Suzanne Williams dominated the California Circuit for the second year in a row, capturing the Average title with a time of 9.2 seconds and Year-End Championship with a total of $19,464.
Williams collected a total of $6,328 at the California Circuit Finals in Red Bluff to handily secure the title for the second year in a row.
The Breakaway Roping Journal was fortunate enough to catch up with Williams following her win to hear how her dominant weekend came together.
BRJ: Set the scene for us. What did you have to do to wrap up the year-end championship? What was your game plan?
SW: “Going in, Haleigh Grant was right behind me—we’d been going back and forth the second half of the season. Allie Hoskins and Whitlee Burgess were right there as well. I wanted to win the Circuit, and I knew I had to catch every calf to make it happen. I wanted to make them come get me. I didn’t treat it like a one-header, I treated it like a three-header.”
Suzanne Williams’ 2024 California Circuit resume
- California Rodeo Salinas, Salinas, CA — $4,812
- Oakdale Rodeo, Oakdale, CA — $1,481
- Brawley Cattle Call Rodeo, Brawley, CA — $1,410
- Rowell Ranch Rodeo, Hayward, CA — $1,401
- Wing & Barrel Western Days, Sonoma, CA — $1,348
You were 2.7, 3.0 and 3.5 seconds on each of your runs. Can you talk us through them?
The calves were soft and that building changes animals. That being said, we’re super appreciative of Red Bluff for hosting, because their facility is great for handling the kind of rain we got this weekend.
The first round the calves were pretty consistent, the second round they were a little worse, and by the third round they didn’t want to play. My third calf, I had a game plan, and the third round he peeled to the left and that wasn’t [expected]. I’m glad I did something right—because I did not throw a good loop and it still worked.
Tell us about the horses that made it happen.
I rode Ducker at the Circuit Finals. He’s my go-to guy. He’s so easy to score on and he makes it easy. I rode him throughout most of the year, too, except when he jerked a shoe off after Pendleton and tore his foot all up.
So, I had to finish the season on J-Low. Those were her first bigger rodeos. I took her to Brawley, Sonoma and Vegas. She has all the potential in the world, she’s just a little hot especially for the rodeo setups. But I have no doubts she’s not going to get there.
She’s a reined cow horse reject. She’s only about 14 hands, but probably 1,000 pounds. She’s very cute. Going forward, I’ll be riding her at more of the smaller circuit rodeos and saving Ducker for some of the bigger ones.
This will be your second trip to the NFR Open, correct?
Yes. Last year I missed my second calf. It was one of those deals where I still don’t know how I missed him. It was great to be there and bittersweet, but I’m looking forward to another chance.
Williams thanked her husband Don for “hauling me all over the place,” and her college students she coaches at Lassen Community College for keeping her sharp.
Joining Williams at the 2025 NFR Open with a No. 2 finish in the year-end standings is Grant with $17,822 won.
2024 California Circuit Finals Breakaway Roping Results
First round: 1. Suzanne Williams, 2.7 seconds, $2,301; 2. Whitlee Burgess, 2.8, $1,726; 3. Fallon Ruffoni, 3.1, $1,151; 4. Cassidy Barnes, 3.3, $575.
Second round: 1. Allie Hoskins, 2.4 seconds, $2,301; 2. Haliegh Grant, 2.5, $1,726; 3. Fallon Ruffoni, 2.6, $1,151; 4. Suzanne Williams, 3.0, $575.
Third round: 1. Haliegh Grant, 2.5 seconds, $2,301; 2. Whitlee Burgess, 2.7, $1,726; 3. Cassidy Barnes, 2.9, $1,151; 4. Hanna Coale, 3.0, $575.
Average: 1. Suzanne Williams, 9.2 seconds on three head, $3,452; 2. Cassidy Barnes, 9.5, $2,589; 3. Gianna O’Day, 10.6, $1,726; 4. Haliegh Grant, 5.0 on two head, $863.
