She headed into the first weekend of May fourth in the world standings, then won two of three rounds, placed in the other to clinch the aggregate championship at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in the Oklahoma Panhandle, securing $8,046. A format change from a one-head progressive – where the top performers in the opening round advance to make a second run – to a two-round progressive offered her a chance to make big money.
“They gave us three this year, so getting to do that this year like the other timed events was really nice,” said Miller, who pushed her 2025 earnings to more than $52,000. “That was a nice change.”
Guymon offers each competitor in the roping events a “fresh” calf, meaning none of the animals had ever seen a rodeo arena before. It offers a unique approach for each cowgirl, because they don’t know what the animal will do when the chute gate opens. Some cows took off running, while others stood in the chute and casually walked into the arena.
“I like that kind of setup,” said Miller, a fourth-year competitor from Santa Fe, Texas, a community of 13,000 near Galveston. “It’s different than what we’re used to, so we don’t get to do that very often. I definitely enjoyed it compared to just it being a slinging match and everybody trying to be 1.4 (seconds) with the results stacking up.
“You have to be able to score good, and your horse has to be able to take it. You have to be able to read it, read your calf if it’s leaving you or if it’s being softer. It’s more than a person thinks.”
It’s an adjustment, but that’s what it’s like rodeoing in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Like breakaway before, WPRA barrel racers had competed in a one-round progressive. With approval from the WPRA, the format changed to a straight one-header, and four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Wenda Johnson of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, outran everybody.
