Makenzie Mayes made the most of a high-dollar opportunity in New Orleans, banking $101,500 at the Hondo Rodeo with a dominant three-round performance aboard “Rousey” (Chicado Moon).
The 22-year-old barrel racer won Rounds 1 and 2, added another check in the finals and secured both the Maverick Award and the three-head average title inside Caesars Superdome.
“It was awesome,” Mayes said. “You’re just there for fun. You’re there to win some money and have a good time. And they do a really good job of hyping it up for the contestants and making it fun.”
She set the tone early with a clean, confident first run.
“That run was flawless,” she said. “She stayed honest. She fired hard. She loved the crowd and everything. She was locked in.”
Mayes came back and won the second round, narrowly missing a hit on the second turn. By Round 3, she was confident Rousey was tapped off and ready to lock in the aggregate title.
“Three years ago, I would not have believed any of this. (Rousey) was still bucking me off back then.”
Makenzie Mayes
“We were just having fun,” she said. “I had worked her that day and she was listening, so I figured she would listen in her run. She felt so good.”
She closed it out with a second-place finish in the tiny setup inside the Caesars Superdome, worth $7,500. Her pair of 13.5’s and 13.6 on the weekend set her up to nose multi-time World Champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi out for the aggregate title by just .4 overall, worth another $20,000. In total, she took $51,500 out of the barrel racing, which put her in the running for the Maverick Bonus award, given to the athlete across all eight rodeo events who won the most cash in their Hondo New Orleans showing.
“I don’t know what it was, but she felt super confident at that rodeo,” Mayes said. “You can kind of tell going down the alleyway, she’s like, ‘Okay, I got this.’”
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That confidence is something Mayes has built over time with a mare that didn’t start out easy.
“She definitely was a gift from God,” Mayes said. “I think we both needed each other. When she was 2, my aunt tried sending her off and it didn’t work out with a few people. She got sent back home and was just standing in the pasture. My aunt asked if I would go get her, and I said yes. And pretty much the rest is history.”
“I think we were both hardheaded and stuck it out,” she added.
That partnership has turned into one a dangerous duo especially in these high-pressure, high-reward environments.
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“She just loves to run the barrels,” Mayes said. “And she thrives in those atmospheres.”
Through her early career at age 12 running at an ERA event, to WRWC and Kid Rock N Rodeo success and beyond, Mayes has been able to capitalize on unique opportunities in the rodeo industry like the independently produced, non-sanctioned Hondo Rodeo.
“I think part of it is just not having the pressure,” Mayes said. “There’s no thinking about the year-end standings or who’s winning where. You’re not fighting anyone, you’re just making your run against yourself.”
The setup inside the Superdome presented its own challenges with a short alleyway and tight pattern, but Mayes adjusted early.
“I just tried to keep her moving off my hand and listening,” she said.
The result was three consistent runs and the biggest payday of her career so far.
Beyond the money, Mayes made it clear what stood out most about the weekend.
“That rodeo is just awesome,” she said. “They really take care of us. The ground was great, they give us tons of time to ride in the arena. Our families get to be there, we’re right by the stage for the concerts. We’re treated like we’re famous I walked into the hospitality room one night—Jason Aldean and his family are just sitting there eating. Everybody’s so nice. It’s just a really cool experience and it’s leveling up the sport of rodeo for sure.”
The timing matters, too. With San Angelo and The American qualifiers ahead, Mayes heads into the spring run with momentum and a cushion.
“It definitely helps going into the summer,” she said. “You just get to go out there and have fun and rodeo.”
Hondo officials have already announced the event will return to New Orleans in 2027, along with a new stop in Tampa, Florida. Mayes hopes to be part of both.
“I’m excited to go back to Phoenix, but I really want to go to Tampa, too!” she said.
Hondo New Orleans Results
April 11-13, 2026
Round 1
| Place | Contestant | sc/tm | Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Makenzie Mayes | 13.579 | $12,000.00 |
| 2 | Lisa Lockhart | 13.65 | $7,500.00 |
| 3 | Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi | 13.913 | $3,500.00 |
| 4 | Hailey Kinsel | 13.975 | $1,500.00 |
Round 2
| 1 | Makenzie Mayes | 13.622 | $12,000.00 |
| 2 | Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi | 13.657 | $7,500.00 |
| 3 | Tricia Aldridge | 13.711 | $3,500.00 |
| 4 | Wenda Johnson | 13.89 | $1,500.00 |
Round 3
| 1 | Emily Beisel | 13.506 | $12,000.00 |
| 2 | Makenzie Mayes | 13.679 | $7,500.00 |
| 3 | Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi | 13.688 | $3,500.00 |
| 4 | Hailey Kinsel | 13.821 | $1,500.00 |
Aggregate
| 1 | Makenzie Mayes | 40.88 | $70,000.00 |
| 2 | Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi | 41.258 | $12,500.00 |