INAUGURAL CHAMPION Coleman Catches Breakaway Roping Title in Clovis By Kristen M. White T he Clovis (California) Rodeo marked Amanda Coleman’s turn to etch her name in the history books.It was the inaugural year for breakaway roping at Clovis. And Coleman’s four-head average of 15.3 seconds put her in the record books as the first
ever winner. She edged out Suzanne Williams in 15.4 seconds. “You always hear the big name rodeos and all the champions … so it’s pretty cool to think about,” Coleman said, when asked about associating her name with the winner’s list in Clovis. “I loved the rodeo.” It was particularly unique because it was all fresh livestock for breakaway roping. Coleman said it’s not unusual for jackpots to have walking fresh calves, but at a rodeo it’s much less common. She couldn’t recall ever competing at a rodeo with walking fresh calves. “The gates open and they don’t know what to do. They sometimes kind of wander out,” Coleman said. “So, you don’t skip steps. You score first, ride to the calf, and rope them. I knew I needed to stay behind the barrier. It was super unique.” Coleman’s first round calf walked out and stepped to the right, and she said she felt good about the run she made, stopping the clock out of the money but in good time. Kassidy Dennison won the round in 2.5 seconds. Coleman’s second round draw was similar, although he ran a little bit harder, Coleman noted, but she still made a strong run on him. Lari Dee Guy was 2.6 for the victory that round. “I had two good runs down – but everybody had two good ones down. It was really still pretty much wide open with it being fresh,” Coleman said. “They started to figure out what was going on after a couple of rounds and ran a little bit harder. In the third round, I drew a great calf and he went pretty good, so I got a good start and could just go to him.”
The other thing making the Clovis Rodeo unique for breakaway ropers was that calves were chute-run, meaning it was completely random. There was no way to know what calf you’d get – or to plan ahead and ask about it. Contestants simply made a run on whatever calf came next, making for a completely random draw. “I was last out and I had no clue what the calf was going to do – and he ran!” Coleman said. “I didn’t know how fast I had to be, I just went through the motions to catch. I ran him a long way down there.” She said when she was announced as the average winner, she almost couldn’t believe it. She recorded a time of 4.2 seconds, putting her third in the final round, won by Whitney Thurmond in 3.4 seconds. The reality of winning didn’t sink in right away – perhaps a little bit, she said, when the Cowboy Channel interviewed her. Coleman called on the services of Okie, a 5-year-old gelding by Docs Stylish Oak, because her main mare, Pepsi, has been out since the beginning of the year with an injury. Okie has stepped up to the task. “He does whatever I ask. He’s been doing a great job,” Coleman said. “I’m hoping (Pepsi) will be better soon, but he’s (Okie) been doing great since his first performance in San Antonio.” With the summer run just around the corner, Coleman said she plans to leave home in Stephenville, Texas, in early June and stay out West as much as possible. She will fly back for some circuit rodeos at home to get her count in, she said, as she’s hoping to make the circuit finals this year. “Of course I think everyone’s goal at the end of the day is to win a world title, but I take it as it goes,” Coleman said. “I made the finals in 2020, but not last year, and not being there really sucked! So I don’t want that to happen again.” She mentioned Pendleton when asked about any particular rodeo she was really looking forward to, saying she loved it last year, so she’ll have all summer to think about it. For now, the $4,056 she pocketed in Clovis will help her continue on down the road as she works toward the NFR and Texas Circuit Finals. Amanda Coleman etched her name in the history books in Clovis, California, becoming their first breakaway roping champion. Coleman roped four calves totaling 15.3 seconds to ride away with the win, just edging Suzanne Williams in 15.4 seconds. Photo by Roseanna Sales
Coleman caught in 3.8 seconds that round, tying with Guy and Delaney Kunau for sixth place. Dennison again won that round, in 3.0 seconds. Amanda Coleman qualified for the first National Finals Breakaway Roping but missed out on the big event last year. She is hoping this win in Clovis will propel her through the summer run with hopes of landing in the top 15 by the end of the regular season. Photo by Roseanna Sales
24 WPRA NEWS JDUECNEM2B02E2R 2021 24 WOMEN’S PRO RODEO NEWS JUNE 2022
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