Robert Mims is well-liked by his peers and friendly to all.

He is also the grandfather of four.

And one other thing, Mims happens to be a pretty good bull rider.

The 46-year-old Billings cowboy gave a lesson to his much younger peers, sticking a fine 86-point bull rider aboard Bad Bill to win the NRA MontanaFair Rodeo Saturday night.

"It's a good to get a good ride and win one at the house,'' said Mims, while taking congratulations from the other bull riders following the rodeo in front of the MetraPark grandstand.

Mims was one of three competitors to emerge as event winners during the performance. The others were Choteau's Colter Heckman in saddle bronc riding and barrel racer Lindsay Knaff of East Helena.

Mims pocketed $988 but Bad Bill, owned by Jacobs Livestock Rodeo of Great Falls, made him earn every penny.

"I had never been on the bull,'' said Mims, who moved to Billings 11 years ago. "After the first jump, he had my free arm down. Then he sucked me right back under me and I got in the right position. After another two jumps, I was tapped off and then you could see me at work.''

Mims had no problems staying centered aboard the spinning black-and-white bull, but Bad Bill wasn't finished with Mims, who got caught underneath the animal.

"When I fell off, I balled up on the ground,'' he said. "I could feel the bull around me and hear the bull fighters. I started crawling abut realized I had to open my eyes.

"He hit me in the butt and gave me a little push. But I'm OK,'' said Mims finished with a smile.

It was only Mims second ride aboard an NRA bull this summer. But he plans to ride a few more this month as the season comes to a close Labor Day weekend.

"They've got a few more rodeos scheduled and If I can place, finish in the top three at them, I should get into the finals,'' said Mims. The money won Saturday night will put him among the top 12. The top 10 qualify for the NRA Finals in February of 2010.

Mims also competes on the Senior Pro Rodeo circuit along with the Elite Professional Bull Riders.

"Bull riding is what I do,'' he said of competing many times against competitors almost 30 years younger. "I also work around bulls for Philip Hofer in Acton. I got my dream job. He's not getting rid of me.''

Nor is the sport of bull riding.

"In the Senior Pro Circuit, they've got guys in their 60s riding,'' Mims said. "I figure that gives me another 20 years of bull riding if I stay healthy.''

In other events:

• Heckman rode the horse High Spade for 82 points for a share of the saddle bronc title with Guy Simanton of Malta. The $716 Heckman won vaulted him to the lead in the year-end standings. Brett Burman got in enough riding for three rodeos. He was given two re-rides before he scored 69 points on his final horse.

• Knaff, a two-time NWRA champion, clipped off a time of 13.98 seconds Saturday night, the only sub-14-second run of the rodeo. Her check of $1,329 - the largest payout for a single event over the weekend - pulls her within $645 of standings leader Becky Toavs of Stevensville. Barrel racers placed 1-2-3 out of the final performance as Knaff was followed by Billings' Samantha Lenhardt (14.05) and Annie Novotny of Helena (14.16).

• Worden's Beau Franzen used a 4.2-second run to place second in the steer wrestling, while Cee Cee Tryan was 2.5 in breakaway roping to finish second. Shepherd's Kane Crook was 83 points to finish third in bull riding.

Other MontanaFair Rodeo champions were: Quentin McCauley, Boulder, bareback; Roddy Cameron, Townsend, steer wrestling; Casey Good, Park City, tie-down roping; Shawn Bessette and Shane Bessette, Belt, team roping; Cally Goyins, Helena, breakaway roping.