Resistol Rookie of the Year contender KC-Gail Churchill is as laid back as she is deadly with a breakaway rope in her hand.
Currently sitting No. 2 in the standings with $20,667 won on the year, the 19-year-old from Waco, Texas, is hopeful about her Resistol Rookie of the Year title chances, but primarily focused on breaking into the top 30 WPRA breakaway ropers for access to the 2025 Texas swing rodeos.
The Breakaway Roping Journal had an opportunity to get to visit with Churchill following her Cowboy Christmas run and No. 2 finish at the Oakley City Independence Day Rodeo, where she earned $6,377.
BRJ: What did your youth look like, rodeo-wise?
KC-Gail Churchill: “I’ve always done something with a horse and I started with everything. Poles, barrels, goats and roping. And when I turned 6, I knew I really liked roping so I asked if we could sell my barrel horses and buy more calf horses. My dad, Damon, calf roped but didn’t have the money to go on the road.”
Who were some of the big influences on your roping?
“I grew up around Edd Workman, and he helped my horsemanship a lot. He’s like a grandpa to me. Him and Cody Ohl have been very influential on me. I stayed with [Cody] all summer in 2023, and he helped me tweak little things. My parents try to keep me around good people.”
How did you decided 2024 was going to be your Rookie year?
“I filled my permit on my birthday at a WPRA roping in Hamilton, Texas, so I had to extend it. The only way I could go to more rodeos was to buy my card. I was forced into my rookie year, really. I wish I had been out on the road before [this year] so I knew where and when to go. But it’s the Rookie year. It’s all learning. As a rookie, you kind of have to go to everything and see what’s going to be your setup.”
What’s it been like on the road this summer?
“It’s faster than I thought. You only get to see what’s on Cowboy Channel at home, and when you’re out here, the girls aren’t using the whole arena. I’m at Ogden right now, and Hali Williams was 1.8 this morning.”
Talk about the horses you’re riding.
“I have the buckskin ‘Reno,’ and he’s 16 or 17. I get out really good on him—he’s easy across the line. The other one is a gray, and his name is ‘Bradley.’ He’s almost too pretty. He’s 7. He’s a little greener, he’s been to a lot of jackpots but not as many rodeos and doesn’t fire as hard across the line. But, I feel like I can be fast or run one down on either of them.”
What are your big goals for the rest of the year?
“My plan is to end up in the top 30, so I can do all the big Texas rodeos. I want to win the Resistol Rookie, and if I do, that’s cool because you can only win it one time. But this year is a trial year for me. I’m just going through it and finding good places to go for years to come.”
Resistol Rookie of the Year Breakaway Standings as of July 31, 2024
| 1 | Summer Williams | Mineral Wells, TX | $21,455 |
| 2 | KC-Gail Churchill | Waco, TX | $20,666 |
| 3 | Harley Meged | Miles City, MT | $17,974 |
| 4 | Shiloh Napp | Enterprise, MS | $14,480 |
| 5 | Sierra Spratt | San Tan Valley, AZ | $13,658 |
