BLACKFOOT − Autumn may not officially begin for another two weeks, but it felt like a conclusive summer evening in Blackfoot with the Eastern Idaho State Fair rodeo ending on Wednesday.

Horses and bulls kicked dirt into the air — hazy air smelling of popcorn and funnel cakes and hot grills. Swings and a Ferris wheel and neon lights illuminated the Blackfoot night. Cowboys and cowgirls from all corners of the country (and the world) joined together for a proper good time.

One of the local competitors, 33-year-old Coltin Hill, partook in the steer wrestling portion.

“It’s always good to know you have some support,” Hill told the Post Register of the home crowd.

Hill has been doing this for over a decade, and wrestling at this level has provided him something nothing else can match:

“It’s an adrenaline rush,” Hill said.

“Winning money is the best part. But, I don’t know, it’s something that you’ve kind of got to love to do, and for whatever reason, I love to do it,” he added.

Like all those brave men and women, boys and girls who brave the stage, Hill is focused on his runs. It does not matter how well the cowboy before him performs, nor does it matter if the next one garners more applause from the packed crowd.

“We’re all here to help each other, but, when it comes time to step in the arena, it’s all business; best round wins,” Hill said.

Mimi Argyle, who doubles as a science teacher at Snake River High School, resonated with those sentiments. Yes, this is for prizes and money and glory. But it is also about the community that they have built:

“Rodeo’s a lot different from other sports in the fact that we all cheer for each other,” Argyle said. “It doesn’t have the rivalry that you see with other team sports where it’s like, ‘I just hope so and so does bad.’ Here, it’s, ‘How can I help you?’ And, ‘May the best man or woman win.’”

Argyle was also relieved to have such a nearby event, noting her younger daughter’s dismay at their frequent road trips. Several years ago, it was Argyle’s third time heading to Cheyenne in a week. For one, that is no easy trek for her horse. More importantly, her daughter had had enough:

“Ugh, Mom, another rodeo?” she complained to Mimi.

One family whose members never grow tired of the rodeo is the Mortons. Brothers Tyler, 39, and Braiden, 32, hailing from Rexburg, share a fraternal bond which many of their team roping opponents do not have the luxury of experiencing.

“Oh man, it’s awesome. We’ve been growing up doing it our whole lives,” Braiden said.

Tyler did not exactly force Braiden into the rodeo world from a young age. However, it was always about following in big brother’s footsteps:

“I’m just trying to keep up as much as I can,” Tyler said. “It’s been great, you know, being able to rope with your family member. When you’re on the road, sometimes it gets a little tough. But being with your brother, it’s just great to be able to build relationships and just being able to keep going. It’s a great memory to have your whole life.”

Away from the fair, Tyler and Braiden work on their cattle ranch. There would be no extended celebration on Wednesday; they had to rush back for another early morning of making a living.

Yet, even with all of the ranching demands, there is plenty of passion left over:

“We’ll just keep going as long as we can go … until our wives and kids tell us we can’t go,” Braiden said.

While there was strong East Idaho representation, and plenty of boot-wearing, hat-sporting Utahns and Montanans, nobody had a more taxing travel schedule than 29-year-old saddle bronc rider Cooper Thatcher.

Thatcher, from Darbalara, New South Wales, Australia, came all the way to Idaho for one simple reason:

“This is kind of where the best rodeos in the world are at,” he said, especially satisfied with his horse, Big Handful.

Cowboying has taken him all over North America, particularly Canada, where he spent several years. One day, he hopes to win a world championship. Perhaps after that day, he will return home to help the Australian rodeo scene, which he claims is getting “bigger and better.”

For now, he will defer to Idaho.