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Vol. 19, No. 34, Wednesday, July 17, 2024 www.LamontLeader.com
Lamont hosts 30th Summer Sizzler BY JOHN MATHER It was another successful Lamont Summer Sizzler Rodeo as the organizers celebrated 30 years of hosting the event. Although there was some rain on Saturday, the stands were packed with people who not only wanted to see the cowboys in action, but later hustled over to fill the stands at the combine crunch which has grown into one of the most popular events in the two-day rodeo. The rodeo set a record for attendance during its two-day run with 3,200 admissions passing through the gates on July 13 and another 1,800 filing in for the July 14 events. The winner of the saddle bronc competition was Stuart Milne who was aboard Steppin’ Stone. The Bareback riding title went to Jace Lomheim on Ditto. Jestin Jacklin won the Bullriding
competition on Rug Rat and Randon Ross took home first place in Tie-Down Roping with a time of 8.8. seconds. In Steer Wrestling, Dayton Roworth won with a time of 4.3 seconds. In Ladies Barrel Racing Teagan Brink won with a time of 15.708 seconds. Koby Ziemmer and Dawson Pratt with a time of 5.7 seconds won the Team Roping title. Jestin Jacklin on 324 won the Junior Bull Riding with a score of 74, while Hale Mason took home first place in the Novice Horse competition with a score of 62. In Junior Barrel Racing Payton Cutul won with a time of 15.604 while Kenlee Crowe took home first place for the Pee Wee Barrels with a time of 15.990. In the Ladies Breakaway Peri Phillips won with a time of 2.6 seconds.
LIFT OFF FOR COWBOY This saddle bronc rider lifts off from his ride at the Summer Sizzler Rodeo over the weekend. Huge crowds enjoyed the large variety of shows and events.
Lamont County’s own Thomas Hoculak wins 2024 Combine Crunch
Thomas Hoculak, combine crunch winner. Landon Zabel photo.
LANDON ZABEL This past weekend the Lamont & District Ag Society and the Town of Lamont hosted the 30th annual Summer Sizzler Rodeo – which featured the popular Combine Crunch on the Lamont Agricultural Grounds. This year attendees were treated to five rounds of carnage, which saw 11 contestants pilot their Frankensteinesque combines in a last-man-standing smash-up derby, all with hopes of taking home the $5,000 cash prize. Thomas Hoculak, a 21-year-old home-grown Lamont County resident, won this year’s Combine Crunch, with Dakota Procyk claiming second, and Ethan Nimchuk placing third. Michael
Mastin won the grudge match derby, where all combines that can still move compete yet again, for its $2,000 cash prize. When asked how it felt to come home the big winner, Thomas said “It felt great. Being the first time ever competing and winning, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. The best part about the win was the fact that we all put on an amazing performance for the crowd.” The rookie competitor told the Leader that he definitely plans on competing again next year, and that he intends on using the prize money to prepare a combine for next year's competition, as well as take his girlfriend Emily Gafka
out on a nice date. Thomas says he has been helping his friends work on their crunch combines since 2018, when he was 15 years old, and ever since getting involved as a youth he has wanted to enter his own combine into the competition. “Finally this year I found a combine and got a chance to enter!” Thomas’ win was hard fought, as he was flipped over during the competition. When asked what the experience of being inside a combine tipping over feels like, Tom’s competitive spirit was on full display. “It was just like in slow motion,” he said. Continued on Page 23