Mud, jumps, mayhem: Tuff Truck delivers at Big Horn County Fair

Demolition Derby dishes big prize money

Big Horn County Fair’s first Tuff Truck event on Sunday drew, among the more expected entries, a minivan driven by Greybull’s Rex Cooper, a roofless Buick shared by drivers Cash Duncan and Avery Clifford of Basin and a mail truck commandeered by organizer Doug Zierolf, who borrowed the vehicle from his wife.

Zierolf reported he and a group of volunteers were out building the Tuff Truck course from the time the demolition derby wrapped up Saturday until about midnight: jumps, a mud pit, the works.

“The crowd that was there really enjoyed it. The contestants had a blast,” Zierolf said. 

Four different classes competed. Drivers were allowed to buy back in and compete for multiple rounds, bolstering the $2,000 in prize money provided by Big Horn County Fair.

For side-by-sides, Clifford took home first prize of $290, followed by Cooper Zierolf of Basin with a $175 prize and Adam Kline of Powell in third, $115. The largest category, stock, saw James Bidelman of Basin win $400, second went to Kai Brown of Basin, $235, and Clifford again placed, earning $155. 

Four Greybull motorcyclists, Tell Edeler, Jeremy Holloway, Rex Cooper and Jaxon Hunt, raced around the course, splitting $585 in prize money. In the super-stock modified class, Cole Hartman of Greybull and Adam Potter of Basin took first, $375, and second, $200, respectively. 

Doug Zierolf reported Adam and Rain Potter of Big Horse Towing in Greybull put on a good show, as the husband and wife raced against each other with the same truck. Adam ultimately came away the winner. 

“He’s probably sleeping on the couch,” Doug Zierolf said. 

Another crowd-pleaser came when Bidelman rounded a corner to the last jump and flipped completely over onto the roof of his side-by-side. 

“The crowd loved it, but I was a little terrified,” Doug Zierolf said. Still strapped in completely upside down, Bidelman stuck his arm out the window and gave a thumbs-up, unscathed. 

“Any money for showmanship?” he reportedly asked Doug Zierolf later. 

A momentary hiccup came when Cooper’s minivan got stuck in the course’s mud pit. Doug Zierolf went to pull him out with a loader and became mired, too. Organizers ended up offering the mud pit as a choice for drivers, in exchange for two seconds added to their time. Eventually they ended up skipping the mud altogether. 

“We learned a lot from this year,” Doug Zierolf said. He hoped that the fair would invite the event again next year, and that it would grow as people learned more about Tuff Truck - any vehicle can enter, it need not be purpose-built.

“It was a good time. It was something new, and the crowd was really into it,” Zierolf said. He thanked all the volunteers that helped build the course, Braxton Link, who helped with vehicle recovery, and announcer Mike Laird for their support. 

DEMOLITION DERBY

The fair’s demolition derby saw seven competitors this year, up from six last. The prize money was big -- two drivers, one from Worland and one from Powell, whose names were unavailable by the time of publication, split the first and second place prizes, ending with $3,000 each when one got stuck and the other’s car died. Other competitors included Cooper Zierolf, Brad Christopherson and Justin Howe. A contender from Riverton reportedly came up, noting that he was able to because the event was held on Saturday rather than Sunday this year. Organizer Doug Zierolf hoped he would bring in more people next year. 

Overall, the event was “drama free,” Doug Zierolf said, save for one bad call he made on his own son, Cooper Zierolf. He handed out $100 to each driver just for coming, to cover their gas money and taking the time to support the show. Local businesses sponsored money flags at $50 each, and Big Horn County Fair provided $8,000, resulting in a total payout of $9,700.