TURQUOISE CIRCUIT: BREAKAWAY
Double Down Deerman Punches Ticket to NFR Open, Wins Average and Year-End in Turquoise Circuit By Kristen M. White M addy Deerman isn’t sure which path in life she’ll end up on. Only time will tell whether she pursues a career in petroleum geology or whether she tries her hand at full-time rodeo, but if it turns out to be the latter, she
looks to be on track for success. Deerman just won both the year-end and average breakaway roping titles for the Turquoise Circuit. And she did it while making the College National Finals Rodeo and then attending graduate school, as she’s currently working on getting her Master’s in geology at Texas Tech. “Being able to win the circuit in my first year is really special to me,” Deerman said. “I’m a full-time graduate student and that’s a lot to juggle. It’s special that I was able to pull off those wins while being so busy with school, teaching as a graduate student, etc.” Deerman said she can’t wait to attend the NFR Open next summer and will figure out how to make it happen. Apart from that, she doesn’t have any big rodeo goals set because she’s concentrating on school. “There are two different paths for me,” she said. “My first option is to graduate (in May 2024) and go straight into the workforce, just rodeo on the side and weekends. Or if I don’t get a job straight out of school, then I’ll probably try to pursue rodeo. Now that so much has been added in breakaway, I think I’d kick myself if I didn’t try to make a living out of if I get the chance.” At the beginning of the 2022 season, Deerman set a goal to make the circuit finals. She had competed in the Turquoise Circuit in 2021 and won enough to qualify for the Finals, but had a school commitment
that kept her from competing. She said it was tough this year, traveling the circuit to get in her circuit count, between school and college rodeo. She won the first round and finished second in the average at Prescott, Arizona, which helped boost her winnings. Then she focused on getting in her count so she could qualify. “Before the circuit finals I was winning the year-end by about $800, and Kayse Mahoney had won quite a bit too, so I knew it was probably between the two of us for the year-end,” she said. “I thought at the Finals that if I roped all three of my calves, I’d win money. I was focused on good shots, staying behind the barrier. “I could have had some faster times, but I focused on taking those high percentage shots instead.” It worked for Deerman. In the first round, she finished third in a time of 3.1 seconds. Faith Holyan won the round in 2.4 seconds. In the second round, Deerman was out of the money, but she finished fourth in the final round in 2.9 seconds to secure herself the average victory. Her three-run time of 8.8 seconds was a second ahead of Justine Doka (9.8 seconds), plus Deerman’s winnings put her easily into the winner’s spot for the year-end title too. “My second round calf, he had a really weird start leaving the box for the lady in the first round, so I was super safe on my start because of that. I didn’t know what he would do,” Deerman explained. “He left sharp, but he was slow. “So for the third round, I was second in the average and Faith was Maddy Deerman doubled up the titles at the Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo. Deerman roped both the year-end and average titles to cruise to a berth in the 2023 NFR Open that will be contested in July in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as part of the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo. Photo by William Kierce
Maddy Deerman won the average title in the Turquoise Circuit with a total time of 8.8 seconds on three head and also captured the year-end after amassing $10,247 in earnings. Kayse Mahoney finished second in the year-end with $7,759 and will be the other roping representative from the Turquoise Circuit to compete at the NFR Open. Photo by William Kierce
continued on page 35
DECCEMBER 2022
WOMEN’S PRO RODEO NEWS 25
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker