Learn Kash Gay’s name, because her streak of dominance against the best breakaway ropers in the game saw her pull $57,106 across four runs at the Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway Finals.
The relatively unknown roper from Plain City, UT, burst onto the national stage in a big way after winning $57,000 and a truckload of awards on the first day of the Million Dollar Breakaway, the history-making richest breakaway roping in the sport’s history setup to pit aspiring qualifiers against the top 10 National Finals of Breakaway Roping Qualifiers.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” Gay, 22, said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of my whole life and it’s so amazing. In the moment, it’s just ‘Rope another calf.’ I came into it with the mentality to just go at every one of them. These rounds are insane, so I’ve just been goin at ’em.”
Find out who’s roping in the Million Dollar Breakaway and find full results here.
Kash Gay tees up a big day
While fans watched on Thanksgiving Day, Gay nodded her head for the first time in the Semifinals—where 141 ropers were whittled down to 15 for the evening finals. Gay immediately set a strong precedent for the day with a 2.09 in Round 2 of the Semifinals, earning the reserve finish, $3,109 and a spot in the Million Dollar Breakaway Finals.
Gay wasn’t finished, though, blasting the competition again in Round 3 with a 1.93-second run for another $3,997.
But onlookers couldn’t have been prepared for the performance Gay was going to put on in the evening.
Million Dollar Breakaway Rounds 1–3
The sixth roper out in Round 1, Gay used her familiarity of the setup to her advantage, setting the pace with a 2.06-second run that wasn’t topped the remainder of the round, earning her $25,000.
“Throwing fast has always been my style,” Gay said. “I always do better when I go run my run. My grandpa always told me, ‘Go run your rodeo and let them beat you.’ And that’s always been my mentality.”
In Round 2, Gay kept the figurative gas pedal on the floor, but her loop didn’t connect. But the misstep didn’t keep her from going hard in Round 3, where she roped in 1.9 seconds—the fastest of the event thus far—securing another $25,000.
Kash Gay’s horse Chex Out Rio
To do it all, Gay rode her partner of 13 years, “Dee,” registered as Chex Out Rio.
“I’ve rode him since he was a 3-year-old, and he’s 16,” Gay said. “My grandpa bought him as a yearling and my uncle trained him. We’ve gone to everything together. I had him in high school and now ProRodeoing.”
Gay explained she does some heading on Dee to keep him happy doing his job in breakaway roping. When Dee’s been heading, he realizes how much easier life is coming out of the heel box.
Gay and 24 other breakaway ropers will compete in three more go-rounds tonight in the Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway Roping.
