Chris Arnold doesn’t have to look far to find a connection.

“I have a piece of paper on my desk right now with Celie Salmond’s name on it,” said Arnold one afternoon at work, discussing the Choteau cowgirl, now Celie Rogers, the four-time reigning all-around cowgirl champion for the Northern Women’s Rodeo Association.

Arnold has a lot of papers in his office with the names of past and present Northern Rodeo Association and NWRA competitors.

Bouma Truck Sales and rodeo fit together like a well-worn glove into a bull riding rope.

But this relationship has been a lot longer than eight seconds.

Bouma Truck Sales, based in Great Falls, has been a pillar sponsor for the NRA for more than 40 years.

“We’re happy to be able to support folks in our communities,” said Arnold. “We want to help the people who support us. If you are part of the agricultural community in Montana, you probably have a rodeo connection. As far as our customers, I’d say 60 percent have a likely connection to rodeo. Maybe more.”

Bouma Truck Sales sponsors the Mountain Health Co-op Tour women’s all-around, along with the upcoming schedule on the NRA website and social media.

“I would say they are a cornerstone of the association,” said Theresa Sorlie, the NRA executive secretary. “They have supported us for years. They are one of the originals.

“The relationship becomes personal. We truly do treasure the partnership.”

According to the company website, Bouma Truck Sales was founded by Neal Bouma, who grew up on the family farm east of Conrad. Always involved with horses, Bouma did custom grain hauling. He moved to Choteau where he ran five trucks.

He founded Bouma Wholesales in 1982, buying and selling trucks and trailers, along with doing custom mechanic work and repairs. He changed the name to Bouma Truck Sales and opened a location in Great Falls in 2004. The facility covers 35 acres, selling trucks and construction equipment across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The company recently sent a bulldozer to Guatemala.

And the similarities to rodeo are many.

Work hard and good things happen. Get knocked down, get up and work harder.

The main repair shop and parts building burned down in December of 1992. By October of 1993, a new and larger shop and parts facility was in place.

Arnold and his wife Wendy purchased Bouma Truck Sales from his cousin in July of 2021.

“Sales, rentals, service and parts,” said Arnold of the company’s tentpoles. “Growing up in Choteau, the rodeo performance was part of our upbringing. The Fourth of July Rodeo in Choteau, I remember going there for so many of my years.

“Rodeo connects us with the customers we serve.”

And like the distinctive mudflaps on Bouma Truck Sales vehicles traversing Montana highways and beyond, the synergy between the long-time sponsor and the NRA will continue down the road.

“We want to help benefit the sport,” Arnold said. “We love it.”

Last week

Quinn McQueary’s 7.7 seconds to win the tie-down roping was one of the highlights of the Superior Lions Club Rodeo. The 7.7 seconds is the fastest time this year on the Mountain Health Co-op Tour and one of the fastest in recent memory. McQueary, the reigning champion, has the top two fastest times this summer.

Superior winners: Trevar McAllister, Ronan, bareback; Judd Applegate, Deer Lodge, saddle bronc; Justus Peterson, Dillon, steer wrestling; Quinn McQueary, Belgrade, tie-down roping; Ryan Counts-Brent Damuth, Three Forks, team roping; Abby Knight, Charlo, barrel racing; Abigail DeVos, Fort Shaw, breakaway roping; Chaney Akin, Cody, Wyoming, junior barrel racing; Bentz Bolich, Belgrade, junior breakaway roping.

Every rodeo counts

There are 10 rodeos remaining in the Mountain Health Co-op Tour regular season. The top 10 individuals in each event qualify for the NRA Finals presented by nuWest Builders this October in Kalispell.

The pressure increases for those on the bubble trying to earn one of the coveted qualifying spots.

Entering Superior, the amount separating 10thfrom 11th place in the nine disciplines was an average of just $97.71.

Here is the amount separating 10th from 11thin each event: bareback, $272.24; steer wrestling, $1.88; breakaway roping, $6.07; tie-down roping, $16.17; saddle bronc, $77.55; team roping header, $37.18; team roping heeler, $121.85; barrel racing, $25.67; bull riding, $320.85.

Up next

The Mountain Health Co-op Tour heads to Twin Bridges and Townsend.

The Madison County Fair and Rodeo in Twin Bridges is August 7 and 8. The Broadwater Fair and Rodeo is August 8 and 9. All four performances begin at 7 p.m.