Unlike the other breakaway ropers headed to the $750,000 Women’s Rodeo World Championship in Las Vegas on October 26-29, 2021, Bailey Bates has already waved her slack on a calf in 1.8 seconds inside the South Point Arena. That was to win a round at the last Indian NFR—where she also won the breakaway world title in 2017.
But Bates, 28, of Mexican Springs, New Mexico, hasn’t just stood out at Indian rodeos. She was also the reserve national high school champion breakaway roper, after catching three in 7.9 at the 2011 NHSFR. Plus, she made the College National Finals Rodeo as a freshman for New Mexico State University.
Armed with the bachelor’s degree in range management she earned there, Bates now works full time in youth development within a tribal community south of Phoenix. Between meetings and ushering native youth into 4H and other agricultural programs, Bates snuck off to Fast Track Qualifiers in Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota and Texas.
“My goal was just to be in the top 30 this fall,” she said. “But after I won in Cheyenne, seeing I was in the top four, I figured I’d go to Glen Rose and Rapid City to make sure I’d stay there.”
Being in the top 30 of either the Pro division or Challenger division on October 3 means free entry fees at the WRWC in Vegas. But being in the top four? That’s no fees, plus a bye into the Semi-Final Round, free hotel rooms and a free stall. At press time Bates was No. 1, which means a bye directly into the CBS-televised Main Event (final round). Her counterpart on the Pro board, 18-year-old Josie Conner, gets the same benefits.
“Those rooms and stalls help with the expenses of going out there,” said Bates, whose parents didn’t build her an indoor arena or home-school her so she could rope.
She and fellow standouts Justine Doka, Danielle Lowman and Debbie Robbins grew up training their own reservation-raised horse and chasing homegrown cattle and sheep. The ladies of the Navajo Nation are tough enough to be good at team roping, too – both ends. Bates roped her way into the top 30 in both heading and heeling on the Challenger leaderboard, too, but hasn’t chosen partners for Vegas yet.
“I roped with Serena Dahozy last year in Fort Worth and we came back in the top 24 and I waved it off,” she said. “So I thought, ‘I need to come back again!’ And I have a goal to do better in my main event of breakaway.”
In Las Vegas, Bates will have “Little Mama,” the 13-year-old grade dapple gray mare she trained in college that won 2017 INFR Horse of the Year. Bates’ family had a small ranch and about 50 head of cows on the open range. Her practice, growing up, was to rope those cattle as she brought them in every day.
“This event at the South Point—I don’t know anywhere else you can rope for $60,000 in women’s team roping,” Bates said. “I think that’s awesome. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity. And with breakaway, the WCRA features us with the other events and offers equal money.”
Bates isn’t the first Navajo all-around cowgirl to come out of the Southwest. Kassidy Dennison won the 2010 NHSFR in breakaway for New Mexico while racking up five world all-around titles at the INFR and becoming the first Navajo woman to run barrels at the NFR in 2014. And Bates will likely compete in Vegas against Doka, the 2011 INFR Breakaway World Champion who was PRCA-rodeoing this summer with her fiancé, eight-time NFR header Derrick Begay.
Then there’s Lowman, who won the 2019 BFI All-Girl in Reno with Debbie Robbins—besting 160 of the world’s best female team ropers to also win the all-around and $17,450 total. Actually, Robbins was the handy-at-both-ends Navajo woman they looked up to as kids, knowing she nabbed the breakaway world title at the 2004 INFR and roped her way to a WPRA all-around world championship in ’07.
Regardless of how the actual breakaway goes in Sin City, these native cowgirls will also rope horns and feet. They’re well aware that the WRWC all-around championship comes with a trophy saddle and $20,000 cash.
Nominations close Oct. 3. Nominate now
