Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
Freddie Obrigewitch was recently named the Grand Marshal of the 2024 Three Forks Rodeo Dayz Parade. She is pictured with her late husband Mel. Courtesy photo
Earlier this year, Freddie Obrigewitch was named the Grand Marshal of the 2024 Three Forks Rodeo Dayz Parade.
According to Three Forks Chamber Board Member Jill Peterson, she made the nomination because of Freddie and her late husband Mel Obrigewitch's strong ties to the Three Forks Rodeo and the rodeo circuit in several areas across the state. Peterson said she is in awe and humbled by the footprint Mel left behind.
It was an emotional moment for Freddie when she learned about being named Grand Marshal of the parade scheduled for Saturday, July 20, at 11 a.m.
"I wanted to cry. I thought, finally, someone is recognizing what Mel did for the Three Forks Rodeo. He put in hours and time, he really did," Freddie said.
Looking back on her time with the local rodeo, Freddie said Mel saved the rodeo after Dr. Jack Rea told him that the event would go away unless someone like him took it over.
"And he did. He'd never done it before. He'd been a contestant but had never put on a rodeo. He wasn't interested in the stands or how many people came. He just wanted to put on a good show," Freddie said.
After Mel decided to take over the rodeo, Freddie said he contacted Don Jacobs, and they made a verbal agreement and handshake regarding the livestock for the event. Freddie said they later signed on a napkin what Jacobs would charge for the livestock.
"And they've still got him (Jacobs). He proved to be a strong stock contractor," Freddie said.
One memory that stands out for Freddie is when she served as the Rodeo Secretary, and they had Australian cowboys come to Three Forks to compete.
"Oh, my word, you could not understand anything those poor guys were trying to say. But they were a good bunch of cowboys like most cowboys are, but that was something trying to get across what they were saying," Freddie said.
According to Freddie, Mel rode bulls in high school in North Dakota and would later compete in saddle bronc before joining the Army. She said Mel would attend many rodeos before they were married. At one point after they were married, Freddie said she had enough and told Mel, "No more rodeos."
"But he still went," she said. "He was a contestant at heart."
Freddie hopes one of her sons, who works on a ranch in Twin Bridges, can ride with her during the parade.
"It would be very heartwarming. It would be fantastic," she said.
Freddie is thrilled to see the Three Forks Rodeo going strong and has been pleased with improvements to the parade and the growing number of street vendors.
"I'm just tickled to see the way it has grown in both contestants and people watching it. You usually can't find a place to sit. It's growing. It's doing really good. It's good for Three Forks, it really is," she said.
A resident of Three Forks since 1973, Freddie said she is proud of her three sons' education.
"It's a good community," she said.
