Eryn Maddock brought home the 2023 Wilderness Circuit Average Championship with a time of 9.1 seconds on three head, Nov. 3-4, 2023, in Heber City, Utah, capping off a year of success on a circuit that’s new to her.
Maddock hails from Adrian, Oregon, and has two big fans cheering her on at the Wilderness Circuit Rodeos: her little girls Acee, 3, and Indee, 1.
She roped in 2.9, 3.6 and 2.6 seconds in each round to earn a total of $2,907 at the circuit finals.
BRJ: What’s your background in ProRodeo? Have you been circuit rodeoing for a while?
EM: This was my first year competing in the Wilderness Circuit. I had just dabbled in the Columbia River Circuit and then had my second baby Indee and took 2022 off. I love the Wilderness rodeos. They’re big, welcoming and have a lot of added money for breakaway ropers. For my husband Dex and I, the rodeos were an easier drive home.
What was your mindset like for the circuit finals?
I think I was able to treat this rodeo like three separate ones, because the perfs were three different days and I got to mentally prepare for each round instead of being rushed. My mindset on the third run was to be more aggressive across the line and go rope my calf. I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I was fifth in the average coming into the third round and there were so many great ropers above me that the average wasn’t really on my mind.
Tell us about your horse.
His name is Skid, he’s 16-year-old grade gelding. Dex traded for him as a 2-year-old, and he trained him. He was a calf horse and a team roping horse. He’s been to a lot of amateur rodeos and won some year-end awards. When I started breakaway roping in 2020, I just took him over. He’s so automatic for me. He backs in the box and it’s like he knows what I want to score. He fits me perfect.
What’s it like knowing you’re going to Colorado Springs next year?
I am so excited. I get tears in my eyes thinking about it. I didn’t think it would ever get to be somewhere like that competing on my horse.
Wilderness Circuit Finals Breakaway Results
First round: 1. Zoie Bedke, 2.7 seconds, $1,224; 2. Eryn Maddock, 2.9, $918; 3. (tie) Delaney Kunau and Ryland Lufkin, 3.1, $459 each.
Second round: 1. Braylee Shepherd, 2.4 seconds, $1,224; 2. Kara Burns, 2.5, $918; 3. (tie) Erika Frost and Addy Hill, 2.7, $459 each.
Third round: 1. Braylee Shepherd, 2.1 seconds, $1,224; 2. Jacelyn Frost, 2.2, $918; 3. Kash Gay, 2.4, $612; 4. (tie) Erika Frost and Eryn Maddock, 2.6, $153 each.
Average: 1. Eryn Maddock, 9.1 seconds on three head, $1,836; 2. Ryland Lufkin, 9.7, $1,377; 3. Braylee Shepherd, 16.8, $918; 4. Kara Burns, 17.9, $459.
