Three Days. Zero Fluff. Here’s What the Tough Stump Rodeo Actually Looks Like.

The Tough Stump Rodeo isn’t a conference. It’s not a tradeshow floor with badge lanyards and carpet. It’s three action-packed days in the Ruby River Valley of Montana where cutting-edge drone, robotics, ATAK, and communications technology gets put to work — for real, in the field.

Here’s how it breaks down.

Day 1 – The Social: Where the Rodeo Begins (Monday, June 1st)

Every great field exercise starts with getting the team together. Day 1 is about arriving, settling in, and building the connections that make the next two days that much more powerful.

Vendors and sponsors spend the day conducting final equipment checks and setting up demonstration tables throughout the venue. Then at 1600 (4:00 PM), the production tent comes alive.

The TSR team kicks things off with introductions, including your hosts, Mrs. Debbie (owner of Upper Canyon Outfitters) and Bill Wood (owner of Granite Ranch), two essential pillars of the Rodeo experience. Jimbo lays down the rules of the Rodeo, sponsors get their moment in the spotlight, and the Tough Stump founders close out the welcome with a look at what’s ahead.

Then? The drinks flow, the food comes out, and the horseshoe pit opens for business.

This is where old friendships get picked back up and new partnerships get started. Don’t skip Day 1.

Day 2 – Demo Day: See the Technology Up Close

Demo Day is where the gear comes out to play.

Jimbo and Zeb open the morning in the production tent with updates and a rundown of the day’s events. From there, attendees fan out across 5–6 dedicated demo areas showcasing the full spectrum of mission-focused technology:

• Robotics
• UAVs and unmanned aerial systems
• Data radios and communications
• Software integrations
• Emerging innovations in mission-critical tech

Use the Tough Stump Rodeo App to sign up for demo slots, connect with vendors, and stay on top of the schedule throughout the day.

And don’t miss the bonus event: head out to the Ruby Valley Reservoir, where waterborne systems will be live and operational, a rare chance to see aquatic unmanned technology in action. Just keep your eyes open for buffalo on the drive out (no, really).

Day 3 – Lane Day: Where It All Comes Together

This is the day that makes the Tough Stump Rodeo unlike anything else in the industry.

Lane Day is a fully collaborative, multi-vendor field exercise. Vendors work alongside each other to accomplish 4 unique operational missions. Every mission is engineered to stress-test real-world capability:

• Long-range communications across challenging terrain
• Robotic and UAV intervention in dynamic scenarios
• Software interoperability across platforms
• High-volume data flow and then more data flow

All four lanes culminate in live demonstrations back at Upper Canyon Outfitters, narrated by the Tough Stump team.

The systems that showed up on Demo Day go fully operational and show exactly what they can do when it counts. It’s so much more than a Powerpoint or scripted product pitch.

This is why people come back to TSR year after year.

Three Days in the Field. One Event You Won’t Find Anywhere Else.

The Tough Stump Rodeo is the only technology event in the country that combines a genuine social experience, hands-on vendor demonstrations, and a live multi-system field exercise, all set against the backdrop of one of Montana’s most stunning landscapes.

We’ll see you in June.