rodeos this year," Shawn said. "It was cool to compete against those guys. And compete against Dustin.

"I feel like this is a good start for me."

Shawn's horse is Mel, the reigning heading horse of the year in the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit. Shawn and his brother have both had success at the Circuit Finals on Mel, a 16-year-old sorrel gelding.

Dustin, a 34-year-old who is currently 31st in the 2015 world standings, has roped with Paul Eaves in past years. But Shawn said his brother is going to go down the rodeo road with Chase Tryan of Helena this summer. Tryan, a cousin to Clay, Travis and Brady Tryan of Billings, qualified for the 2012 NFR.

Chase Tryan, 25, is regarded as an up-and-coming star in professional rodeo.

Of course, so is Shawn Bird. He plans to pair up in the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit again this summer with Justin Viles of Cody, Wyo. Viles serves as an assistant coach at Northwest College.

The NIRA Big Sky Region schedule concludes this weekend in Missoula as the University of Montana teams, coached by Kory Mytty, play host to a two-day rodeo. The top two men's and women's teams in the final Big Sky Region standings qualify for trips to the CNFR.

Entering this weekend, the Montana Western men of coach Iola (Olie) Else and the Montana State women of coach Mike True are leading the standings.

The men's and women's teams of the University of Great Falls, a five-year-old program led by coach Dick Lyman, have had fine seasons and enter the UM rodeo ranked fourth in the Big Sky Region standings.