In breakaway roping, breaking a barrier in the arena is the last thing a roper wants. It adds a costly 10-second penalty and often puts a win out of reach. But in life, breaking barriers can open doors and make history. That’s exactly what Mexican Springs cowgirl Bailey Bates has done as the first Navajo woman from New Mexico to qualify for the National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR).
A 2011 graduate of Tohatchi High School and proud Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS) alumna, Bates now stands among the top 15 breakaway ropers in the nation. While Arizona’s Danielle Lowman has qualified in past years, Bates is the first competitor from New Mexico to achieve this milestone.
Her journey to the NFBR was a nail-biter. Going into the last weekend of the season, Bates was nearly $19,000 short of qualifying. Then, at the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, she pulled off a dramatic win—earning $34,000 and jumping into 12th place in the world standings, enough to secure her spot at the Las Vegas finals.
Bates is no stranger to winning. She is already a three-time world champion at the Indian National Finals Rodeo in breakaway roping and has competed on some of the biggest stages in rodeo, including Pendleton, the American, and Cheyenne Frontier Days—the “Grand Daddy of Them All.”
Her competitive edge was sharpened during her time as a Tohatchi Cougar, where she played basketball, volleyball, and ran track. She credits those high school sports with giving her the toughness needed to compete at the highest level. “Coach Spencer was hard on me; she knew I could take it. That made me believe I could do hard things,” Bates said.
When asked what advice she would give to GMCS students today, Bates stressed the power of mindset. “No matter what is out of your control, focus on what is in between your ears. Focus on how you take on life. Everyone has challenges thrown at them—the most important thing is how you react and how you take them on. Do you take them on head-on, or do you stay in the corner?”
In rodeo, breaking a barrier in the arena sets you back. But in life, Bailey Bates has shown that breaking barriers is exactly how you move forward paving the way for future generations of Navajo and New Mexico rodeo athletes to follow.
Photo Credit: Breakaway Roping Journal
Photo Source: Breakaway Roping Journal