Cheyanne McCartney from Kingston, Oklahoma, turned her dream into reality at the Calgary Stampede, winning two consecutive rounds of ladies breakaway roping at GMC Stadium. She posted times of 3.1 and 2.5 seconds in the first two days of Pool B action, making her the only competitor to earn bronzes in both rounds.
From Spectator to Champion
Just two years ago, McCartney watched the rodeo from the stands, sitting above the boxes with rodeo legends Joe and Jenna Beaver. She recalled thinking, 'Man, how amazing would it be to run a calf in this arena in an environment like this?' Now, she is not only competing but winning.
McCartney expressed her gratitude for the inclusion of breakaway roping in the Stampede. 'I'm just really thankful that they decided to add us and want to have us. And now every year, I just really look forward to coming here and competing,' she said.
Strong Start and Championship Qualification
McCartney's success in the first two rounds earned her $14,000 and secured her spot in Championship Sunday. She is the only participant to have qualified after two days of Pool B. 'Roping here, it's almost like three one-headers,' McCartney explained. 'You're not roping for an aggregate. You're just trying to make the fastest and best, most aggressive run that you can.'
She credited her experience from last year's debut, where she no-timed her semifinal run, for teaching her to be more aggressive on her start and when to throw the rope. 'That's what I learned from being here last year,' she added.
Rodeo Career and Mindset
McCartney is the 2023 National Finals Breakaway Roping average champion and currently ranks ninth in the World Professional Rodeo Association standings with $50,150.82. Despite a tough week prior to the Stampede, she focused on a reset. 'I had a really bad week last week, and so I just wanted to reset and was looking really forward to coming here and roping,' she said.
She emphasized the importance of staying positive and taking it one run at a time. 'This is the greatest summer rodeo that we go to, so I'm just really trying to focus on my job and stay positive and do the best I can every day. It's just a great week to have a good week, and I'm just having a whole lot of fun running one calf at a time,' McCartney concluded.
