Molly Salmond Ropes Fast in the Arena

The rope had not left Molly Salmond’s hand and her horse was already coming to a stop.

“I was kind of mad at him,” said the Choteau cowgirl with a chuckle.

Puddles saw something the rider did not.

Salmond let go, the rope dropped over the calf’s head and Puddles put on the brakes.

Salmond knew the run was fast. Not just how fast.

Turned out, it was super-fast.

The Montana State University graduate and the 11-year-old sorrel gelding combined talents for a 1.6-second run at Boulder this past weekend.

It is the fastest breakaway run for the Mountain Health Co-Op Tour this summer and one of the fastest in the history of the Northern Women’s Rodeo Association. Breakaway roping has been a sanctioned event since 1976.

“I swung once and threw on my second swing. When I caught it, holy smokes,” recalled Salmond. “It feels like a one-second run. I didn’t quite know it would be that fast.

“I was pretty excited.”

The NWRA record is believed to be 1.4 seconds by Cadee Williams at Boulder 15 years ago. Williams is a former NWRA and national high school breakaway roping champion. She won the average at the National Finals Breakaway Roping in Las Vegas in 2022.

Haven Wolstein of Helena was second at 2.0 seconds. That time would have won at 29 other rodeos this year.

“I’ve been wanting a one-second run,” Salmond said. “It worked out. Right place, right time.”

It was also a profitable 1.6 seconds of work. Salmond pocketed $1,217 for her brief appearance in the arena.

Fellow competitor and former champion Tracey Bolich of Belgrade was the first to offer a high-five of congratulations.

It was Salmond’s fourth breakaway win of the summer.

Salmond leads the all-around cowgirl standings over her sister Celie. Celie Salmond has won the last three breakaway roping and all-around cowgirl titles.

Celie and Molly have placed 1-2 in the all-around cowgirl standings the past two years.

“It definitely helps,” said Molly Salmond of the quickly-earned cash. “Celie has been roping so well lately, if anyone beats me, I would want it to be my sister.”

Salmond is no longer mad at her horse. “I let that go,” she said with another laugh.

“I told him in practice that we were going to let the calves run a little longer.”

Last week

With rodeos in Bozeman, Boulder, Wibaux and Chinook, there were plenty of chances to make money and move up the standings.

Paul Allyn O’Hair took advantage of available cash with saddle bronc wins at Bozeman and Chinook. He was also second at Boulder.

Coram’s Dalton May earned bareback victories at Boulder and Chinook.

And Celie Salmond continued her sizzling August by winning the breakaway roping and Bozeman and barrel racing at Chinook. She also placed third in breakaway roping at Chinook and seventh in barrel racing in Bozeman.

Bozeman winners: Wyatt Warneke, Great Falls, bareback; Paul Allyn O’Hair, Livingston, saddle bronc; (tie) Cameron Beall, Hamilton and Isiah Sprecher, Deer Lodge, bull riding; Tatum Hansen, Glasgow, steer wrestling; Casey Collins, Billings, tie-down roping; Henry Hollenbeck, Molt-Lane Krutzfeldt, Powderville, team roping; Brittney Sporer, Cody, Wyoming, barrel racing; Celie Salmond, Choteau, breakaway roping; Austyn Rask, Helena, junior barrel racing; Bentz Bolich, Belgrade, junior breakaway roping.

Wibaux winners: Tucker Zingg, Crow Agency, bareback; (tie) Lanny Brooks, Faith, S.D. and Brand Morgan, McAllister, saddle bronc; William Manikowski, Willard, N.D., bull riding; Sterling Lee, Rhame, N.D. steer wrestling; Nathan Ruth, Big Timber, tie-down roping; Dalton Wahl-Flint Hance, Circle, team roping; Jessica Holmes, Buffalo, S.D., barrel racing; Brooke Billingsley, Glasgow, breakaway roping; Tye Brown, Helena, junior barrel racing; Easton Diegel, Glendive, junior breakaway roping.

Boulder winners: Dalton May, Coram, bareback; Brand Morgan, McAllister, saddle bronc; Devyn Hundley, Darby, bull riding; Reno Ward, Deer Lodge, steer wrestling; Cole Trexler, Corvallis, tie-down roping; Nolan Conway-Alonzo Skunkcap, Cut Bank, team roping; Lisa Warfield, Helena, barrel racing; Molly Salmond, Choteau, breakaway roping; Mya Dailey, Pray, junior barrel racing; Rylee Ogren, Hysham, junior breakaway roping.

Chinook winners: Dalton May, Coram, bareback; Paul Allyn O’Hair, Livingston, saddle bronc; Kobe Whitford, Cut Bank, bull riding; Kellen Stratham, Havre, steer wrestling; Blayne Hubing, Circle, tie-down roping; Preston Bird-Dylan Johnson, Shepherd, team roping; Celie Salmond, Choteau, barrel racing; Steely Stubblefield, Choteau, breakaway roping; Tye Brown, Helena, junior barrel racing; Maddy McEwen, Malta, junior breakaway roping.

Up next

This is it. The final two opportunities to qualify for the Northern Rodeo Association Finals presented by nuWest Builders.

The Rockin’ RC Rodeo is in Hamilton on August 30 and 31 with 7 p.m. performances both days.

The regular season concludes Sept. 1 and 2 with the Helmville Labor Day Rodeo. Both performances are at 1 p.m.

The top 10 in each event qualify for the NRA Finals, Oct. 24-26 in Kalispell at Majestic Valley Arena.

All NRA Finals competitors will have a chance at Tito’s Challenge, a new $1,000 bonus awarded by Tito’s Handmade Vodka to the high-money winner at the Finals. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is also sponsoring the added money at the Finals and the team roping heelers.