On Sunday, July 27, Arizona cowgirl and Navajo Nation member Danielle “Dani” Lowman captured one of the most coveted titles in ProRodeo breakaway roping, winning Cheyenne Frontier Days with a blistering 4.3-second run.
The victory paid $19,537 and vaulted Lowman from No. 42 to approximately No. 24 in the WPRA World Standings, putting a NFBR berth within reach.
What made the win even more special, though, was the fact she did it aboard new horse. Registered as Tungsten Rebel, the 6-year-old gelding “Gucci” has only been in her trailer since June, and the pair is still figuring each other out on the road.
“Gucci is a lot faster than anything I’ve ever been on,” Lowman said. “He’s young, he’s green, and I’ve been having to change my style to fit him. Sometimes I get mad at myself, sometimes at him, but at the end of the day, we’re just trying to stay consistent and enjoy the ride. A lot of people would love to be doing this for a living, so I remind myself of that every day.”
The road to the win and calf 526
Cheyenne’s long score and unpredictable cattle tested the new duo all week. Lowman squeaked into the semifinals after tying for the last qualifying spot in the quarterfinals, then drew the same challenging calf—526.
“On Sunday my cousin told me, ‘You’ve run the fastest calf here twice and caught him both times. This is nothing,’” Lowman said. “That kind of settled me down. I knew if I scored sharp and trusted my horse, we could get it done.”
In the Finals, Lowman drew the same calf that Rylee George had been 4.3 on earlier in the week. She matched the mark exactly, sticking it on in 4.3 seconds for one of the biggest wins in her professional career.
“Cheyenne has been a bucket list rodeo for me forever,” Lowman said. “To do it on a young horse I just started hauling makes it even more meaningful. This setup is one of the toughest we see all year, so to put it together here gives me a huge vote of confidence for the rest of the season.”
Building year with Gucci
Lowman purchased Gucci from fellow breakaway roper Macy Young in April after trying him at jackpots over the winter. His speed and heart sealed the deal, but the transition hasn’t been seamless.
“My old style was to nod and swing fast out of the box, but with Gucci, I have to really ride my horse, see the score and then swing,” Lowman explained. “He’s teaching me patience and changing the way I rope, which I think will make me better in the long run.”
With the Cheyenne win padding her season earnings and a string of lucrative August rodeos ahead, Lowman knows her goals are now within reach.
“Winning Cheyenne puts us back in the race,” Lowman said. “Now we just have to keep believing and keep going.”
