SALT LAKE CITY – Kash Gay has a couple of big goals she wants to accomplish as a breakaway roper.

The first, of course, is to qualify for the Wilderness Circuit Finals Rodeo, which will take place this fall in Heber City, Utah; if she can win the year-end championship, that would be a bonus. The second is to raise awareness for Kash Gay Equine Insurance, a business she operates.

“Competing is like being a traveling billboard,” said Gay, 22, of Plain City, Utah, a community of 8,300 souls about 45 minutes north of Utah State Fairpark. “Rodeo is great for business. Everywhere I go, I feel like I get more, so right now I’m just trying to get my name out there.”

She’s also excelling. Gay roped her calf in 2.1 seconds during Saturday’s second performance of Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo to take the breakaway roping lead. She will await the results of Monday’s final performance to see where she ends up.

“I knew the calf was fast,” said Gay, who won New Plymouth, Idaho, last month and sits fourth in the circuit standings – only the top 12 in each event when the region’s regular season comes to a close advance to the championship. “I knew he was good, started strong and ran straight. He was actually out here last night, so I texted the girl that ran him, got a video and made a game plan from there.”

The homework paid off, and she’s in a great position to take some big-time cash out of Salt Lake City this weekend. That’s big, because dollars equal championship points in rodeo. Heading into her runs at the Utah State Fair, Gay had accumulated $8,873. A victory inside the Days of ’47 Arena would vault her to second place. She’d still be a long ways behind the season leader, Addy Hill of Thatcher, Utah, but it provides Gay with the motivation she needs to push through the final few weeks.

The Wilderness Circuit is made up of rodeos and contestants primarily from Utah and southern Idaho. The year-end and finale-aggregate champions from each region advance to the national circuit finals rodeo, which is the NFR Open that takes place each July in Colorado Springs.

“I’ve been working for it all yar, and that would mean the world to me,” she said. “That’s what I’m going for.”

Now in just her sophomore season in ProRodeo, Gay is well equipped to qualify for her second straight regional championship

“I’ve actually grown up with horses my whole life, and I’ve roped since I was a little kid,” she said. “My dad rodeoed a lot, and I’ve just picked it right up.”

Her venture to the state fair is already paying off, and she still has a chance to sell a little insurance while she’s at it.

Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo
Sept. 6. 7 and 9
Salt Lake City
Bareback riding: 1. Bradlee Miller, 87 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Hillbilly; 2. Sam Petersen, 85; 3. Tilden Hooper, 84; 4. (tie) Darien Johnson and Gauge McBride, 83 each; 6. Richmond Champion, 82.5.

Steer wrestling: 1. Tyler Waguespack, 3.6 seconds; 2. Jesse Brown, 3.9; 3. Olin Hannum, 4.4; 4. (tie) Eric Logan and Jake Stocking, 4.5 each; 6. (tie) Chet Boren and Hazen Smith, 5.0 each.

Team roping: 1. (tie) Hagen Peterson/Chase Tryan and Rhen Richard/Coby Drake, 6.2 seconds each; 3. Ben Jordan/JR Gonzalez, 6.6; 4. Cole Eiguren/Tyler Eiguren, 7.0; 5. Travis Whitlow/Tyler Whitlow, 10.2; 6. Howard Hutchings/Scott Lauaki, 10.8.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Cash Wilson, 88 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Cowboy Fool; 2. Jake Finlay, 87.5; 3. Ryder Wright, 86.5; 4. (tie) Ira Dickinson and Statler Wright, 84.5 each; 6. (tie) Allen Boore and Traylin Martin, 84 each.

Tie-down roping: 1. Britt Bedke, 8.8 seconds; 2. (tie) Jake Hannum and Jase Staudt, 8.9 each; 4. Colton Kofoed, 9.5; 5. Rylee Rogers, 11.3; 6. Seth Hall, 13.3.

Breakaway roping: 1. Kash Gay, 2.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Zoie Bedke and Peggy Garman, 2.3 each; 4. (tie) Kaydin Finan, Harley Meged and Jill Tanner, 2.4 each.

Barrel racing: 1. McKenna Coronado, 17.01 seconds; 2. Caitlyn White, 17.37; 3. Anita Ellis, 17.44; 4. Katelyn Scott, 17.47; 5. Haylee Woodward, 17.51; 6. Amanda Butler, 17.52.

Bull riding: 1. Miles Johnson, 82 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Mighty Merle; 2. Braden Richardson, 80.5; no other qualified rides.