Cadee Williams made 5 straight short rounds and earned over $23,000 across the Texas Swing on her good horse “Scandal.”
The Montana cowgirl splits her time between Weatherford, Texas, in the winter and Montana in the summer, balancing rodeo with raising three young kids alongside her husband, Landon. The 2022 National Finals Breakaway Roping average champion, Williams has built her program around Dropit Likeitz Hott, known as “Scandal,” an 11-year-old Hottish mare out of Miss Peppys Moped by Smart Lil Scoot.
Q: You went 5-for-5 in Texas Swing short rounds on the same horse—Scandal. What does that say about that mare?
A: I think really in the last two years, it just shows how solid she has gotten. It’s so nice having a horse that you back in the box and I never have to worry about her anymore. On all different scores, all different setups, she tries so hard every time.
Q: All these winter building rodeos have different setups, scores and calves—how hard is it to make those changes on the same horse and see success?
A: It’s really hard. Every place is different, and you’ve got to adjust quick. But she’s pretty much the same every time, which makes it a lot easier on me.
Q: You said you don’t change much—what do you actually adjust on her from rodeo to rodeo?
A: I use really light bits on her—the only thing I ever change up is her bit. I don’t use the same bit at Fort Worth that I do at Houston. If I need to see a little bit more, I just put a little bit more bit in her mouth.
Q: What makes Scandal so consistent across those rodeos?
A: She had a really good foundation put on her, and I think we always can go back to that. You see a lot of horses get tight when we’re always throwing fast, and she had such a good foundation that I rarely ever practice on her. If she ever gets tight, I go rope two or three calves on her in the practice pen and she gets freed right back up.
Q: You’ve talked about how smart she is—what do you mean by that?
A: She’s really, really smart. She really remembers the last thing she did. If you go free her up in a practice pen, she’s going to be free at the next rodeo. It doesn’t take much. It just takes me riding her good and preparing her a little bit and she gives it 100%.
Q: You’ve only had her a few years—when did you realize she could be this kind of horse?
A: It clicked right away. She’s tiny, and I think that throws people off, but the first calf I ran on her she broke so hard I almost came out of the back of the saddle. We made five good runs right away and it was just like, wow—when it’s a fit, it’s a fit.
Q: You’re balancing rodeo with three kids—what does your prep actually look like?
A: I don’t practice very much. I try to take care of my shoulder, and with three kids we’re busy with school and sports. So when I do practice, I try to make it count. I might only run three or four calves, but I pick a couple things to work on and really focus on those.
Q: These winter rodeos are a waiting game—you run, then sit, then run again. How do you handle that mentally?
A: I think it’s big to just do your job every time. There’s a lot of waiting, and you never really know how it’s going to shake out. A lot of times if you just do your job, it ends up working out—even when you don’t think it will.
Q: You cashed in at every stop and worked your way into the Top 15—how does that set up your season?
A: It’s awesome. I was a little frustrated because I didn’t finish as strong as I wanted at some of them, but looking back, it’s hard to be upset. I just kind of nickeled and dimed my way through, but it adds up. And getting those tour points is big for me, especially since I won’t go as hard in the summer.
Q: What makes Scandal the kind of horse you can build a season around?
A: She’s just one I can count on. She’s smart, she doesn’t take much, and she tries hard every time. I’m really thankful to have her.
