Madison Outhier won the average at the Reno Rodeo to catapult from No. 23 to a projected No. 13 in the WPRA world standings after going 8.2 seconds on three head to win the average and $12,142.
Outhier has never had much luck in Reno; this year was drastically different.
“It was my first time to ever do good there, honestly. I think it was my first time to even make the perfs in the second round too.”
Reno uses a two-foot-under barrier, but Outhier was quick to point out it doesn’t feel like every other two-under setup on the ProRodeo calendar. The box is long and the calves are strong.
“Even though it was two under and it gets pretty fast at a lot of two-under rodeos we go to this summer—(Reno) is just an exceptionally longer feel,” she said. “The calves are out there in front of you a little bit more. 2.2, 2.3 is what won the rounds, so it’s definitely a little bit longer setup for us.”
She drew her best calf in the first round, a slightly stronger one in the second, and navigated both clean. Her game plan heading into the short round was straightforward: make a smart run, protect her place in the average, and don’t take herself out of the money.
“I was just wanting to lay the barrier back a little more,” she said of the short go. “When I roped in 2.8, I honestly did not expect to win it. I knew the girls behind me would probably be a little quicker, but it ended up working out in my favor.”
Eva All Three Rounds
Outhier made every run aboard her 9-year-old mare Lets Boogie Wildcared—Eva—the same horse she’s been rebuilding her season around.
Keeping Eva going on the road has been a priority. After Reno, rather than haul Eva thousands of miles Outhier flew to Greeley and used her gelding Gallo Del Cielo—Rooster—instead, giving her mare a lighter week before the Fourth of July .
“We left the rig and those horses there in Reno and flew down to Greeley and back, just to give them a little more relief,” she said.
New restrictions along the Canadian border due to the New World Screwworm have also shaped her routing decisions this summer, and she’s been deliberate about which horses go where and when. Eva did make the trip from Reno up to Prineville, Oregon, for the Crooked River Roundup which was about a 16-hour round-trip.
“Honestly not too bad for the week,” she said.
When the miles start stacking up, Outhier leans on a routine she credits with keeping Eva comfortable. Benefab boots in the trailer to combat swelling and a mixture of topical and feed-ins from Equinety and Equine Health Solutions to keep her feeling her best.
“She’s super athletic and really heathy, but she stalls up in her back legs quite a bit, and those boots really help,” Outhier said. “I’ve been really excited about how well she’s been doing, and I feel really confident on her right now going into the rest of the summer.”
The Road Ahead
The Reno win stacked on top of her win at Big Spring lands Outhier in the projected top 15 for the first time this season with a full summer of rodeos ahead.
“It’s definitely exciting anytime you break into the top 15,” she said. “But yeah—just keeping the same mindset—taking one calf at a time.”
