The Long Way
Flathead County

NRA Finals Rodeo

Kalispell, Flathead County, Montana. Championship finale.

Details

Map. Kalispell, Flathead County, Montana. Larger map
Where
3630 HWY 93 N, Kalispell, MT 59901. Directions
When
Oct 22-24, 2026 (three nights).
Getting there
Majestic Valley Arena, Kalispell, Montana.
Fees
$25.00 general admission nightly plus a $4.50 service fee.
Walk-in or reserve
Tickets sold online through official ticketing partner Leap Events.
Phone
406-755-5366
Website
nrafinals.com
Managed by
Northern Rodeo Association.
Established
51st Annual.

The culmination of the rodeo season - the region's elite cowboys, cowgirls and rankest livestock over three nights; only the top 10 in each of the 9 events qualify for the Finals.

Notable Events

  1. 1957The North Central Montana Rodeo Association fell apart entirely in 1957, only to be resurrected in 1959. treasurestatelifestyles.com
  2. 1972The group, which had far surpassed the boundaries of north central Montana, took the name Northern Rodeo Association; its headquarters first sat in Lewistown and later moved to Billings. treasurestatelifestyles.com
  3. 1973The inaugural NRA Finals took place in the fall of 1973. treasurestatelifestyles.com
  4. 1974Rick Halmes came up with the idea of selling $1,000 indentures with a promised return of $1,100 to the buyer. northernrodeo.com
  5. 1975The 1975 NRA Finals were highlighted by Bob Schall's Triple Crown performance; the Arlee cowboy won year-end titles for bareback, steer wrestling and all-around. northernrodeo.com
  6. 1975In February of 1975, the Metra opened the doors for the NRA Finals to decide the 1974 year-end champions. northernrodeo.com
  7. 1976Hill was also part of the group that brought breakaway roping to the NRA in 1976, being one of the first rodeo organizations to sanction the event. northernrodeo.com
  8. 2019The Northern Rodeo Association Finals will conduct its year-end championships for 2019 at Majestic Valley Arena on Oct. 24-26. dailyinterlake.com
  9. The NRA Finals presented by nuWest Builders is celebrating 50 years Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell. northernrodeo.com

People

  • Theresa Sorlie, NRA executive secretary.
  • Bob Glasgow, MetraPark general manager in the collective effort that created the first Finals (1975).
  • Bob Schall, Arlee cowboy who won the 1975 Finals Triple Crown: bareback, steer wrestling and all-around year-end titles (1975).
  • Dale Small, stock contractor in the collective effort that created the first Finals (1975).
  • Dave Wagner, of Laurel; repeated as bull riding champion at the first indoor Finals (1975).
  • Ed Miller, NRA board member who backed keeping the Finals: "By God, if we go down, we go down fighting" (1974).
  • George Runquist, hired by the NRA to handle promotions, marketing and ticket sales for the first Finals (1975).
  • Lois Hill, NRA contestant, vice-president, barrel racing director and part of the advisory board; whose dream and fight created the NRA Finals (many years).
  • Rick Halmes, came up with the idea of selling $1,000 indentures with a promised return of $1,100 to fund the first Finals (1974).

Sources

  1. nrafinals.com
  2. majesticvalleyarena.com/eventmt/nra-northern-rodeo-association-2/2026-10-22
  3. northernrodeo.com/2026schedule
  4. events.leapevents.com/event/nra-finals-rodeo-majestic-valley-arena
  5. dailyinterlake.com/news/2025/oct/31/50th-nra-finals-at-majestic-valley-arena
  6. northernrodeo.com/news/2026-nra%2Fnwra-season-kicks-off-in-conrad
  7. northernrodeo.com/news/hill%E2%80%99s-perseverance-pays-off
  8. treasurestatelifestyles.com/northern-rodeo-association