Summer Happenings at the Big Sky Horse Park
- bshpweb
- Aug 16
- 6 min read
Summer is in Full Swing at The Big Sky Horse Park!
Looking Back: Speeding through Summer at the Park
Derby at the Park
Our first Derby at the Park was a huge success! Riders of all ages and experience levels came out to test their skills over a challenging mix of cross-country and show jumping. We loved seeing so many riders take on the course and are excited to offer this event again in the future!
New Event: Western Montana Equine Expo
We were thrilled to host the first Western Montana Equine Expo at Big Sky Horse Park! It was a wonderful day celebrating the many facets of the equine community, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make it such a special event.
A huge thank-you to all of the vendors and demo riders who joined us and shared their time, knowledge, and talents with our community. And, of course, thank you to everyone who came out and braved the unpredictable spring weather to be part of the day!
We truly appreciate the support from each and every one of you. It was wonderful to see our equine community come together, and we look forward to building on the success of this first Expo in the future! ❤️🐴
Flying Colors Mini-Event
BSHP resident fox "Sandy" keeping careful watch over the jump course
Our first Mini-Event of the season kicked off during one of the busiest times of year for equestrians in our area. We want to send a huge thank-you to all of our competitors and volunteers for their patience and flexibility as we worked through some unexpected bumps along the way.
Your support and willingness to roll with the challenges helped make the event a success, and we truly appreciate everyone who came out and contributed to a great start to the season with so many exciting activities going on!
Join us September 19th for our Fall Flying Colors Mini-Event!
WE Under the Big Sky
Photo Credit: Bobbie Thompson Photography
On June 27 and 28, 2026 BSHP hosted two licensed and rated Working Equitation one-day shows, both of which were sold out. The sport is growing very quickly with new riders joining every show. Much of this can be attributed to the comradery prevalent in the sport.
We had some very determined competitors, volunteers, judges and technical delegates who braved some unusually cool, breezy late June weather which included intermittent showers. It was not unusual to see folks in winter gear.
BSHP is hosting Working Equitation Region 1 Championships August 27-29. Competition phases include dressage, ease of handling, speed rounds, and cattle work. The events are always entertaining. Come watch the fun! To learn more about the sport, you can visit www.usawe.org
Dancing in the Sand Dressage Schooling Show
Photo Credit: Bobbie Thompson Photography
At the July 12th DITS show, we had a wonderful reminder that riding truly is an ageless sport!
Dawn Monroe, 78, riding Frodo, and Marty Dunn, 8, riding Pino, were the oldest and youngest competitors at the show—with an incredible seven decades separating them!
From young riders just beginning their journey to those who have spent a lifetime in the saddle, we love seeing equestrians of all ages enjoying their horses and competing together. Here's to a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime! ❤️🐴
Next in the Series: DITS Show and Lisa Weis Clinic
September 5th-7th
Big Sky Horse Park is excited to welcome Lisa Weis back to judge the final DITS Schooling Show of the season on September 5th!
Following the show, Lisa will be available for two days of clinic sessions on September 6th and 7th. Lisa is a USDF Certified Instructor/Trainer, “r” Dressage Judge, and USDF Bronze, Silver & Gold Medalist.
Entries:
Entries close Wednesday, September 2nd at 5:00 PM
Times will be posted on the BSHP website shortly after entries close.
Private: $100 for 45 minutes
Semi-private: $70 for 60 minutes
Don’t miss this great opportunity to ride with Lisa and wrap up the DITS season at the Park!
4H Fair Horse Show
We were excited to welcome our local 4-H community to Big Sky Horse Park for the 4-H Fair Horse Show on July 24th and 25th! It was wonderful to see so many young riders, horses, families, and supporters come together for a great weekend of competition and fun.
A big thank-you goes out to all of the 4-H exhibitors, families, volunteers, officials, and everyone who helped make the show possible. Events like this are such an important part of our Park community, and we are proud to be able to provide a place where young riders can learn, compete, and build confidence with their horses.
We hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, and congratulations to all of the exhibitors on their accomplishments!
Jumper Show: *Postponed*
Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to postpone our August 8th Jumper Day due to the smoke and deteriorating air-quality conditions in the Missoula area.
We know how much time and preparation goes into getting ready for a show, and we were disappointed that we couldn't make the original date work. However, the health and safety of our riders, horses, volunteers, officials, and everyone attending the event has to come first.
We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we continue to navigate the challenging smoke conditions this summer. We are looking forward to getting everyone back in the arena when conditions allow and will share information about a rescheduled date as soon as it is available.
Next up: Family Fun Omoksee #3
August 22nd
Join us August 15th for our Family Fun Omoksee! Games include Keyhole, Pole Bending, Polo Flags, Western Jump, and Tail Spin, plus the fun pairs games that have become a favorite over the past two years.
Our Omoksees continue to welcome new riders, with 14 first-time Omoksee riders and Park visitors joining us at our July event. We love seeing new faces and growing our community!
And don’t forget—the Halloween Omoksee is coming later this year! Riders and horses will dress up for a fiercely competitive costume contest, so start planning those costumes now! 🎃🐴
Dog Days Ultra: 24-Hour Race Hosted at the Big Sky Park
August 22nd-23rd
Missoula’s first closed-loop 24-hour race, Dog Days Ultra presents runners with the opportunity to test both speed and endurance on a 1.68-mile gravel aggregate loop with a whopping 9 feet of elevation! Located at the Big Sky Park, the race offers runners a supported environment to see just how far they can go as well as continuous and stunning 360 views of Missoula’s local mountain ranges.
Options Include:
24 HOUR SOLO
24 HOUR RELAY [2 to 6 team members]
12 HOUR SOLO
6 HOUR SOLO
3 HOUR SOLO
Members: The Park will still be open to daily riders wishing to utilize arenas and the cross-country course but please be aware that there will be increased activity around the Park and runners will be using the perimeter trail during this weekend!
New Event: Bark and Dash Bash!
September 12-13th
We are excited to host a brand new event at the Park with our other 4 legged friends! Saturday will feature a Mushing Clinic, followed by a Fun Run Obstacle Course on Sunday for both K9s and their humans. Dogs of all sizes are welcome—no dog is too big or too small!
Come dressed to impress for a chance to win prizes for Best Costume!
Registration information will be available soon at bitterrootmushers.org
News Bites:
Smoke and Horses: How Bad is Too Bad?
Summer in Montana brings warm weather but also brings smoke, and our equine partners are especially susceptible to smoke related respiratory issues. We recommend following the guideline below to help plan your equine activities:
Did you know we have our own license plate?
The Big Sky Horse Park has an official sponsored plate with the state of Montana that you can purchase for your own vehicle or trailer! For just $20/year you can support the BSHP by picking our license plate for your vehicle when registering or renewing your registration with the Montana DMV!
Sponsor Spotlight: Big Sky Kubota
We’ve been serving Western Montana for over 20 years, and we plan on continuing with legacy of great customer service and support, as well as top notch equipment. We are a premier and trusted provider of tractors, mowers, RTV’s and construction equipment. If you’re in the market for new heavy equipment, contact us today online or by phone.
Big Sky Horse Park, North Avenue West, Missoula, MT, USA Your phone number
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