The questions usually come at him in two forms.

“Are you the son of …?”'

“Yes.”

And,

“How come …?”

“I prefer roping.”

Yes, Pacen Buller is the son of bull rider Cody Buller, a former National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Glendive.

“I remember him riding a little,” said the teenage Buller. “I have some memories. I’ve seen all the videos.”

And no, the younger Buller does not ride bulls.

“Pretty regularly ... Quite often honestly,” said the likable Buller on the frequency of the inquiries.

Pacen Buller prefers working at the other end of the arena as a tie-down roper.

“Started roping when I was three or four. I was pretty little when they gave me a rope,” he said of his parents. His mother, Kenzie (formerly Day), is a breakaway roper. Sister Mazie recently competed at the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo in breakaway roping and goat tying.

“My parents are most understanding about the highs and lows of rodeo. I’ve got a little bit of my dad in me (chuckles) but we keep it out of the arena. We try to keep it all positive.”

Buller tried riding steers, “I was maybe 9 or 10 but I wasn’t really built for that.”

Always on the smaller side – he’s 5-6, 140 pounds now – Buller found a kinship with a former PRCA world champion.

“I remember I was a little kid at Cheyenne (Frontier Days) with my dad and Shane Hanchey was signing autographs,” said Buller. “I noticed he wasn’t a very big guy.

“Most of the time, I’m probably the smallest guy out there. It’s definitely not the strength, it’s definitely technique. I might be smaller but I try to do things in a more athletic way, like flanking and tying.”

The 18-year-old Buller has been sharpening his skills on the Mountain Health Co-op Tour in preparation for the National High Schools Finals Rodeo, July 13-19 in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

“In the Northern Rodeo Association, tie down is really good,” Buller said. “It’s a good place to learn, how to use your mind. Always a great environment. I like the crowds, being up in the performance. I rope better with pressure.

“The goal is to make as much as I can. I hope to make the NRA Finals.”

It will be the third consecutive NHSFR for the home-schooled Buller who will be a senior this fall. His primary horse is Night Train, a 12-year-old sorrel.

“He’s not the flashiest horse out there but he’s the best one I’ve roped on,” he said. “He’s the most mellow horse I’ve ever had.”

It is one of two horses the family has purchased from Joe Beaver, the eight-time PRCA world champion and member of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

“Joe has helped quite a bit,” said Buller. “I went to his school when I was 13 and we needed horses. I send Joe videos of my runs.”

And tie-down roping has been a learning experience for both father and son.

“Dad, he really didn’t know much about tie-down roping. We got him going,” said Buller with a soft laugh. “He knows a lot more than he did before.”

Last week

The surname has changed but the results have not.

Celie Rogers (formerly Salmond) was the high-money winner during a fantastic Fourth of July run.

The Choteau cowgirl earned $3,381, pulling checks in three events: barrel racing, breakaway roping and team roping. The reigning four-time all-around cowgirl champion won the barrel racing at Harlowton and Ennis for the bulk of her money. Rogers also shared fourth place in breakaway roping and was fifth in team roping with her father Mark at their hometown rodeo.

Bareback rider Trevar McAllister returned to Ronan with $2,819 in his pockets, He won Harlowton and shared first place at Ennis and Choteau. Colton Haase of East Helena won saddle bronc titles at Harlowton and Choteau.

Rogers, McAllister and Haase were among the 28 cowboys and cowgirls who earned $1,000 or more.

The three rodeos paid out 27 checks of more than $1,000, including 16 at Ennis. A total of117 competitors – not including junior events – went home with money.

Harlowton winners: Trevar McAllister, Ronan, bareback; Colton Haase, East Helena, saddle bronc; Kelly Murnion, Jordan, bull riding; Mitch Detton, Great Falls, steer wrestling; Jade Gardner, Ballantine, tie-down roping; Coby King-Kyler Erikson, Dillon, team roping; Celie Rogers, Choteau, barrel racing; Molly Salmond, Choteau, breakaway roping; Chaney Akin, Cody, Wyoming, junior barrel racing; Brooks Bolich, Belgrade, junior breakaway roping.

Choteau winners: Trapper McAllister, Ronan, bareback; Colton Haase, East Helena, saddle bronc; Caden Fitzpatrick, Polson, bull riding; Justus Peterson, Dillon, steer wrestling; Gage Mikkelson, Buffalo, tie-down roping; Ryan Counts-Brett Damuth, Three Forks, team roping; Molly Fisher, Whitefish, barrel racing; Ellie Meeks, Geraldine, breakaway roping; Sylvia Eash, Fortine, junior barrel racing; Brinley Tatsey, Valier, junior breakaway roping.

Ennis winners: Trevar McAllister, Ronan and William Barnett, Absarokee, bareback; Paul Allyn O’Hair, Livingston, saddle bronc; Devyn Hundley, Darby, bull riding; Logan Beattie, Helena, steer wrestling; Kyle Bagnell, Polson, tie-down roping; EastonBowers-Chris White, Livingston, team roping; Celie Rogers, Choteau, barrel racing; Rachel Ward, Belgrade, breakaway roping; Addison Conway, Cut Bank, junior barrel racing; Zoey Bruyer, Kalispell, junior breakaway roping.

Up next

The Mountain Health Co-op Tour stays toward the center of the state with events in East Helena and Malta.

The East Helena Valley Rodeo is July 11-12 with 7 pm. performances each evening. The Malta NRA Rodeo is July 12 at 6 p.m. and finishes with a 1 p.m. performance on July 13.