Nicole Baggarley roped one in 2.0 seconds in Window Rock, Arizona, to not only win the rodeo and add $4,249 to her Turquoise Circuit standings but to also punch her ticket to Cheyenne Frontier Days.
When it was announced in February of this year that Cheyenne was changing to a qualifying format, Baggarley had to come to terms with the fact that she may not get to run one down at “The Daddy” this year.
“I was pretty bummed,” Baggarley admitted. “I didn’t think I was going to get my one trip out of the circuit for the year, but now I get to go play again.”
For Baggarley, who calls Cheyenne one of her favorite rodeos, the timing couldn’t have been better.
After her good mare— Six Moon Legacy, “Calamity,”—had colic surgery last spring, it really pumped the brakes on Baggarley’s rodeoing.
She had to pivot.
“That kind of put a damper on our extra funds,” said Las Cruces, New Mexico, cowgirl. “So, I’m just sticking around home.”
Although Calamity is back in full force, Baggarley called on One Smart Lesa, whom she calls “JoJo,” at Window Rock.
Baggarley expressed that JoJo is her girl when it comes to fast set ups like it was in Arizona.
“I missed the heck out of my slack on that run,” laughed Baggarley. “Everyone was like, ‘Well, when your horse stops like that, you don’t really need your slack.”
Having purchased her as a 3–year-old, JoJo came up through Baggarley’s program and has stayed in her string for the last seven years.
“She’s a spitfire,” said Baggarley. “She is a little quirky, but man, when it’s time to do her job, she gives 110% every time.”
The win not only got her qualified to Cheyenne; it also moved her the projected No. 2 spot in the Turquoise Circuit standings with $7,682. It was one of those wins that just felt right.
“I’ve never actually won it outright, but I’ve done pretty good there in the past,” said Baggarley. “So, it’s pretty cool to actually get the win.”
The 2021 NFBR qualifier says she isn’t done rodeoing hard yet, she is just waiting for the right string of horses.
“I need to get a few more horses put together,” she said. “I have a few young horses coming up, so if they fit the bill to go between JoJo and Calamity then I’ll probably go hard again.”
Editor’s note: WPRA hasn’t updated circuit standings, so her rank is projected to No. 2
