dog. He follows me around,” she said. “He picks my pocket. He is into everything.” While Red Light might act like a dog, he is not a big fan of Kaleb, Williams’ eight-year-old border collie. “They don’t like each other,” she said with another laugh. Williams is flashing the same roping skills as her father who revolutionized team roping. But she still tips her cowboy hat to dad. “I’ve got a long ways to go,” she said of matching him in the arena. “He used to be a tie-down roper. I might have to sharpen my runs. He could still wipe our butts.” The money at RodeoHouston puts a first gold buckle clearly on her radar. “We all have eyes on the gold buckle,” said Williams, who also placed third at Fort Worth and San Antonio this year. “It’s a great start in leading the world. “I’m kind of a pedal to the medal, to be honest. So for sure, we’ll keep going. You want to keep winning. You have to stay sharp. When you take a break is when you get dull.” Williams doesn’t have to look far to understand what a big lead in the regular season means. She saw that firsthand with good friend Martha Angelone, the 2022 world champion. “Martha is like a big sister to me,” Williams said. “I told her last year I’m going to be you next year. “She just laughed at the time but now she told me, ‘Now I will be doing the chasing.’ ” The $50,000 will go a long way the rest of the year. “It will help pay for some fuel this summer and hopefully I can buy another horse to add to the herd,” she said. And while the win still seems surreal, there is a physical reminder at home. “The buckle is on the kitchen counter,” she said. “When I come down for breakfast and see that, it reminds me that in fact that buckle in mine.”
that needs surgery.” After some conversations between Speed Williams and Buchanan, her father relented after Buchanan told them he had a 98-percent chance of a successful surgery. Hali took the gamble. “I wrote that check as fast as I could,” said the daughter. “He’s a consistent horse. He never cheats me. He waits until I throw. Red Light gives me a clean shot every time.” And Williams got more than a roping partner. “Red Light is like a Hali Williams is currently ranked No. 1 in the WPRA ProRodeo Breakaway World Standings and plans to keep pushing to see what new heights she can reach this year. She would love to add to the family legacy and win her first WPRA world title to add to her dad’s (Speed) eight PRCA gold buckles. Photo by Kenneth Springer
APRIL 2023 WPRA NEWS 13
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