WPRA NEWS

Miller Making Most of Opportunities Presented, Takes Title in Guymon

By Ted Harbin

Things are coming together quite well for breakaway roper Aspen Miller.

She finished the 2024 WPRA campaign 25th in the ProRodeo World Standings, which not only helped build confidence in the young cowgirl but also helped create momentum heading into this season. She won San Antonio and picked up some decent checks at two other major Texas rodeos in Austin and Houston.

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.

Johnson stopped the clock in 17.31 seconds, seven-hundredths faster than fellow Oklahoma NFR qualifier and Guymon runner-up Leslie Smalygo. Johnon added $5,258 and moved into the top 10 in the world standings. For the WPRA, though, the story was on the dominating performance of Miller, who credited her mighty weekend to a combination of forces coming together.

“I think it was a mixture of everything going really good,” said Miller, who won the opening round with a 2.2-second run, finished tied for sixth in the second round with a 3.5, then closed her performances with a 2.4 to take the third round. “I had my two fresh calves that I thought were great. I had to figure out my second-round calf that was a little sharper.

“The horse I have is versatile when it comes to that. I can be fast on him, or if I need to just get one caught, I can do that on him as well.”

The mount is Jigsaw, an 8-year-old brown gelding. He’s been the guiding force to her spot among the top five on the money list.

“I feel like I can be fast on him but also can track one down if I need to,” she said. “He gave me a good shot in the first round. When I knew the second-round calves were going to be a little stronger, I didn’t doubt that I would have a good shot. I trusted him to get me there.”

That faith may lead her to her first National Finals Breakaway Roping qualification, and she has nearly five months to prove it.

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