From the time Bayleigh Choate and TJR Stinson Blue stepped foot in Corpus Christi, they’ve been unstoppable, now taking home the 2024 WCRA Rodeo Corpus Christi win Saturday, May 10, and $29,500.
Choate and “Boozer” stopped the clock in the Triple Crown of Rodeo Round with a 14.358 to top the field of seven ladies for the coveted surfboard and a spot in Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo. To run inside AT&T Stadium May 17, for Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo is a dream come true for the 2022 Resistol Rookie of the Year and NFR qualifier.
“I’m just so thankful,” Choate, 20, said. “I am so blessed with the horse I get the ride, and the opportunities that I’ve been given have been amazing. I’m thankful for associations that allow us to have that shot because I was pretty heartbroken when The American got moved and [AT&T Stadium] wasn’t an option anymore, so this is really like a dream come true. I just can’t wait to go there and be there, and I’m just going to make runs and be happy to be there.”
From Wild Card Round to Triple Crown of Rodeo Round
The Cleveland, Tennessee, began the journey to Rodeo Corpus Christi champ Wednesday, May 8, in the Wild Card Round. Fighting for her spot in the Progressive Round, Choate and Boozer finished fourth with a 14.621 to advance to the Progressive Round.
With a 14.45, Choate finished second in Round 1 for $2,500. Choate and Boozer only got faster, winning the second round for $5,000 with a 14.394 and securing their spot in the Triple Crown of Rodeo Round May 10. While the duo was flying during both rounds, there was one area of their runs both nights Choate wasn’t pleased with.
“My biggest problem in this pen has been the third barrel,” Choate admitted. “My horse has only hit one barrel in the last year, so I shouldn’t even have that thought. But my saddle came loose in the first Progressive Round, and so he kind of laid on me. I didn’t want to take him to morning practice and work him because he kind of gets tore up and it’s a lot back and forth and then his breakfast gets off. So, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to up my jockeying skills and then I’ll tune on him next week.'”
Choate and Boozer also won the Progressive Round average with a 28.844 on two runs for $7,000. When the time came for the Triple Crown of Rodeo Round featuring seven athletes, Choate focused on jockeying him out of that third barrel as best as possible.
“Going into [Saturday], I knew that he was going to be short,” explained Choate. “I knew that he was going to try to anticipate that shut me off, and so I turned the second barrel and I was like, ‘Time to up your jockey skills.’ And so I did. When he got around it, I knew that he was making a good run, and I knew that I just had to make it to the alleyway and not fall.”
The first lady to run, Choate and Boozer wanted to set the pace for the other athletes.
“Anytime that I’m first out, I always have the game plan of make them chase you,” Choate said. “You go in, set the standard and everyone else has to chase you; that was my game plan. [Friday] I kind of took an extra step around that second barrel to make sure I got in the average, and [Saturday] I said I was letting it all out and whatever happens, happens. And that’s what I did.”
Set the standard they did. Their 14.358-second run remained supreme, and they took home the Rodeo Corpus Christi title and added $15,000 to their Corpus earnings.
The best boy, Boozer
Choate and Boozer will run in Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo May 17, fulfilling Choate’s dream of running inside AT&T Stadium. Her 7-year-old blue roan gelding Boozer is a dream come true himself, though.
“I’ve always known that this horse has been amazing, and he’s been so solid for me ever since he was a futurity colt,” Choate said. “He was my first futurity colt I ever futuritied, he won futurity horse of the year, he made it to the NFR as a 5-year-old and I was a rookie—It was literally a rookie on a rookie. I stepped away for a while, so for him to step back out here. There’s one thing about him: He never lets me down. If anything goes wrong in that arena, it’s 100% my fault. That horse, he is so amazing and he’s so honest and so consistent.”
Triple Crown of Rodeo Round results
| Bayleigh Choate | 14.358 | $15,000 |
| Sissy Winn | 14.364 | $7,500.00 |
| Makenzie Mayes | 14.436 | $3,000 |
| Stephanie Fryar (KRRR) | 14.503 | $500 |
| Julie Plourde | 14.775 | $500 |
| Julie Goodrich | 14.874 | $500 |
| Ryann Pedone | 25.208 | $500 |
