DUNCAN, Okla. – The race for the region’s breakaway roping championship just got a little tighter.
Cheyanne McCartney of Kingston, Oklahoma, entered the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo with a $516 advantage over Taylor Munsell of Alva, Oklahoma. After the opening two nights of competition, both ladies have earned go-round wins and share the two-run aggregate lead heading into Saturday’s final round of the 2024 season.
Munsell won the opening round with a 2.6-second run, and McCartney was half a second faster to win Friday’s second go-round. Both earned $2,279 for their wins. The difference? Munsell captured a fourth-place check on Night 2, worth $570, and moved into the No. 1 spot in the circuit.
The lead is just $54, so it will come down to which cowgirl has the best run during the third round. For her part, McCartney posted the fastest run of the rodeo so far, stopping the clock in 2.1 seconds. It was a big momentum shift for the three-time qualifier to the National Finals Breakaway Roping, an event at which she won the average title last December.
“I had a lot of trouble this last rodeo season,” she said. “It was one of those years where it was one thing after another, and I didn’t really have a horse that fit me. I would say the biggest thing I did to prepare for this was I bought this horse from Will Howell at the beginning of August, and I’ve just had a chance to make runs on her and get with her, and she fits my style.”
The horse is Diamond, an 11-year-old palomino mare, and she was a driving force for McCartney once she arrived in Duncan.
“If you don’t have a horse and a partner that fits you, roping is really hard,” said McCartney, who pushed her season earnings to $18,747. “You’ve got to have a teammate, so I’m really looking forward to making some more runs and going to more rodeos on her.”
While the dollars earned help crown this year’s regional titlist, the money earned this weekend also count toward the 2025 world standings. Every penny is vital for McCartney, who is eager to return to Las Vegas in 14 months.
“Not having the season I wanted, I came home and just started regrouping,” she said. “You don’t have any time to feel sorry for yourself, because it all starts back over October first. I’m glad to get some money on the board, because it’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve had years where the beginning of my season started off slow, and then I’ve had seasons where the middle and end are slow.
“You just have to keep your head down. You just have to keep working and stay focused all season, because it’s a long road.”
Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo
Oct. 17-19
Duncan, Okla.
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Gauge McBride, 84 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Bare Naked, $2,166; 2. (tie) Jayco Roper and Bryce Eck, 81, $1,354 each; 4. Quintonn Lunsford, 73, $541. Second round: 1, Bryce Eck, 84 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big League, $2,166; 2. Gauge McBride, 82, $1,624; 3. Qintonn Lunsford, 81, $1,083; 4. Jayco Roper, 79, $541. Average leaders: 1. Gauge McBride, 166 points on two rides; 2. Bryce Eck, 165; 3. Jayco Roper, 160; 4. Quintonn Lunsford, 154.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Cody Devers, 4.9 seconds, $2,279; 2. Riley Westhaver, 5.3, $1,709; 3. Jacob Edler, 5.4, $1,139; 4. Trisyn Kalawaia, 5.6, $570. Second round: 1. Chance Howard, 5.4 seconds, $2,279; Mason Couch, 5.6, $1,709; 3. Cody Devers, 5.8, $1,139; 4. Travis Munro, 6.1, $570. Average leaders: 1. Cody Devers, 10.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Chance Howard, 11.1; 3. Travis Munro, 12.1; 4. Trisyn Kalawaia, 17.4.
Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Beau Peterson, 3.0, $1,709; Winter Williams, 3.3, $1,139; 4. Christi Braudrick, 3.5, $570. Second round: 1. Cheyanne McCartney, 2.1 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tia Wallace, 3.0, $1,709; 3. Beau Peterson, 3.1, $1,139; 4. Taylor Munsell, 3.3, $570. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney and Taylor Munsell, 5.9 seconds; 3. Beau Peterson, 6.1; 4. Christi Braudrick, 7.4.
Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Cooper Thatcher, 81 points on Mo Betta Rodeo’s Wally, $2,279; 2. Weston Patterson, 80, $1,709; 3. Trent Burd, 79, $1,139; 4. (tie) Heston Harrison and Denton Ward, 77.5, $285 each. Second round: 1. Weston Patterson, 82.5 points on New Frontier Rodeo’s Kate’s Hot Daughter, $2,279; 2. Ean Price, 80.5, $1,709; 3. Trent Burd, 79, $1,139; 4. Denton Ward, 78.5, $570. Average leaders: 1. Weston Patterson, 162.5 points on two rides; 2. Cooper Thatcher, 159; 3. Trent Burd, 158; 4. Denton Ward, 156.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Paul David Tierney, 9.3 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tyler Milligan, 9.4, $1,709; 3. Kason Dyer, 9.5, $1,139; 4. Austin Lawrence, 10.7, $570. Second round: 1. Coy Arnold, 8.9 seconds, $2,279; 2. Blake Carter, 9.1, $1,709; 3. Paul David Teirney, 9.3, $1,139; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 9.5, $570. Average leaders: 1. Paul David Tierney, 18.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Coy Arnold, 19.9; 3. Blake carter, 20.3; 4. Ryan Jarrett, 20.8.
Team roping: First round: 1. Mason Appleton/Rance Doyle, 4.6 seconds, $2,279; 2. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.8, $1,709; 3. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 5.4, $1,139; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, 5.9, $570. Second round: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, 5.4 seconds, $2.279; 2. Corben Culley/Tator Taton, 5.6, $1,709; 3. Mason Appleton/Rance Doyle, 6.7, $1,139; 4. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 8.1, $570. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Mason Appleton/Rance Doyal and J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, 11.3 seconds on two runs; 3. Tyler Hobert/Shannon Frascht, 13.5; 4. Wyatt Muggli/Casey McCleskey, 20.4.
Barrel racing: First round: 1. Emily Beisel, 16.18 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tana Renick, 16.41, $1,709; 3. Matay Eklund, 16.42, $1,139; 4. Ari-Anna Flynn, 16.43, $570. Second round: 1. Tana Renick, 15.98 seconds, $2,279; 2. Tracy Nowlin, 16.25, $1,709; 3. Mataya Eklund, 16.30, $1,39; 4. Chelsie Shoop, 16.31, $570. Average leaders: 1, Tana Renick, 32.39 seconds on two runs; 2. Emily Beisel, 32.52; 3. Mataya Eklund, 32.72; 4. Cayla Small, 32.85.
Steer roping: First round: 1. Billy Good, 9.6 seconds, $2,100; 2. Thomas Smith, 10.2, $1,575; 3. (tie) Riley O’Rourke and Coleman Proctor, 10.5, $787 each. Second round: 1. John E. Bland, 9.7 seconds, $2,100; 2. Trenton Johnson, 10.0, $1,575; 3. Blake Deckard, 10.5, $1,050; 4. Connor McNeil, 10.9, $525. Third round: 1. Thomas Smith, 9.5 seconds, $2,100; 2. Brodie Poppino, 10.6, $1,575; 3. John E. Bland, 11.1, $1,050; 4. Trenton Johnson, 11.7, $525. Average: 1. Trenton Johnson, 35.2 seconds on three head, $3,150; 2. Blake Deckard, 38.6, $2,362; 3. Dee Kyler Jr., 39.6, $1,575; 4. Billy Good, 43.0, $787. Year-end champion: Chet Harren.
Bull riding: First round: 1. Jesse Hopper, 84 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Black Panther, $2,260, 2. (tie) Jackson Ward and Fulton Rutland, 81, $1,412 each; 4. Coy Pollmeier, 68.5, $565. Second round: 1. Jesse Hopper, 85.5 points on Hi Lo Pro Rodeo’s Dr. No, $2,260; 2. Fulton Rutland, 85, $1,695; 3. Patterson Starcher, 83.5, $1,130; 4. Jackson Ward, 82, $565. Average leaders: 1. Jesse Hopper, 169.5 points on two rides; 2. Fulton Rutland, 166; 3. Jackson Ward, 163; 4. Coy Pollmeier, 148.