A Future for Cowgirls: Kelsie Domer’s Impact on Breakaway Roping
Photo by Kaycie Timm
Kelsie Domer’s career as a breakaway roper has been nothing short of exceptional. Since receiving her Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) pro card in 2011, she has earned 10 world titles and qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) three times.
Currently, Kelsie resides in Dublin, Texas, with her husband, Ryan, and their daughter, Oaklynn, where she has dedicated her life to the sport of breakaway roping.
Changing the Game
Over the last 14 years, Kelsie has watched her chosen sport gain increasing recognition, and her success has played a role in earning a seat at the table for cowgirls like herself.
“There have been some parts of my career, some that I'm going through now, even, where we don't get to go to everything that the other events get to go to,” Kelsie explains. “But it's so cool now to see where we've been and see where we're headed.”
Although breakaway roping isn’t a new sport, it has only recently become a viable profession for many cowgirls. Not long ago, the collegiate level marked the end of the road for breakaway ropers.
“When I started rodeoing in college, they didn't have breakaway everywhere yet,” Kelsie recalls. “The amateur rodeos were really good. We had a bunch of big WPRA co-approved jackpots. But that's really all we had.”
Despite the limitations of her chosen sport, Kelsie wasn’t ready to put down her rope after graduating from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
“I knew that Lari Dee [Guy] and Jackie [Crawford] did it for a living,” Kelsie explains. “They rodeoed, jackpotted, and gave lessons, whatever it may be, but they used the rope for a living without outside income.”
Photo by Kaycie Timm
“I wanted to see if I could do it, too,” Kelsie admits. “I just wanted to give it a shot. I wanted to see if I could use my rope to make a living.”
Most of the money-earning breakaway opportunities Kelsie knew of were in Texas, so she left her home state of Oklahoma to put down roots in Texas.
“I got to move in with Jackie [Crawford],” Kelsie shares. “She helped me a bunch. I've spent a lot of time at Lari Dee's house, too. That’s what they were doing, and that's what my goal was, so it helped me a bunch.”
As Kelsie began to develop her skills alongside some of the most notable breakaway ropers of all time, she also got a front row seat to their fight for recognition in the rodeo world.
“I've seen what they've had to fight for,” Kelsie reveals. “Maybe I wasn't there for all of it, but I've seen what they had to fight for. I know what I've had to fight for. It's going to be pretty rewarding in a few years to see what I've impacted in the industry.”
World Champion Growth
With ten world titles under her belt, Kelsie’s impact in the world of breakaway has already proven significant. In 2012, when Kelsie claimed her first WPRA World title at the WPRA Finals in Lincoln, Nebraska, she cemented her spot among the greats of her sport.
At the time, qualification for the finals depended on money earned at jackpots for team roping, tie-down roping, and breakaway roping. After a successful season and a good finals, Kelsie knew she was in a good spot to bring home some awards—but she didn’t expect to win the all-around.
Photo by Kaycie Timm
“I'll never forget sitting there with my mom and dad at the tables during the awards,” Kelsie recalls. “As they were announcing the all-around, I just knew they were going to say Jackie's name. They started at fourth or fifth place and announced everybody to get to number one. So, when they said Jackie was second, Mom and I looked at each other like, ‘who's left?’”
When Kelsie heard her own name called for the world title, she was shocked, but overjoyed. Not only did she claim her first major title, but she realized her dreams could become a reality. She wasn’t just running with the best anymore; she was beating them.
“I always give Jackie a hard time, because that was the first time she'd been beat in a very, very long time for the all around,” Kelsie reveals. “That was a pretty surreal moment.”
Twelve years later, Kelsie experienced a similar moment at the 2024 NFBR in Las Vegas. Coming off a phenomenal season and a big win at the 2024 Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway, Kelsie knew she had a chance to succeed. But, with ten calves in two days of fast action in a field of the best breakaway ropers in the nation, the pressure was intense.
Kelsie Domer at the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping.
By the final round of competition, Kelsie had caught all nine and won several rounds, putting her a great spot for the average win with one more calf to rope.
“I missed my last calf,” Kelsie shares. “But, at the time, I didn't realize that I could miss the last calf and still win the average no matter what. Everybody's going so fast that it's hard for us to do the math and keep up down there.”
When her husband, Ryan, told her she’d won the average, Kelsie’s reaction was a mixture of surprise and joy. What she didn’t know was that she had also won the world title.
“I went out there for the average photo, and when we got done, I asked if I could leave the arena,” Kelsie reveals. “About that time, they brought in the World Champion saddle, and they told me to stay for that one, too. That was the first time that I knew I won the world.”
When Kelsie made her victory lap a few minutes later, the smile on her face was one of pure joy.
Kelsie Domer takes a victory lap at the 2024 NFBR.
“It was a crazy feeling knowing it came down to the end,” Kelsie reveals. “That's one of those goals that you want to mark off: winning the world and then getting to win the average in the same year. It’s one of those wins that’s going to be really hard to top.”
The Greatest Gift
For Kelsie, one thing that tops even the most exciting win is being a mom to her daughter, Oaklynn.
“Being a mom is awesome,” Kelsie beams. “It’s my most favorite thing. I love that I can take Oaklynn on the road with me. She really, truly does enjoy it. She gets to see all her friends, as she says, and likes to go to the rodeos and see all the sites.”
Photo by Kaycie Timm
For Kelsie, having her daughter with her on the rodeo road makes the experience even better. And, thanks to the support of her family, Kelsie hasn’t slowed down since becoming a mom.
“She [Oaklynn] is my number one,” Kelsie admits. “My family helps me out a ton, whether it's my husband or my mom or my aunt. There’s a lot of teamwork going on for me to be able to take her and do those things.”
“If I didn't get to do it with her, I probably wouldn't be rodeoing,” she continues. “It wouldn't be near as fun without her.”
Photo by Kaycie Timm
Becoming a mom has also given Kelsie an even greater appreciation for the increasing recognition for breakaway ropers.
“I get to see all this growth and change,” Kelsie reveals. “Imagining what it could be like in 10 to 15 years when Oaklynn’s ready to junior rodeo or jackpot is just crazy.”
In addition to giving Oaklynn the opportunity to grow up cowgirl, Kelsie also supports other young ropers by giving lessons and mentoring the ladies following in her footsteps.
“I have a friend who’s 15, and she won over $80,000 at the Patriot this year,” Kelsie reveals. “It’s insane what the younger kids get to do now compared to what we did [at that age]. Who knows what it might be later on. That's so exciting to me to know what's coming.”
As she looks to the next generation of breakaway ropers—including her daughter—Kelsie grows increasingly excited for the future and the opportunities available to cowgirls everywhere.
“It's exciting as a breakaway roper to know that kids growing up can dream about this now,” Kelsie shares. “They're not just confined to one event, in the barrel racing like it used to be. They have options now. They can do both or than can do one or the other. It's so cool to know that they have that to look forward to.”
To show your support for cowgirls like Kelsie and other rodeo athletes who look to WSF for resources they need to succeed, visit wsf.org/give.