Cougar Cowgirl: A Cowboy Christmas to remember
Josie Goodrich won breakaway run in Oregon, earned ninth place in barrel racing in Toppenish
July 7, 2022
As my Cowboy Christmas has just ended, I am already looking forward to Christmas in December and begging it to treat me better than the cowboy version did.
As I mentioned in my last column, Cowboy Christmas is the week surrounding July 4 that can be a big money maker for cowboys and cowgirls. Sadly, I was not one of those cowgirls.
I started off in La Pine, Ore., and came out on top. I had the fastest time of the rodeo, a 2.0-second breakaway run, along with one other girl. We split first place. Because we both technically won the breakaway, we had to flip a coin for the belt buckle, and I got it.
I also won fifth place in the barrel race, so La Pine was pretty much the hot spot for me last weekend.
Not only was it successful for me, but it was for my entire family. My mom and Makayla McCabe, my other traveling partner, won a check in the breakaway, my brother won a check in the calf roping and my dad won the calf roping.
I would have to say it is pretty special that my dad and I won the same rodeo and both got buckles because he is the whole reason I even rope, so I am very thankful we are able to succeed together.
I have also loved competing with my mom because we are technically competing against each other. I am so glad we both won a check at La Pine, but I will be honest when I say I am even more glad I beat her.
After La Pine, things went a little south. I headed to Toppenish and won ninth in the barrel race, which does not sound like anything special, but my horse Keeper had a stellar run.
I also would like to mention that rodeos are not like normal sports, where being in the top three is all that matters. Being in the top three is ideal of course, but if you get any sort of check at a rodeo, it is hard to complain. Some rodeos have over 100 contestants entered, and they only give checks to a small handful. A win is a win.
My breakaway at Toppenish was not amazing, and neither was Sedro-Woolley. Between a mixture of bad cattle and just not roping my best, I am glad that weekend is over, and I have a whole new weekend coming up.
If I had not hit the third barrel at Sedro-Woolley, I would have won a $100 gas card for being the fastest in the round. Instead, my mom won the gas card on my breakaway horse Ruby.
It had rained all day and night, and the arena was super muddy. Instead of running her good barrel horse or having to pay a turn-out fee, my mom rode my breakaway horse. Do not ask me how, but Ruby turned those barrels like she wanted that gas card herself, and she dang sure got it.
At Sedro-Woolley, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had won the Women’s All-Around buckle the weekend before at Newport. I competed in two events and won the most money, so I won the buckle.
I am currently in Big Fork with two other girls. We found about ten bales of hay on the side of the road, some pretty nice quality hay if you will. A terrible loss for whoever owns it, but an amazing win for us broke college cowgirls.
This weekend I will be in Elgin, Ore. and Cheney, where I plan on catching some fast necks in the breakaway and having Keeper run like there is a golden pot of grain at the end of the arena.