Anyone driving by the MetraPark has seen the original bronze statue of Dan Mortensen on the horse Tee Box standing guard. Commissioned by the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame (MPRHWF) and created by artist Ron Rains fifteen years ago, the bronze has provided the MPRHWF with a source of fundraising through raffles and auctions.
Unfortunately, the original mold has worn out and Rains passed away just six months after the original dedication. The Board of the MPRHWF has commissioned Bozeman artist Bob Burkhard to create a new bronze of Mortensen on a saddle bronc, “Buried to the Bands,” which will be unveiled on Friday, May 14 at 4:00 PM at the Metra in Billings in front of the original bronze of Mortensen. Mortensen and Burkhart are expected to be in attendance at the ceremony.
The unveiling will also signal the opening of a sealed bid auction for the first edition of the new bronze. The winner of the auction will be announced at the Scholarship Fund Raising Banquet, to be held on October 2, 2021, at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. Another edition of this bronze will be offered in the annual “Heads or Tails Raffle” at the banquet. There will only be 15 castings of this bronze made. The castings are available for pre-sale now. If you are interested or for additional information, call Jay Linderman at 307-710-6193.
This Dan Mortenson bronze is number one in a “Legacy Series” of bronzes that will be commissioned by the MPRHWF. Over the next few years, eleven more Montana World Champions will be commemorated with a bronze. In order, those Montana Champions will be Deb Greenough, Bill Linderman, Benny Reynolds, Larry Peabody, Ty Erickson, Haven Meged, Loyd Ketchum, Shawn Davis, Clay Tryan, and Brad Gleason.
The Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame (MPRHWF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring Montana professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls who exemplify Montana western heritage. The monument includes not only the 18′ bronze sculpture of six-time World Champion bronc rider Dan Mortensen but also brick and granite walls honoring Montana’s professional rodeo champions, legends, queens and personnel.
The mission of the non-profit Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame is to award college scholarships while “honoring Montana professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls who exemplify our Montana western heritage through maintenance of a monument site located at MetraPark,” according to the MPRHWF. Each year the MPRHWF awards scholarships to deserving students, including $3,000 scholarships to Montana High School Rodeo seniors, $2,000 to Miss Rodeo Montana, and $1,000 to Miss Montana High School Rodeo. 100% of all proceeds which exceeds the costs of running the organization go to the scholarships. In sixteen years, $570,000 have been awarded to 190 students.
