Kelsie Domer nailed the 2024 Calgary Stampede Rocky Mountain Cup Championship with four razor-sharp runs, amassing a total of $16,201.
The win came on the heels of a busy Cowboy Christmas—a week that Domer said was “Up and down” with back luck on calves and a couple of missed opportunities.
“I did the best I can over Cowboy Christmas,” Domer said. “It just didn’t work. I won a little at Cody and Big Fork, so it wasn’t a complete bust. I was still in a pretty good headspace, though. I didn’t feel like I had made stupid mistakes. Just bad things happened.”
This was Domer’s first trip to Calgary for the Rocky Mountain Cup, despite being invited to compete in the inaugural 2023 competition.
“Oaklynn was still really little and I wasn’t sure how the border was going to work,” Domer said. “There were plenty of good rodeos [in the States] so I just stayed down here. But, I made the decision to make Calgary work this year.”
It was worth the work, too, with her four runs of 1.9, 2.5, 1.8 and 2.0 seconds on special gelding Little Man yielding more money than the top-earning breakaway roper over Cowboy Christmas, Josie Conner.
With the earnings, Domer should move from No. 18 to No. 6 in the WPRA World Standings, with approximately $51,100 won on the year. (unofficially!)
“All my runs were really fun,” Domer said. “I was telling my mom today—and not in a cocky way but in a confident way—it felt good. I didn’t get in my way, I played by the rules. It felt simple. It didn’t feel easy, it’s never easy, and I don’t want people to take that wrong. But it was simple. I did my job. I didn’t try to do anything special.”
The field initially started with 30 ladies running two calves, then top eight, then final four. Domer explained those situations can be a little easier mentally… because the only objective is to blow the doors off.
“It’s not going to be a giveaway,” Domer said. “The calves were really good up there, the start was fast and you didn’t have any option other than to go at ’em. Little Man was feeling it.”
With this win and a little bit of momentum, Domer is looking forward to the Utah slate of rodeos.
“These next couple of weeks might be even busier than the Fourth of July,” Domer said. “There are some great rodeos. We are at Sheridan now, we’re going to Laramie, Nampa, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, Spanish Fork and Ogden. You do not slow down, and this is the time of year you want to be on a roll and have that confidence.”
2024 Calgary Stampede Rocky Mountain Cup Breakaway results
First round: 1. (tie) Taylor Munsell and Joey Williams, 1.8 seconds, $1,989 each; 3. Kelsie Domer, 1.9, $1,573; 4. (tie) Martha Angelone, Shaya Biever, Makayla Boisjoli and Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 2.1, $879 each; 8. (tie) Erin Johnson and Bradi Whiteside, 2.2, $93 each.
Second round: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.0 seconds, $2,128; 2. (tie) Dwana Salisbury, Bradi Whiteside and Macy Young, 2.1, $1,573 each; 5. (tie) Martha Angelone, Sarah Angelone and Makayla Boisjoli, 2.2, $740 each; 8. (tie) Shelby Boisjoli-Meged and Kendal Pierson, 2.3, $93 each.
Third round: 1. Kelsie Domer, 1.8 seconds, $2,128; 2. (tie) Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, Bradi Whiteside, 2.0, $1,711 each; 4. Martha Angelone, 2.4, $1,295; 5. (tie) Taylor Munsell, 2.5, $1,000
Finals: 1. Kelsie Domer, 2.0 seconds, $12,500; 2. Bradi Whiteside, 2.2, $7,500; 3. Martha Angelone, 2.3, $5,000; 4. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 11.8, $2,500.
Average leaders: 1. Kelsie Domer 8.2 seconds on four head; 2. Bradi Whiteside, 8.5; 3. Martha Angelone, 9.0.
