This is it.

The final opportunities.

For those harboring gold buckle dreams, Hamilton and Helmville are must entries for the Mountain Health Co-op Tour.

They are also the final rodeos of the regular season for the Mountain Health Co-op Tour.

The summer wraps up with the Ravalli County Rodeo in Hamilton, August 29 and 30 and the finale will be the Labor Day Rodeo in Helmville, August 31 and Sept. 1.

The top 10 in each event will qualify for the high-paying NRA Finals presented by nuWest Builders, Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell.

The NRA Finals is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Only 118 miles separate the two western Montana communities left on the schedule, a two-hour drive by highway. Maybe a little faster (wink, wink) for cowboys and cowgirls used to driving long ways in pursuit of rodeo titles.

While every year-end title remains up for grabs, those on the bubble remain in a precarious position. The difference between riding for paychecks in Kalispell and staying home is just one good ride, one fast loop or one fast turn in the events.

There is pressure every time a competitor nods their head. That pressure rachets up with only two nods remaining for the summer of 2025.

Hamilton is a town of 4,700 nestled against the Bitterroot Wilderness.

Helmville is a quick stop of 90 residents north of Deer Lodge.

Two different cities with two distinctive looks.

They have one common trait.

Both share center stage on Labor Day weekend.

Last week

With four rodeos in three days, there was plenty of movement in the standings.

From Darby to Wibaux, cowboys and cowgirls made late-season pushes to secure their spot in the top 10 of the standings or moved closer to make it a reality.

It is 500 miles from Jordan to Darby and Kelly Murnion made the trip profitable.

The former all-around champion cowboy, chasing another all-around crown, won both the bareback and bull riding at Darby. He added a bull riding win in Boulder and pulled checks in bareback riding and tie-down roping in Chinook.

Current all-around standings leader Jade Gardner of Ballantine helped himself by winning the tie-down in Wibaux and placing second in Boulder.

Former Cheyenne Frontier Days winner Tiffany Schieck, of Floresville, Texas was 2.0 to win the Boulder breakaway roping. Tracey Bolich of Belgrade, Helena’s Haven Wolstein and Murphy Gaasch of Dillon had the same time to earn a three-way split for first at Darby.

Ashley Schad of Whitefish won twice in three days, winning the barrel racing at Darby and Chinook.

Ekalaka’s Cardell Laughery won the saddle bronc at Boulder and Chinook.

Darby winners: Kelly Murnion, Jordan, bareback; Judd Applegate, Deer Lodge, saddle bronc; Kelly Murnion, Jordan, bull riding; Teagan Arnold, Conrad, steer wrestling; Cash Trexler, Corvallis, tie-down roping; Jason Carlson, Two Dot-Carl Espenscheid, Big Piney, Wyoming, team roping; Ashley Schad, Whitefish, barrel racing; Tracey Bolich, Belgrade, Haven Wolstein, Helena, Murphy Gaasch, Dillon breakaway roping; Chaney Akin, Cody, Wyoming, junior barrel racing; Rhett Billington, Big Fork, junior breakaway roping.

Boulder winners: Dalton May, Coram, bareback; Cardell Laughery, Ekalaka, saddle bronc; Kelly Murnion, Jordan, bull riding; Casey Collins, Huntley, steer wrestling; Kyle Bagnell, Polson, tie-down roping; Cory Murray-Bryson Murray, Ramsay, team roping; Lisa Warfield, Helena, barrel racing; Tiffany Schieck, Floresville, Texas, breakaway roping; Dakota Keller, Raynesford, junior barrel racing; Addison Conway, Cut Bank, junior breakaway roping.

Wibaux winners: Will Demontiguy, Dunseith, Norh Dakota, bareback; Gavin Nelson, Wibaux, saddle bronc; Bridger Amiotte, South Dakota, steer wrestling; Jade Gardner, Ballantine, tie-down roping; Radley Day-Kyler Day, Volborg, team roping; Brooke Billingsley, Glasgow, barrel racing; Emma Ohn, Sturgis, South Dakota, Teagan Homelvig, Rhame, North Dakota, breakaway roping; Chaney Akin, Cody, Wyoming, junior barrel racing; Easton Diegel, Glendive, junior breakaway roping. Bull riding: no qualified rides.

Chinook winners: Tucker Zingg, Crow Agency, bareback; Cardell Laughery, Ekalaka, saddle bronc; Nathan Ruth, Big Timber, tie-down roping; Jace Bishop-Jordan Handy, Zurich, team roping; Ashley Schad, Whitefish, barrel racing; Callahan Otoupalik, Havre, breakaway roping; Dakota Keller, Raynesford, junior barrel racing; Cooper Eash, Fortine, junior breakaway roping.

Up next

The Ravalli County Rodeo in Hamilton, August 29-30. Both performances begin at 7 p.m.

The Helmville Labor Day Rodeo, 1 p.m. performances on August 31 and September 1.