By JIM CNOCKAERT Chronicle Sports Writer

Cliff Toone can't think of any place he'd rather be on the Fourth of July than at a rodeo.

TIM KUPSICK/CHRONICLE Cliff Toone competes in the saddle bronc event at the Ennis rodeo on the Fourth of July. Toone came in second place for saddle bronc. Then again, after he'd thought about it, he couldn't recall the last time he was someplace other than a rodeo on this holiday.

"It's been this way for a while," said Toone, an Idaho native who'll be a senior this fall on the Montana State rodeo team. "Usually, I'm in Idaho. This is my first year in Montana. I love it. This is a lot of fun."

Toone's not alone in offering that opinion. Whether attending as a participant or as a spectator, a southwest Montana rodeo clearly is a popular place to be this time of year.

The stands were packed for every one of the three performances of the Livingston Roundup, one of the richest and most popular events on the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit. The same was true for a night and a day at Ennis' annual Fourth of July Rodeo, a stop on Montana's Northern Rodeo Association circuit.

There are plenty of differences between the two local rodeos, but here's the biggest one: At Ennis, the performers are likely to be your friends or your neighbors; at Livingston, they're more likely to be folks you'll watch compete on television in December at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Nothing wrong with that. It's what makes each rodeo special.

When it comes to top-notch competition, it's tough to top the Livingston Roundup. The rodeo is a national who's who of rodeo cowboys and cowgirls.

With good reason. During this early July stretch nicknamed Cowboy Christmas, where competitors try to hit as many rodeos and win as much money as they can, Livingston is a must stop because it pays so well. On Monday night, for instance, the field featured the top season money winners in four events, as well as a number of former world champions. Many of the competitors have been to the national finals. The scores and the times confirmed the quality of the field.

Which explains why Livingston native Derry McLane was smiling on opening night. One of the top pro bareback riders in the state - he reached the PRCA Montana Circuit Finals earlier this year - McLane got the honor of being first out of the chute in the opening performance. He didn't disappoint the hometown crowd, delivering an 80-point ride on a tough bucking horse.

"It's going to be that kind of a rodeo!" the Livingston announcer told the appreciative crowd.

Not surprisingly, considering the caliber of the competition, the score did not stand up as the best of the night, but it wasn't far off the mark. When the score was flashed on the scoreboard, it prompted a huge grin from McLane, who figured he proved a point with his strong ride.

"I've always felt I belong there. I've just never had the shot to go down the road to do it," McLane said. "Just seeing those names gets you going. I like riding with those guys, because you ride to the level of your competition. Just having those guys here makes you want to ride that much better.

"I've always believed I belong there. This is my kind of big-time circuit. It's still the Montana circuit, but to go to the bigger rodeos to compete with these guys, that's how I can make my name."

That's what Toone and cowboys such as Arlee's Billy Hendrickson, a recent University of Montana graduate, were trying to do in Ennis on Wednesday: build a reputation for themselves. The NRA rodeos give them a chance to do that and win some money, and it also gives Montana rodeo fans a chance to see the future of the sport in the state.

It also provided an opportunity for some fun. The top six saddle bronc riders, including Toone and Hendrickson, came back for a jackpot ride. Before the competition, however, there was a Calcutta, with each of the six put up for bid. Toone, who encouraged the big crowd by waving his arm and hat in the air, drew a bid of $625. Hendrickson, who kept putting his hands to his ears, went for $750. Twin Bridges' Jordan Harmon, who had the top ride in the regular competition, drew more than $1,000.

The proceeds were split, with 60 percent going to the winning bidder and 40 going to the Ennis Rodeo Association, which is trying to raise $120,000 to replace the aging stands on the east side of the arena. The low bidder wound up taking home the pot after Milford's Jake Wright, who was bucked off during the earlier go-round but drew into the jackpot, won with a 79-point ride.

"Those things are a lot of fun," Toone said of the jackpot competition.

There was no such bidding in Livingston, almost certainly because there's no time. Organizers must limit rough stock events to 36 participants because there is so much interest from in-state and out-of-state cowboys.

What's fun is the competition, McLane says.

"I graduated right here, and I've probably been at this rodeo that many times," McLane said. "It's always good to do the hometown (rodeo). Livingston draws an outstanding crowd for each performance, it doesn't matter what night you come out. That's what makes it so much fun."

The cowboys and cowgirls in Ennis would say the same thing.

Jim Cnockaert is at jcnockaert@dailychronicle.com and at 582-2690.