PECOS Three years ago, Haley Sage arrived at the West of the Pecos Rodeo with a new mount.
“I raised him,” she said of Pretzel, a 10-year-old gray gelding. “He’s by our stud. I trained him, too, and the first rodeo I ever rode him at was Pecos.”
Now in their fourth year working this historic rodeo together, they’ve teamed together quite nicely. They made two runs Thursday – she was 4.2 seconds and sits in a tie for sixth in the opening round that occurred during the morning session, then she posted a 3.2-second run in the opening performance of the 141st rodeo for a tie for third place in the second round – to lead the aggregate race.
“I came back and drew a better calf,” said Sage of Datil, New Mexico. “I love this rodeo. I’ve been here every year since you guys added breakaway. It’s a great setup, and I wish more were like it.”
She began her roping career about 11 years ago, and it carried her to a rodeo scholarship at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. After college, she went back to her family’s place in eastern New Mexico, where she continues to help on the ranch.
Over that stretch, the popularity of breakaway roping has surged. The first year it was added to ProRodeo was 2020, and the first National Finals Breakaway Roping took place in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo that December. The first world champion was Jackie Crawford, who has 22 other WPRA titles; the Oklahoma-raised cowgirl now living in Stephenville earned a little more than $47,000 that year.
In a sport where dollars equal championship points, that was a strong starting point. Because the 2020 campaign was hampered by the COVID pandemic, total payouts were low in all events, but they were especially small in breakaway roping. In the years since, more rodeos are including the event in their schedules, and the money shows. This past year, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged set a new earnings mark with nearly $198,000.
“I was just 18 when they started it, so I’ve grown with the WPRA,” Sage said. “We really just thank all the committees that are adding all the money and having us.”
What has drawn the cowgirl to the sport?
“It’s fast, and (it takes) good horses; I just love it,” she said, pointing to her powerful gray gelding who is now in the prime of his career. “He showed that. He’s a little bigger, and this is a little longer score, so (we) kind of excel here.”
While Sage was fast in breakaway roping, the husband-wife tandem of Marcos Costa and Keyla Costa proved to be just as speedy. Marcos Costa, the 2016 tie-down roping world champion, posted a 10.0-second run to take second-round lead; he’s also atop the aggregate race with a two-run cumulative time of 22.2 seconds. Keyla Costa posted a 17.62-second run and leads the only round of barrel racing by two-tenths of a second.
The competition at the “World’s First Rodeo” is just beginning, with three more nights of action before deciding this year’s West of the Pecos champions.
