Makenzie Mayes leads the pack of prospective Resistol Rookie of the Year barrel racers, but only by $710.

On her first trip on the ProRodeo road, the Scroggins, Texas, cowgirl is sitting No. 1 with $65,669.46, with Emma Kate Parr close behind at $64,959.45.

With help from her homegrown mare, Chicado Moon, “Rousey,” Mayes sits inside the top 30 in the world standings as of Aug. 26 after a big Labor Day weekend win in Walla Walla, Washington, and a win in Kennewick, Washington, a week prior.

New to the Northwest

The Northwest—and the summer outdoor rodeos in general—presents its share of challenges to anyone, let alone a rookie who had been out of her home state only a handful of times.

“I’ve never been to the Northwest; none of us have,” Mayes said. “My horse has never seen any of it. Before this year, I don’t think she’s ever run into a closed gate; she’s probably run at one standard pattern before this year.”

But the newness didn’t stop Mayes and Rousey from finding success.

In Kennewick, Mayes placed in the first round and won the final round. After the dust settled, she won the average and took home $7,297.

“Kennewick motivated me to keep going,” she said. “I was down the week before; I had a bad week, a really bad week. I was ready to go home. But doing good at Kennewick, I thought, ‘OK, you’ve got to keep going. You’ve got this.’”

From there, she stacked another $7,687 over Labor Day weekend. She snagged the last hole at Filer, Idaho, for $203; tied for the win at Lakeview, Oregon, with Chloe Gray for $2,537; and wrapped the weekend by splitting the win at Walla Walla with Hayle Gibson-Stillwell and Jamie Olsen. She and Rousey stopped the clock in 16.96 seconds to earn $4,947.

“Honestly, I was shocked whenever my time was as fast as it was because it didn’t feel that fast,” Mayes said. “Usually, I can tell, but she didn’t really feel like she was running. She went a little past her first barrel, but she came back pretty fast, then her second and third were really good. It’s exciting to know your horse feels good in the last month of rodeo.”

Despite the success, there were unexpected challenges.

“I didn’t know we would run into a closed gate almost every single time. It’s so different. The barrels are so far off the fence. They’re all 15- or 16-second patterns. The ground is different, too—most places it’s been rocky, sandy or gravel/sand,” she said.

“Also, I didn’t know there weren’t any Whataburger locations up here,” she added with a laugh.

Mare Magic

Rousey is the homegrown phenomenon Mayes has ridden for most of her summer winnings since leaving Texas in June.

The 7-year-old sorrel mare is by Guys Canyon Moon and out of Jolene Montgomery’s good mare Chicados Bully, by Chicados Cash. Montgomery had the mare trotting through the pattern when Mayes’ aunt bought her. After some notable ups and downs, Rousey eventually ended up in Mayes’ string.

“It was just meant to be,” Mayes said. “We’re both hardheaded, that’s why we get along.”

The pair holds the arena record at Cowtown Coliseum with a 12.946 at the Women’s Rodeo World Championships in 2024 and won the Music City Rodeo in Nashville in June 2025.

All that would suggest Rousey prefers small indoor arenas. This summer, though, she’s shown Mayes it doesn’t matter where they back in.

“I think she loves little pens, but I really like her anywhere,” Mayes said. “She’s just solid—she’s really shocked me. She can go win in little pens, but I think she’ll love San Antonio and those pens. But she really has shocked me out here. I think she can go any which way; I’m just grateful that she runs in both.”

Alongside Rousey, Mayes also has her 6-year-old gray mare, Kita Rita, “Rita,” on the trailer, who was also trained by Montgomery.

“[Rita] just came off her futurity year last year. [Both mares] are by Guys Canyon Moon. Rita has placed at quite a few rodeos; I just run her at the smaller rodeos because she is pretty green still. She’s impressed me too, for sure.”

No pressure

There’s less than a month left in the ProRodeo regular season, and every dime will matter. For Mayes, though, counting every dollar isn’t her style.

“It’s already hard out here, much less sitting here counting dollars,” she said. “It is so easy to get in your head.”

From here, the plan is to hit a few more rodeos before sending Rousey home for Abilene, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Rita taking on the Green Mile in Pendleton. The Resistol Rookie of the Year contender is ready to finish strong.

“I try to make every run count on my horses,” she said. “I think everything’s going to happen the way it’s supposed to. I tell myself that you’re not competing against someone else; you’re competing against yourself and your goals. I just always try to do the best that I can do and let the chips fall where they’re going to fall.”