[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 355]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  MORTENSEN WINS NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today to bring your attention 
to Dan Mortensen's fifth National Finals Rodeo Championship. Dan 
Mortensen hails from Manhattan, a small Montana town just off 
Interstate 90 near the headwaters of the Missouri River. He made the 
decision to ride saddle broncs on the pro rodeo circuit--and Montana is 
proud that he did.
  In a year when Montana's agriculture community saw many defeats, we 
thank Dan for inspiring us. He gave us a great show and a championship 
to boot. We were there with him for his ten white knuckled rides. 
However, we had stationary seats while he had the notorious saddle 
bronc horse of the year, Skoal's Wild Card, trying to buck him off in a 
breaking 88 point ride in the final round. The 88 point ride earned 
Mortenson one more National Finals Rodeo Championship.
  In winning his fifth world saddle bronc title, Dan is working toward 
a record established by the famous Casey Tibbs for consecutive world 
titles; a record established in the early days of professional rodeo in 
America.
  I would like to personally thank Mortensen for entertaining us with 
his breathtaking rides and wish him the best of luck in upcoming 
rodeos. He is truly an inspiration to competitors in any sport.

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