Braylee Shepherd lost her “one-in-a-million” breakaway horse Dollar from cancer in early 2023.
Now, she’s mounted by two of the most influential ropers in the industry, Lari Dee Guy and Hope Thompson. Riding the mare aptly named “Promise,” Shepherd is climbing the Resistol Rookie ranks, moving from No. 3 to No. 2 in June with $10,062 in earnings.
The last year has been a whirlwind for the 18-year-old from Fitzhugh, Oklahoma, but her feet may finally be touching the ground.
Could have bet anything on Dollar
Shepherd’s parents Marni and Kiley Shepherd raised Dollar, and Shepherd took over his reins three years ago when the gelding was 5. Dollar advanced Shepherd from poised prospect to formidable competitor.
“He helped my roping transform,” Shepherd said. “He made me sharper in my swing and timing and taught me so much with my left hand. He was one-in-a-million. I don’t think I’ll find another like him. He always wanted to please every run and do his job. Rock solid, would never short me. He let my job be easy.”
In 2021, the family noticed a bump on Dollar’s face. A vet thought it was a problematic tooth, but further testing confirmed it was cancer that had advanced into the bone. Because of its location and complexity, surgery wasn’t an option.
Shepherd began roping on Dollar in a hackamore to minimize any irritation to the site, and she diligently applied a poultice-like mud to the cancer to manage its growth. As the tumor grew, Shepherd built Dollar a custom hackamore to use.
Shepherd says the cancer never slowed Dollar down—he still loved his job. The pair won $10,000 in December 2022 at The Masters Tour in Las Vegas, $5,000 for winning the youth division and $5,000 for coming up No. 2 in the open division.
“The cancer didn’t faze him much, he had so much heart,” Shepherd said. “But it finally got to where we couldn’t control it anymore. Two weeks before I put him down, I roped my last calf on him, and he was the same horse as he had always been.”
Dollar was laid to rest in February 2023 at 8 years old.
Braylee Shepherd’s New partner, Promise
The Shepherd family became friendly with nine-time WPRA World Champion Lari Dee Guy and four-time WPRA World Champion Hope Thompson when the ropers hosted clinics at their facility in Nephi, Utah.
“They’ve been good to me,” Shepherd said. “About a month ago I was at a jackpot on Dollar’s half-sister, and she’s getting better, but she’s not the caliber I need ProRodeo-wise. I was talking to Hope and asked if they had anything for sale. She said no, but they had this mare Lari Dee wouldn’t sell. The next day Lari Dee called me and said ‘Hey, I heard you needed a horse, come try this mare. I would be willing to let you ride her.’”
That mare? Her name is Promise.
“Knowing [Shepherd’s] situation and knowing how good of a girl and a horsewoman she is, we told her to just take the mare, and if she works out, great. If not, it’s no biggie,” Thompson said. “She’s a great hand, and everything she’s had success on, she’s pretty much trained herself, so we had confidence she’d do her justice. And she sure is.”
Shepherd says Promise still needs some seasoning and work in the box for ProRodeo competition, but all the parts are there. She choked up talking about her, saying the mare reminded her of Dollar.
“It doesn’t even seem real,” Shepherd said. “Now that I have this mare, I have enough horsepower to go. If I do good these next few weeks up North, I am going to try for the rookie [title] and the Wilderness circuit.”
Shepherd and Promise’s biggest check together so far came at the Woodward Elks Rodeo in Oklahoma, June 7–10. They tied for No. 3 behind names like Taylor Munsell and Shelby Boisjoli, roping their calf in 2.6-seconds and earning $2,807.
