Oregon Trail Rodeo planned today through Sunday

Just the name alone should be enough to understand that steer wrestling isn't exactly a walk in the park.

But that's Justen Nokes' favorite events -- when he chases a steer while riding a horse, jumps off and tries to wrestle the steer to the ground.

What makes a good steer wrestler, anyway?

"Not being very smart, probably," Nokes said, laughing. "It's pretty dangerous."

Nokes is one of the cowboys competing in this weekend's annual Oregon Trail Rodeo in Hastings.

From this morning through Sunday night, professionals and amateurs will compete in a variety of events. Nokes also will compete in calf roping and team roping.

Then, Nokes will hold his first practice as coach of the new Hastings College women's rodeo team.

Nokes, a professional rodeo competitor since 2002, was recruited as the coach through his girlfriend, a member of the new team.

He had suffered a torn pectoral muscle and fractured ankle the past two years doing steer wrestling, and he was looking for something new to do around rodeo that wasn't so, well, dangerous.

Nokes, who shoes and trains horses in Juniata, said the three women on his team are good competitors, perfect to build a team around.

"They've been doing it all summer," Nokes said, "so it's not like they're coming in cold turkey."

The team plans to compete at nine competitions this year -- four in the fall, five in the spring.

But first, Nokes will compete at this weekend's rodeo, along with 200 others.

One of the event's centerpieces will be its annual Tough Enough To Wear Pink night on Saturday, when $1 for everyone wearing pink will be donated to the Morrison Cancer Center at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings.

The cancer center will also receive funds from the Tough Enough To Run With the Bulls 5K run/walk Sunday morning.

"That money stays local, and we like that," said Ruth Nicolaus, a spokeswoman for the rodeo.

This year's rodeo has a new entertainment act -- a trained bull named Billy the Kid -- but Nicolaus still likes a good saddle bronc ride more than anything.

"You cannot beat the saddle bronc," Nicolaus said. "It's like poetry in motion. It sounds corny, but it's true.”