Not quite planes, trains and automobiles.

More like a pickup truck, a trailerful of horses and three dusty timed event cowboys.

Jade Gardner, Casey Collins and Miles Kobold took going the distance to a whole new level the weekend of July 24-25, traveling from corner to corner of the Big Sky State to compete at three rodeos.

The fun began in Ballantine, took them to Broadus and finished in Eureka.

Taking turns at the steering wheel, the trio covered 1,372 miles, the equivalent of driving from Ballantine to the East Coast.

“See the whole state in a day,” said Gardner.

Gardner swept the tie-down roping at Broadus and Eureka to jump to the top of the Northern Rodeo Association standings. His 8.9-second run at Broadus matches the best time of the summer.

Collins won the Eureka steer wrestling while Kobold and Ryle Whitford placed in the team roping at Broadus.

The money won lifted Gardner and Collins to first in the standings.

“It was a pretty good weekend,” said Gardner.

The trip got off to a slow start. Collins and Kobold were scheduled to pick up Gardner at 6:30 a.m. The two arrived an hour later. Slack in Broadus started at 10 a.m.

“I’m not one to panic,” Gardner said. “I knew we would be all right.”

That was tested when the driver’s side tire on Collins rig went out two miles outside of Hardin.

“That was a bad blow out,” said Gardner. “That was kind of scary.”

After struggling to get the spare on, they found a tire shop for repairs. That allowed Gardner time to prepare his horse.

Pulling into Broadus, Collins climbed the fence and jumped on a horse he was borrowing from Ben Ayre. Ayre’s horse had a reputation of being jumpy.

“He Hi-Yoed silvered him,” said Gardner sharing the Lone Ranger reference with a good laugh of Collins going airborne. “It was hilarious.”

The group returned to Hardin to rest and refuel. They got to Eureka at 7 a.m.

“It was one of the longer trips,” Gardner added. “It was pretty fun.”

Broadus winners: Bareback, Tucker Zingg. Saddle bronc, Ty Manke. Bull riding, no rides. Steer wrestling, Sterling Lee. Tie-down roping, Jade Gardner. Team roping, Shawn Bessette-Matt Williams. Barrel racing, Shayla Lesmeister. Junior barrel racing, Mesa Fleming. Junior breakaway roping, Trey Holmes.

Eureka winners: Bareback, Trevor Kay. Saddle bronc, Judd Applegate. Bull riding, Korbin Baldwin. Steer wrestling, Casey Collins. Tie-down roping, Jade Gardner. Team roping, Dillon Johnson-Cody Tew. Barrel racing, Celie Rogers. Breakaway roping, Ellie Meeks. Junior barrel racing, Deni Conway. Junior breakaway roping, Axton Mansch.