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“Until now, there weren’t really opportunities for me to rope while running barrels. It’s been a fun change of pace to be able to throw the rope in and go.” – Nellie Miller
>> Barrel Racing and Breakaway <<
This was one of my shortest Fourth of July runs in a decade of rodeoing. The Reno Rodeo started late this year, and the Calgary Stampede started early. For me, Cowboy Christmas got squeezed in between the two.
I won around $5,000 at Reno, and then Sister and I ran in two Oregon rodeos—St. Paul and Molalla—before taking off for Calgary on Wednesday, July 3r d. I finished fifth at Molalla and picked up another $1,500. Pool A perfs started yesterday at the Calgary Stampede. We won third.
Another thing that was different about the Fourth this year: I roped in a breakaway jackpot in Reno the day before the Reno Rodeo long round.
Breakaway roping is picking up momentum. Breakaway has long been a WPRA event, but recently the PRCA has sanctioned more and more events. This year thirty-four PRCA rodeos have breakaway roping. More and more committees are coming on board. It’s new and exciting for everyone.
I’m a little rusty. I haven’t roped seriously since college, and that was about ten years ago. I haven’t had many opportunities to breakaway, because I was gone barrel racing all the time. But now I can do both at some of the same rodeos. There’s not a lot of money in breakaway roping, but it’s a super-fun, super-fast event. It’s exciting for the crowds to watch. Now that it’s catching on, I think you’ll see more money added.
I roped all through high school and college. Until now, there weren’t really opportunities for me to rope while running barrels. It’s been a fun change of pace to be able to throw the rope in and go. This spring, I rode a rope horse we raised called Striker at five or six breakaway ropings, including amateur rodeos.
The Reno jackpot was part of the Bob Feist Invitational. I was 3.9 on the first one and 3.5 on the second. In the short round I was 3 seconds flat and won a little check—$400. I was a swing behind everyone else. The winning times were in the low-to-mid two seconds. Considering that I haven’t roped seriously in a number of years, I was pretty happy.
I left Striker behind when we drove up to Calgary on Wednesday. Now, I’m totally focused on barrel racing. In the past couple of years, Sister and I have had good luck at the Stampede. Last year, I made it to Showdown Sunday but not the final four round. And in 2017, we won second.
Regardless of how I do, it’s such an honor to be a part of the Calgary Stampede. It’s fun and relaxing. You get to stay put for a bunch of consecutive days. It’s the perfect ending to a busy Fourth—or even a not-so-busy Fourth.
Presented by Best Ever Pads | Photo by Matt Cohen
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Join us for the most in depth coverage of this year’s 4th of July run. Some of the toughest athletes burn thousands of miles of asphalt to make some of the biggest rodeos of the year in a few short days. We call it #theCjHASE >> https://
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