Aspen Miller added a marquee title to her resume on Tuesday night, winning the Greeley Stampede in Greeley, Colorado, with runs of 2.1, 2.4 and 2.6 seconds.
The three-head average earned her $11,208 and key momentum heading into the heart of Cowboy Christmas.
“That’s an incredible rodeo,” Miller said. “It’s loud, it’s big—and it’s one of the most prestigious ones to win for sure. They make it so big for us and give us such a great opportunity to win real money.”
Her Greeley campaign didn’t come without travel hiccups. Anticipating airline delays, Miller caught an extra-early flight just to be safe.
“And of course it didn’t get delayed,” Miller joked.
Upon arriving, she napped outside the rodeo hospitality in the grass, using her rope bag as a pillow. And the unorthodox downtime paid off—Miller making a 2.6-second run in the short go to secure the title.
Miller credited her horse Jigsaw for staying locked in despite the heavy rodeo schedule.
Now headed to Oakley, Utah, then Mandan and Calgary, Miller is focused on keeping her momentum rolling and Jigsaw feeling good.
“He’s come a long way,” Miller said. “Just keeping him exercised, riding correct, and keeping it simple—that’s the goal.”
Miller, who was runner-up at Greeley during her rookie year, said this win felt full circle. And for aspiring breakaway ropers dreaming of Cowboy Christmas glory, her advice is simple:
“Don’t let one rodeo affect the next one,” Miller said. “There are too many good ones ahead to let it get to you.”
