Reach into the closet for the rigging bag.

Rosin up the ropes.

Saddle the horses, tighten up the buckles and shine up the cowboy boots.

It’s time to rodeo.

The Northern Rodeo Association and Northern Women’s Rodeo Association begins 2025 with the Whoop-Up Trail Days in Conrad, June 6-7.

The annual opener will kick off what will be another action-packed, fun-filled season.

Conrad is the first of 30 rodeos scheduled this summer across the Big Sky State.

The cowboys and cowgirls, all ages and from all walks of life, will travel countless miles, endure bumps and bruises that accompany Montana’s official sport and eat a lot of dirt in pursuit of the same goal.

To qualify for the NuWest Builders NRA Finals in October in Kalispell.

The 2025 year-end event marks a significant milestone. This is the 50th NRA Finals, making it a half-century of showcasing the top cowboys and cowgirls from around the state and beyond.

In 2024, the NRA and NWRA paid out $772,020.50 during the regular season. The top 10 in each event who qualified for the NuWest Builders NRA Finals chased an additional $139,275.71.

Competitors from almost 100 Montana communities, along with nine states and Canada went home with NRA and NRWA checks.

And keeping with a long-standing tradition to promote rodeo’s future, the NRA and NWRA will award permits to the Montana high school state champions.

Celie Salmond of Choteau set a single-season earnings record, for male or female, in 2024, earning $18,187. Along with winning her fourth consecutive all-around cowgirl title, she also placed third in both barrel racing and breakaway roping. Salmond also earned checks in team roping.

She needs one more all-around championship saddle to match the record of five straight, set by Lisa Scheffer (1982-86). Salmond’s mother Mary won four consecutive all-around crowns (1987-90).

Teenage phenom of Dillon, Ryder Gaasch, set a single-season earnings record in steer wrestling enroute to the all-around cowboy title while former Montana Tech record-setting quarterback Quinn McQueary of Belgrade did the same in tie-down roping.

Molly Salmond, Celie’s younger sister, won the breakaway roping. The Salmond sisters and McQueary are cousins.

Along with Gaasch, Wyatt Warneke of Great Falls (bareback), Libby’s Jason Colclough (saddle bronc), Devyn Hundley of Darby (bull riding) and Helena’s Lisa Warfield (barrel racing), were first-time champions.

Cut Bank’s Dustin Bird won his fourth team roping heading title, two decades after his first while partner Ike Folsom of Jackson won his second heeling buckle. The pair rocketed from ninth to first in the NRA Finals three performances.

Conrad is just the start of the fast and furious season.

There are nine weekends where competitors and fans have multiple rodeos to choose from.

That includes June 13-14 where the NRA and NWRA banners will be flying in Culbertson, Poplar, Gardiner and Wilsall.

The annual Fourth of July run has cowboys and cowgirls at Harlowton (July 2-3), Ennis (July 3-4) and Choteau (July 4).

The standings will sizzle with 11 rodeos scheduled in August. That includes four across three days: Darby, Aug. 22-23; Boulder, Aug. 22-23; Wibaux, Aug. 24; Chinook, Aug. 24.

All the riding, roping and racing will culminate with the NuWest Builders NRA Finals, Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell.

So saddle up and hang on.

It’s time to rodeo!

Editor’s note: All information concerning the NRA and NWRA can be found at northernrodeo.com.