Teenager Dominates Charlie 1 Horse Breakaway for $18K

A group of four or five families decided to haul together out to Guthrie’s Wrangler BFI Week from California with their kids, who are best friends, and it paid off in spades on Day One.

Braydee Bourdet of Hollister is just 15 and roped three calves in 11.56 seconds to not only win the 18-and-Under Incentive by two seconds for $1,400, but also come from seventh callback to win the main Charlie 1 Horse Breakaway ahead of world champs like Taylor Munsell and Martha Angelone. Bourdet was the picture of consistency, clocking times of 3.8, 3.7 and 3.9. She banked $18,100 total, including placing in the first round.

“I prefer long scores,” said Bourdet, who also competed in Guthrie in 2025 but broke a barrier. “I guess this is the biggest paycheck I’ve ever won, so I’m putting it away.”

The high-school sophomore began paying her own entry fees a few years ago, so she said she gets to keep all of these winnings – but may help her parents with diesel. The family raises horses and cattle plus runs yearlings, and stands a stallion named Isaac Starlight.

Both Braydee and her 12-year-old brother were also entered to the max in the Hooey Jr. BFI 10.5 the following day. Their parents, Wayne and Lacey Bourdet, raised the horse Braydee rode to the win – she’s been hauling him about five years now, as well as seasoning a few others they raised. As for competing against the literal best pros in the world, Bourdet was matter of fact.

“Yes, there were a little bit of nerves, but I’d been standing around taking notes and talking to them all day,” she said. “They’re nice people and easy to compete against and that makes it a lot easier.”

The draw team roped all four steers in 33.20 seconds to win the average by a full second over Kenna Francis and former champ Whitney DeSalvo. The victory paid $20,000 cash and the BFI’s traditional prizeline.

Gunter, a switchender from McCammon, Idaho, who winters in Arizona, had previously won the roping a decade ago in Reno. But VandeStouwe, of Inwood, Iowa, never went to Reno. She competed last June at the College National Finals Rodeo for Southwestern Oklahoma State University (clocking a 6.1 in the goat-tying short round) and breakaway roped at the Prairie Circuit Finals last fall. Meanwhile, Gunter was heeling when she won the 2022 Women’s Rodeo World Championships with Kylie McLean.

“I tried to ruin our first steer,” said Gunter. “I was late and that steer ran, so we just stayed alive on that one. But all the steers were good and she heeled them really good.”

VandeStouwe picked up another $2,250 for placing sixth with Lari Dee Guy, and said she was riding a brand-new horse she’d had for three days.

The 9.5 Incentive was also won by a draw team – and what a combination. Virginia native Martha Angelone – a world champion breakaway roper with three-quarters of a million dollars in earnings – drew an extra run in 11-year-old Lattie Lummus of Bloomburg, Texas. The two roped three steers in 33.89 seconds, including one leg penalty, to be fastest of the teams numbered at a 9.5 handicap or lower and earn $7,500.

“She would get the neck and duck and I was like, ‘Heck yeah, that gets them out in front of me,’” said Angelone, who was heeling on her breakaway horse Chick. “I love the BFI. I love that we actually get a chance to rope for that much money in both team roping and breakaway. It’s cool because it’s such a prestigious roping – I’ve been coming for years. There are girls entered now who probably don’t even know it started in Reno.”

Lummus and Angelone were 10^th callback in the short round, but nerves got to the grade-schooler and she missed. Her gold-buckle partner didn’t mind, though, and Angelone went on to earn another $3,400 in the breakaway.

“I’m a jackpotter,” Angelone said. “I go to every jackpot known to man, and the BFI is one of my favorites every year. The steers are always strong, so it’s an actual All-Girl. A lot of all-girl producers run steers in there like it’s a 7 roping, but we can rope the same steers as the big boys. The BFI is one of our truest Open jackpots and more my kind of deal.  It’s one of the things I love about the BFI.”

As for the little girl, she said she’s been dally roping about four years now, and was riding her dad’s mare, Pearl.

“I stole her from him,” said the daughter of Clint and Cheyenne Lummis, adding that she hopes to one day rope for a living. “She puts me right up behind the steer for me to catch the horns.”

Right now, little Lattie says she “trains ponies for a living,” and she’s not kidding. The home-schooled cowgirl recently picked up an English-born Gypsy Vanner pony from some Amish friends, broke it and sold it a few days ago on the Internet for $103,000.