DUNCAN, Okla. – For true competitors, losing often is a mountainous motivator. It was certainly the case for breakaway roper Taylor Munsell of Arnett, Oklahoma, on Friday night.

Munsell failed to get a time in Thursday’s opening round of the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo at the Stephens County Arena. She turned things around on the second night of the regional championship, stopping the clock in 2.4 seconds to win the round and pocket $816. That money was pretty special, because it secured her first circuit title.

“We needed to go ahead and secure the year-end title,” said Munsell, the 2019 breakaway roping national champion while competing at the College National Finals Rodeo for Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “It was a really cool deal, too, because I just found out earlier today that Monster, the horse I rode, ended up winning Horse of the Year for the Prairie Circuit.

“It was good to come back and get the round win on him since he’s working so good now.”

What made matters worse was how things came down in the opening round. In breakaway roping, cowgirls rope the calves around the neck, and the tail end of the rope is attached by a string that breaks when the rope is pulled tight. The clock stops then.

“I thought I made a good run last night,” she said. “Things just didn’t come out like we wanted, so I was ready to come back. I had my mind set that it was going to happen.”

It did. It propelled Munsell’s season circuit earnings to $12,078, giving her a lead in the standings that can’t be surpassed on the final two nights of the region’s season. It’s quite fitting that she and Monster earned their titles on the same day.

He’s the reason she excelled at the college level and why she’s had so much success since. She was 13 when she first got on Monster, and she has only gotten off for a few reasons since. This year, he’s helped guide the Oklahoma cowgirl to her first qualification to the National Finals Breakaway Roping, which will take place at Orleans Arena in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

“One of the things I was looking forward to was getting to run somewhere like here where it’s a go-fast setup, and it’s a lot of pressure and loud,” Munsell said. “This horse got hurt this summer. He has hardly been anywhere since Caldwell (Idaho in August). We need to get back to clicking together, because he’s my main one, and he’s the one I’m going to run in Vegas.

“You have to have 100 percent faith in these suckers, especially when you’re going to make 10 runs on them in a row over two days and expect them to make their best run every run.”

Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo
Oct. 14-16
Duncan, Okla.
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, 85 points on New Frontier’s No 16, $1,845; 2. Blaine Kaufman, 84.5, $1,384; 3. Will Martin, 77.5, $922; 4. Mark Kreder, 75, $461. Second round: 1. Blaine Kaufman, 85 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Night Fist, $1,845; 2. Will Martin, 82.5, $1,384; 3. (tie) Mark Kreder and Mike Fred, 79, $692 each.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Jerek VanPetten, 4.4 seconds, $1,901; 2. Tyler Ravenscroft, 4.7, $1,426; 3. Laramie Warren, 4.8, $951; 4. Cody Devers, 5.0, $475. Second round: 1. Riley Duvall, 4.5 seconds, $1,901; 2. Sam Goings, 4.8, $1,426; 3. (tie) Tucker Alberts and Adam Lynn Musil, 4.9, $713 each.

Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Darcy Good, 2.5 seconds, $816; 2. Jenna Lee Hays, 2.7, $612; 3. Emma Charleston, 2.8, $408; 4. Hannah Lee, 2.9, $204. Second round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.4 seconds, $816; 2. Christi Braudrick, 2.5, $612; 3. Jenna Lee Hays, 4.1, $408; 4. Darcy Good, 4.2, $204.

Saddle bronc riding: First round 1. (tie) Hardy Braden, on New Frontier’s Boomerang, and Cody Ballard, on Salt Creek Rodeo’s Birthday Suit, 81 points $1,663 each; 3. Colt Gordon, 77, $951; 4. Ean Price, 74.5, $475. Second round: 1. Cody Ballard, 78 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s No Show Jones, $1,901; 2. Sam Martin, 77, $1,426; 3. Wyatt Lohman, 75.5, $951; 4. Colt Cunningham, 70, $475.

Team roping: First round: 1. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 4.3 seconds, $1,901; 2. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8, $1,426; 3. Jake Clay/Billie Jack Saebens, 5.0, $951; 4. (tie) Miles Baker/Zack Woods and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 5.5, $238 each. Second round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Rance Doyal, 4.8 seconds, $1,901; 2. Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, 5.5, $1,426; 3. (tie) Peyton Holliday/Kolton Good and Miles Baker/Zack Woods, 6.4, $713 each.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Tyler Milligan, 8.7 seconds, $1,901; 2. Will Howell, 8.8, $1,426; 3. Paul David Tierney, 8.9, $951; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 9.1, $475. Second round: 1. Will Howell, 8.9 seconds, $1901; 2. Travis Rogers, 9.4, $1,426; 3. Cody McCartney, 9.8, $951; 4. Wyatt Muggli, 10.1, $475,

Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emma Charleston, 15.66 seconds, $1,901; 2. Emily Miller-Beisel, 15.68, $1,426; 3. Randi Holliday, 15.72, $951; 4. Jamie Chaffin, 15.75, $475. Second round: 1. Emma Charleston, 13.35 seconds, $1,901; 2. Randi Holliday, 15.68, $1,426; 3. Ari-Anna Flynn, 15.89, $951; 4. Sadie Wolaver, 15.92, $475.

Bull riding: First round: 1. Fulton Rutland, 84.5 points on Salt Creek Rodeo’s McCraken, $2,060; 2. Lukasey Morris, 84, $1,584; 3. Trevor Kastner, 81, $1,109; no other qualified rides. Second round: 1. Trevor Kastner, 84 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s No. 849, $2,060; 2. C.J. Simms, 82.5, $1,584; 3. Fulton Rutland, 81.5, $1,109; no other qualified rides.