Bailey Bates rose to the occasion at the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, seizing her last chance of the ProRodeo regular season to earn $34,978 and climb from No. 19 to No. 12 in the WPRA World Standings—securing her first career NFBR qualification.
On the latest episode of The Breakdown, listeners hear directly from Bates and Australian roper Arianna Varischetti about the partnership with borrowed gelding Reno that made the difference. Bates entered Sioux Falls outside the Top 15 and opened with a no-time that nearly ended her season. Instead of folding, she regrouped for a 2.7-second run, added a 2.6 in the semifinals, and capped the weekend with a blistering 2.1 in the finals. The comeback vaulted her into Vegas for the first time.
Bailey Bates on The Breakdown Podcast
Varischetti shares how Reno ended up in Bates’ hands after an injury sidelined her main mount. What started as a long-shot partnership quickly became one of the year’s most heartwarming storylines, with the duo even breaking an arena record in Kennewick, Washington.
