Kelsie Domer earned the 2023 Women’s Rodeo World Championship Breakaway title on Saturday, May 20, after advancing as one of two ropers who made it through the WRWC’s last chance qualifier on Wednesday.
Domer knows how to walk the line, whether it’s the barrier line, WRWC qualification line, advancement line, or signature line on a $60,000 check.
“Winning this has me so excited,” Domer, 32, said. “I finally finished something like this. I’ve been in the situation for big money, and I’ve never finished. That’s all I could think about—that I was going to finish this one.”
She did it on 19-year-old gelding “Little Man,” who Domer said was rock solid the entire week of runs in the Cowtown Coliseum.
The dodgy road to the Triple Crown Round
Domer posted a time of 2.5-seconds in the first round and missed her calf in the second round. The WRWC took 17 ropers back to the semifinals Friday evening, and Domer was one of five ladies with one roped that made the cut.
The semifinals Friday night May 19 were salty, with 10 ladies stopping the clock in the 2-point-something-second range.
“I had to win first in the semis or my average time wasn’t going to be good enough to come back,” Domer said. “I won first.”
With a time of 2.2 seconds, Domer collected $1,000 and moved onto the Showdown Round Saturday afternoon with 11 other ropers. She topped the Showdown, too, posting a 2.23-second run.
“My Showdown run today, I knew the calf was strong. They’ve been good. I made a good run and then we got to pick our calves for the [Triple Crown Round]. Since I won the [Showdown] round I got to pick first, and the one I chose was good. He stepped right a little bit, but I knew he wasn’t going to try to beat me.”
As the loop pulled closed around the calf’s neck and snapped off in 2.16 seconds, Domer pumped her fist enthusiastically. She’d done it.
“This event’s draw is the $60,000,” Domer said. “Where can we go get that money? It’s an all-girls event, it’s highlighting the women, and it’s only an hour-and-a-half from my place in Dublin, Texas.”
Kelsie Domer’s most important team member
Domer did it all while being a brand-new mom to Oaklynn Rae. She said the 2022 WRWC was one of her last events last year before she hung up her rope to finish her pregnancy. Now, Oaklynn Rae is out on the rodeo road with the support of Domer’s mom, aunt, brother, husband Ryan and hauling partner Ashley Goforth.
“Nothing compares to being a mom,” Domer said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m not going to say it isn’t hard, but it’s a choice I’ll make over and over again. There is a learning curve and you’ve got to figure out what works and what doesn’t, but it’s been amazing. She’s a really good baby and she travels well. The rodeo family is exactly that—a family.”
For full breakaway results, check out the WRWC’s website.
| Rank | Round | Athlete | Time | Earnings |
| 1 | Triple Crown Round | Kelsie Domer | 2.16 | $60,000 |
| 2 | Triple Crown Round | Kassidy Dennison | 4.47 | $25,000 |
| 3 | Triple Crown Round | Haliegh Grant | 7.12 | $15,500 |
| 4 | Showdown Round | Kinlie Brennise | 2.95 | $10,000 |
| 5 | Showdown Round | Rylie Romero | 3.02 | $7,500 |
| 6 | Showdown Round | Jordan Jo Hollabaugh | 3.51 | $5,000 |
| 7 | Showdown Round | Shyra Cline | 3.51 | $3,500 |
| 8 | Showdown Round | Kelsie Reininger | 3.76 | $2,500 |
| 9 | Showdown Round | Harley Pryor | 7.3 | $1,500 |
| 10 | Showdown Round | Mallorie Fewell | 7.43 | $1,500 |
| 11 | Showdown Round | Bailey Bates | – | $1,500 |
| 12 | Showdown Round | Martha Angelone | – | $1,500 |
