With $27,502 in earnings, the Mississippi cowgirl Summer Williams secured the coveted Resistol Rookie of the Year Title.

Armed with two reliable horses, Williams’ first ProRodeo check was earned in Claremore, OK, in late May—much later than her Rookie peers had started winning. For Williams, the initial 2024 goal was to advance to the Great Lakes Circuit Finals.

“This summer I really wanted to work on my confidence,” Williams, 19, said. “I didn’t have a lot of experience with rodeo. I’d gone to a handful of amateur rodeos growing up, and then some UPRA’s and college rodeos before I left this summer. I didn’t have much experience, I just wanted to do my best and have fun. Not put too much pressure on myself.”

Growing up in the Perkinston, MS, Williams explained that she didn’t have as many rodeo opportunities when compared to youth in Oklahoma and Texas.  She grew up watching her dad in the team roping pen, eventually picking up the rope herself.

Throughout her formative years, she breakaway roped, team roped, ran barrels, poles and goat tied. Roping began to take center stage in high school, and she currently breakaway and team ropes at Cisco College where she’s a sophomore.

Time to ProRodeo

With her spring semester in Texas completed, Williams decided to go all in on ProRodeo. She won $1,857 at the Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, and $1,527 at the St. Francois County Rodeo in Farmington, MO, after which she bought her WPRA card.

From there she placed along, pulling checks at Great Lakes Circuit Rodeos such as Strong City, KS, and Merrill, WI. But things weren’t easy for the rookie, who lacked the years of rodeo experience her competitors including Harley Meged had.

“I would go into rodeos and just beat myself, thinking that these girls are better than me and not that I worked really hard at this,” Williams said. “I needed to believe in myself and worry about me.”

Summer Williams’ turning point

As June turned into July, it was time for the coveted Cowboy Christmas. Hauling with Shalee King, Williams said she struck out over and over on the richest week of the regular season.

“In late July I remember driving all night to Ogden,” Williams recalled. “And I was so tired—we’d been up for at least two days. But I was saying ‘I’m going to make it to that rodeo and I’m going to do good and turn it around.’ That was a core memory—everyone was telling me to draw out, but I was determined to go and do good.”

Williams was third out in the slack—and kept falling asleep on her horse and tried to study the start. She backed in the box with essentially no idea how far she should see her calf out, stopping the clock in 2.0 seconds. The time tied her for No. 3 in Ogden, putting $5,422 and a whole lot of confidence on her ledger.

Pair Ogden with paydays at Nebraska’s Big Rodeo in Burwell ($2,910) and the Kaw Valley Rodeo in Manhattan, KS, ($1,128), and an idea was beginning to form in Williams’ mind.

“I saw I had a chance at the Rookie, and I decided to go for it,” Williams said. “I had nothing to lose.”

Final summer push

Sitting in the No. 1 Rookie spot with $21,935 won, Williams was faced with the tough task of fending off fellow rookies Sierra Spratt, Amanda Terrell, Harley Meged and KC-Gail Churchill, who had previously held the No. 1 position.

“Over the summer, even when I was struggling, I just found the strength and joy to keep going through God,” said Williams, who has John 3:17 embroidered on her button ups. “I prayed a lot and found peace throughout the last month. I knew if this [win] was God’s plan, it was going to happen, and if even one person came to know God through me, it was going to be worth it.”

The last few weeks of September were especially nail biting, with Meged making a late summer run in Searcy, AR, and Amarillo, TX, earning more than $4K in September.

“The end of the season was a little rough for me, so I was kind of on my toes,” Williams said. “But I was still cheering everyone on. The breakaway is such a tight deal, with all the ties and everything.”

When the dust settled, Williams had bested Meged by $2,408, becoming only the fourth breakaway Resistol Rookie of the Year champion crowned by the PRCA.

But for as good as Williams’ roping was, she couldn’t have done it without her team of two horses; Keeper and Kali.

Summer Williams’ horsepower

Williams has two horses in her trailer with drastically different skill sets. The first is 13-year-old gelding Keeper, registered as “Pitchforks Rey 11,” who is sired by Dual Smart Rey and out of Shorty Lena mare Pitchforks Lena.

Though they may be a dynamic team these days, Williams says she initially wanted to sell Keeper.

“I didn’t love him at first,” Williams recalled. “I said ‘this is not the horse for me, and I messed up buying him.’ I tried to sell him for six months and couldn’t sell him. Couldn’t give him away. And that was God knowing that I needed him. And now, I would never sell him, and I’ve had so many people try to buy him.”

Keeper is Williams’ long score horse for his honest nature and ability to put her in the same spot every run. Her 8-year-old mare Kali, on the other hand, is for shorter setups.

Kali, registered as “Flashy N Cashy.” Kali is sired by Purdy Boy Flash and out of Smart Mate mare Money Talks Smart. Williams bought her from Cody McCartney as a breakaway prospect.

“Kali is young, but I have a lot of confidence on her because I taught her everything,” Williams said. “That makes it easier to know them really well.”

What’s next

Williams’ next big event is the Great Lakes Circuit Finals taking place Nov. 14–16. She says she’s hoping for an NFR Open Qualification—and is currently leading the Year-End standings on the circuit.

“I feel really good and I’m excited for the new season,” Williams said. “It’s a good feeling. But ultimately, enjoy my time out there and have fun. I know there are a ton of people who want to be out there, and it’s easy to get caught up in the roping and wanting to do good that I forget that it’s a blessing that I have the opportunity.”

Final 2024 Breakaway Resistol Rookie of the Year Standings