Arena Tracks by Penny Schlagel: Camp Crook
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This one might be worth a thousand buckles, more than a few of which are gold.
Cutline: Left to Right: Matt Gilbert (DNCFR Champion, Badlands Circuit Finals Championship), Trevor Knowles (13 time NFR Qualifier, Columbia River Circuit Champion, Calgary Stampede Champion), Will Meyers (Badlands Circuit Finalist), Ivan Teigen (7 time NFR Qualifier & Camp Crook native), Frank Thompson (2000 PRCA Steer Wrestling Champion, 4 time NFR Qualifier, Arena Director at Cheyenne Frontier Days), Jesse Bail (9 time NFR Qualifier – 6 times in Saddle Broncs, 6 times in Bull Riding & Camp Crook native), Birch Negaard (10 time NFR Qualifier and Round Winner, Badlands and Columbia River Circuit Champion), Tyler Haugen (Badlands Circuit Finals Qualifier), Reece Clarkson (Badlands Circuit Steer Wrestler and All Around Friend), Brad Johnson (Badlands Circuit Finalist), Will Stovall (Montana Circuit Finalist)
In the northwest corner of South Dakota, on the western bank of the Little Missouri River sits Camp Crook, SD. “Crook” is within spittin’ distance of Montana and houses about 60 souls, a post office, Wolffy’s Garage and Groceries, the Corner Cafe and adjacent Corner Bar. It hosts the Harding County Fair every August as well as a Matched Bronc Ride and Youth Rodeos. It’s a small town, but serves a big ranching area in a cool part of South Dakota. As Birch Negaard has said, “Everyone should visit Camp Crook at least once in their lifetime.” It is the perfect setting for a bunch of cowboys to get together and tell some stories.
Harding County has an uncanny ability to produce hardy folks. The weather is a little colder a little longer and the wind blows a little harder in that northwest corner of South Dakota. The cowboys and cowgirls it produces are a little tougher than most. Speaking of tough, Buffalo, SD, the county seat 20 odd miles to the east of Camp Crook, has long been a hotbed for the big boys of rodeo – professional steer wrestlers. Tyler Haugen said it best, “Up there, you could go outside and throw a rock and you’d hit an old bull dogger or two.”
On December 6, 2024, the stars aligned for the steer wrestlers who have called Harding County home as well as some of their close friends. Trevor Knowles, an Oregon cowboy who used to travel with Buffalo boys Frank Thompson and Birch Negaard, was coming “home” to hunt on Reece Clarkson’s place that he’d leased to fellow PRCA steer wrestler and Montana resident, Will Stovall. As they hadn’t seen Trevor since he got married 10 years earlier, they knew they needed to take advantage of the trip. It didn’t hurt that the NFR was fixin to kick off and these boys had some stories that needed telling. A few phone calls later, Carmen Gilbert was making soup and convincing the Corner Bar to cook up some beef tips and open the bar for a little cowboy catch-up in old Camp Crook.
Trevor Knowles brought to the party 13 consecutive trips to the NFR steer wrestling. He was a Columbia River Circuit champion, and won the Calgary Stampede steer wrestling 3 times. He also brought a little joy and youthful enthusiasm every time he crawled in the truck with 2000 PRCA World Champion Steer Wrestler Frank Thompson and 10 time NFR Qualifier Birch Negaard. The two seasoned South Dakota steer wrestlers were road warriors and known for their focus and intensity. To them, rodeo was a job. Then, along came Trevor whose youth brought a lighter outlook and way of making the rodeo road fun again.
It had been several years since the cowboys had gotten together and the stories flowed across the tables and through the decades. They talked horses and hazing and who was the best night driver. Ivan Teigen, Frank and Birch reflected on having 3 Buffalo, South Dakota, (population 356) bulldoggers at the NFR at the same time and the gift of growing up in Harding County. The beer wasn’t as prevalent as it had been in the past, with coffee replacing a cold one in their hands and so, the night ended quietly. The boys walked back to their trucks and headed back from where they came, better for seeing their old friends and reliving those stories just one more time. Once they were gone, Camp Crook shut down the lights and went back to being a sleepy little ranch town with a gold buckle reputation.
