Third generation cowgirl Makenzie Mayes has been surrounded by horses and rodeo her entire life. The love of the lifestyle is ingrained into who she is. Balancing her time between the classroom and the arena keeps Mayes fully booked, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Mayes and her horse, Chicado Moon aka “Rousey”, took the 2024 WRWC by storm, emerging as the Barrel Racing Challenger World Champion and even setting a Cowtown arena record in the process with a time of 12.946 seconds.
“Winning the Challenger World Championship was so much more special because it was on Rousey. It was really just a God-given moment,” she praises. “Everything with Rousey has just fallen into place – she has a winner mentality, she’s so tough, and just loves her job. She’s very special to me and my family.”
Currently on a rodeo scholarship at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant, Texas, Mayes is working towards two associates degrees in business administration and accounting specialization, while competing in college rodeos, amateur rodeos, and WCRA events. Being enrolled in online classes this year has afforded Mayes the opportunity to focus more on her career inside the arena.
“I’m pretty much always in the arena. I wake up in the mornings and I’m up at the barn until about noon, then I do my school work and then go back up there in the evenings,” she says of her daily schedule. “I do go to the college sometimes in the mornings and rope, but I have a lot of horses at my house, so I’m pretty busy here. I have young horses that I’m bringing up, and I amateur rodeo a lot. We also do cold laser therapy, and so we get horses in to rehab.”
In the wake of her monumental win at WRWC, Makenzie was promoted to the “Pro” division. Her hard work and perseverance throughout the years came to fruition, as she is now considered amongst the top barrel racers in the WRWC. Her game plan hasn’t changed, however, and the dual-event cowgirl has already earned a qualification for the 2025 WRWC in breakaway.
Not only does Mayes have her eyes set on finishing her degrees and qualifying for the 2025 WRWC in both barrel racing and breakaway, she’s gearing up to hit the ProRodeo road for the first time.
“I’ve been waiting to get my card to ProRodeo because I want to run for Rookie. My goal is to try to make the NFR at least one time. Being a 3rd generation NFR qualifier would be a huge accomplishment.”
As a young woman competing in rodeo, Mayes feels immense gratitude for the opportunities WRWC has provided for female rodeo athletes.
“Our experience at the WRWC and the Kid Rock Rodeo was so amazing. It was definitely something you dream of going to. Who takes the time to give women this opportunity in this sport? There’s not very many events for women, period. The way that the WRWC treats their contestants is so amazing. It’s just a special opportunity for me to get to be a part of.”
