Maddy Deerman is making her mark in the world of proffsional breakaway roping. The New Mexico cowgirl has now moved up to No. 9 in the WPRA Breakaway World Standings after a strong spring.
Deerman posted a blazing 1.9-second run in Killeen, Texas, aboard her horse Whooper, who was making his return after a break following RODEOHOUSTON. Maddy said she was feeling confident heading into the run in Kileen.
Alongside that impressive win, she kept the momentum going with another strong performance in Vernon, where she placed No. 3 with a smooth 3-second run on her other horse, Yeller.
After a bit of a slow stretch following RODEOHOUSTON, Deerman says things have finally started to click again—just in time as she gets ready to hit the road for the summer run next week.
Deerman’s path in breakaway roping has not been typical. In 2023, she won the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, which opened the door to major rodeos like RODEOHOUSTON and San Antonio—all while finishing her college degree in petroleum geology.
She stayed committed to her studies through graduation in 2024, then jumped right into the summer rodeo run. By August, Deerman faced a tough decision: pursue her career as a geologist or chase her dream in professional breakaway roping. She chose the arena.
That decion has paid off as now in 2025 Deerman is one of the Top 10 breakaway ropers in the world.