Tiada Gray rounded up $7,579 with her 2024 Greeley Stampede victory—pushing her inside the Top 15 among a wolfy pack of ProRodeo breakaway competitors.
“I’ve entered Greeley ever since they started having breakaway, but they rope some muley-size calves those usually aren’t my kind,” Gray said. “So, it was exciting to succeed there this year.”
With times of 2.4, 2.5 and 2.8 seconds, Gray picked up checks in both go-rounds and the finals, winning the aggregate by 0.5-of-a-second.
“The calves there had some variability, so you really had to go do your job and let it play out,” Gray said. “My first calf, he didn’t leave the sharpest so I definitely tried to let him take the start. And I pressed the barrier more than I’d like to every time, but hey, it worked out.”
The win has moved Gray into welcome territory. As of July 2, she was sitting No. 17 in the WPRA World Standings with $31,019 won. As of July 8? She’s at No. 14 with $40,076.
Read about the Top 5 Cowboy Christmas earners and find the updated World Standings here.
The remainder of Gray’s Cowboy Christmas money came at the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Arizona. She collected $1,477 in Round 1 and the average on gelding “Coon.” She says the cutting-bred gelding prefers rodeo to the practice pen—and he showed out this week under the bright lights.
“Coon has been great—if I do my job, he does his,” Gray said.
As for her strategy throughout the remainder of the summer, Gray is prioritizing “big” rodeos and tour rodeos, which will count towards Puyallup and Sioux Falls qualifications. She wants to capitalize where she can with Coon without hauling his legs off. She’s is in the mix on the Turquoise Circuit, too, sitting No. 9 with $3,712 earned.
