The trio of Turquoise Circuit Champions; year-end winner Bailey Bates and average co-champions LeighAnn Scribner and Nicole Baggarley each achieved a first-time win on the circuit front.

Bailey Bates fended up Macy Young for the year-end prize while Scribner and Baggarley each roped three head in 8.7 seconds.

Turquoise Circuit Year-End Champion Bailey Bates

Bates, from Tohatchi, NM, captured the year-end championship with a total of $19,245 won—$3,206 of which was garnered at the Circuit Finals. The 31-year-old cowgirl finished No. 18 in the WPRA breakaway standings with

BRJ: When you realized you’d won the year-end, what was your reaction?

I didn’t know if I’d won it because it was really close between Macy [Young] and I at the end. Before the last calf, I was about $300 ahead of her but she was coming back high call. She ear-topped [her calf], and I thought she still may have gotten in the average. And then the announcer said the year end was me. I got so excited, jumped off my horse and left him with my brother to run back up to the arena. Winning it was really the cherry on top to a good year. Especially a week after winning the Indian Finals.

What were some of your big Turquoise Circuit wins this year?

I placed third at Lovington ($4,538), second at Amarillo ($2,841) and a lot of the rest of it was checks here and there.

Tell me about your horse Rocket.

I started riding him around 2021. He’s grade, and he’s about 10. I’d ridden some horses that didn’t fit me, done some trading and found him on Facebook. I thought I he was going to be a good project horse, and he started to prove he was more than that. He leaves really strong, but smooth and he doesn’t really pull you back. He’s smaller, but when he’s running he takes really long strides.

What did rodeo look like for your growing up?

“I was a typical Rez girl. I went to school on the Rez, and after high school I went to Mesalands [college] in Tucumcari, where I made the CNFR my freshman year. I rodeoed for CJ Aragon and from there I went to New Mexico State where I got my bachelors in Range Science. I’ve always breakaway roped, team roped, I didn’t like barrels and my horse was too tall for goat tying. I tried to make it work.

What has rodeo looked like the last few years?

I’ve been full-time rodeoing since 2022. I worked for the Bureau of Land Management after college, and rodeo was always [in my mind]. This year was my first time really hauling until the fourth quarter, though. I had been shooting for top 30, and that was pretty manageable so I decided to go for the Top 15. It was really exciting to be in the mix of things until the last weekend of the season.

What are some of your plans for 2025?

I’m going to be hitting all the winter rodeos—this will be my first time really doing that. I’m really looking forward to the NFR Open, too. I haul with my brother, Micheal Bates. He steer wrestles.

Turquoise Circuit Finals Average Co-Champion LeighAnn Scribner

Scribner capitalized on “good cattle” to tie for the average win with Baggarley, each roping in 8.7 seconds. The Edgewood, NM, realtor roped in 3.3, 2.8 and 2.6 seconds, earning the NFR Open spot via tiebreaker with her faster, 2.6-second time to Baggarley’s 2.7-second run.

With the runs, Scribner earned a total of $5,100. The full-time realtor calls Edgewood, NM, home, and rode “CB,” a foundation-bred gelding that’s taken some time to get in sync with.

What was your mindset for the circuit finals?

In the past I’ve always taken myself out in the first round. So I wanted to take one run at a time. I’d won more money on the circuit than I ever had before, so I just wanted to enjoy the process.

Talk us through your runs.

My first one I was a little off the barrier. My calf fought the chute a lot and didn’t leave as sharp, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t get the barrier.

My second one, I drew one that tried a little more. I got a good start on him and my horse thought I was going to swing one more time, so he wasn’t prepared to stop.

My third run I really wanted to make it work. The calf wanted to go left, and I wanted to beat him to the punch. No later than I finished my run and was taking my horses’ boots off that they were calling me to go back up to the arena.

How did it feel to win your first circuit final title?

It felt wonderful, especially on a horse that I’d trained. I finally caught three calves in a row.

What horse did you ride at the circuit finals?

His name is ‘CB,’ and I’ve had him since he was 6 years old, I bought him from a sale, and I didn’t get to see him before he went into the ring. He is really hot. He’s prancey, he’s a hot rod, and for the longest time he drove me bonkers. He’s 15 now and tough as nails. I’ve never been able to wear him out. I thought he may not be able to chill in the box—but he’s so good in the corner. He stays free and he’s really honest.

I kinda had to use him this year. My good horse got hurt and I was borrowing my brother’s buckskin calf horse ‘Dylan.’ But when he needed him back, I decided to take CB. He wasn’t my favorite at first, but we’ve grown together.

What was your year like on the Turquoise Circuit?

Since CB hadn’t been hauled as much, I decided to stick closer to home. I started in June and did well at Window Rock ($2,367) and decided if I kept doing well that I would keep going. And I kept getting checks. I won Prescott this year, ($3,201), which was a big one for me.

What was your upbringing like? Did it include rodeo?

Both of my parents have rodeoed, and both my grandpas, too. My cousin is Syndni Blanchard, and a lot of my other cousins rodeo, too. I’ve ridden a horse my whole life. My mom was actually in a roping accident, and during the x-rays, she found out she was pregnant with me.

I was an all-around person in junior high and high school, and did all of it, but I had the most success in goat tying and breakaway. I rodeoed independently in college and graduated from the University of New Mexico with my bachelors in marketing. I got my masters from New Mexico State in business and rodeoed for them—and I really enjoyed the team atmosphere.

Turquoise Circuit Finals Average Co-Champion Nicole Baggarley

Baggarley’s 2024 rodeo season led her to change courses in life—shifting her 2025 focus from full-time rodeo to futurity colt trainer.

For the Las Cruses, NM, cowgirl, the Turquoise Circuit Finals were a chance at redemption following a tough year. She roped in 3.1, 2.7 and 2.9 seconds to earn a total of $5,100 and the average co-championship.

What was this year of rodeo like for you?

This was one of my hardest years of [full time] rodeo. A lot of bad draws, bad luck and stupid stuff happening. But on the Circuit, I had a decent year. I placed third at Window Rock ($2,367) and second at Amarillo ($2,841). I had some other smaller wins too, like at Santa Fe ($1,634). To end a tough year on such a high note is a great feeling, to be honest.

What were your plans for circuit finals?

I was hoping to win the average. I wanted to rope all three calves where they would let me rope them, and if that won the average, great.

Did you’d know if you had won the average after you roped?

I came in second high call, and I took an extra swing [to catch]. I thought that extra swing cost me the title, and then Macy [Young] missed. I thought I got an average check—I didn’t think there was any way I’d won the average.

What horse were you riding?

I was riding Calamity, she’s a 9-year-old mare that we raised and I trained. She was an ‘oops’ baby. I bought her mom as a roping prospect, not knowing her previous owner had been trying to get her bred. I was riding her, and she was getting really fat. And we joked that she was bred. One night we were feeding, and my brother noticed she was bagging up. So, she was bred. And she had a foal—out popped Calamity.

Calamity helped me make the NFBR in 2021, and she’s really easy. She’s on the freer side, so makes my job really easy on three headers when you just want to go catch cows. She won Horse of the Year on the Circuit this year, too.

What did growing up look like for you?

I grew up rodeoing. Both my parents rodeoed and it was a family deal. I did barrels growing up and had to start roping in the Junior rodeos, and I wasn’t happy about it then, but I’m, grateful now because it’s all I do.

What does 2025 look like for you?

The last few years I’ve really rodeoed hard trying to make the Finals, and that’s been a big learning experience. But I am looking at training futurity colts more, because I love riding young horses and don’t like being gone for 8 months out of the year.

2024 Turquoise Circuit Finals Breakaway Results

First round: 1. Kassidy Dennison, 2.1 seconds, $2,331; 2. Macy Young, 2.7, $1,748; 3. Bailey Bates, 3.0, $1,166; 4. Nicole Baggarley, 3.1, $583. 

Second round: 1. Macy Young, 2.3 seconds, $2,331; 2. Macy Devenport, 2.4, $1,748; 3. Kaylee Billingsley, 2.6, $1,166; 4. (tie) Nicole Baggarley and Danielle Lowman, 2.7, $291 each. 

Third round: 1. (tie) Bailey Bates and LeighAnn Scribner, 2.6 seconds, $2,040 each; 3. Nicole Baggarley, 2.9, $1,166; 4. TiAda Gray, 3.6, $583. 

Average: 1. (tie) Nicole Baggarley and LeighAnn Scribner, 8.7 seconds on three head, $3,060 each; 3. Kaylee Billingsley, 17.9, $1,748; 4. TiAda Gray, 20.1, $874.