Angelone topped the field of cut-throat breakaway ropers at the 2023 Charlie 1 Horse All-Girl Breakaway Roping to kick off BFI Week on Wednesday, March 29 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK. Angelone’s time of 9.73 seconds on three calves earned her the $14,000 aggregate championship.
From placing in both long rounds to switching horses between short-go runs, Sarah Angelone called the right shots during the Bob Feist Invitational Charlie 1 Horse All-Girl Breakaway Roping. The Virginia cowgirl played her cards right and defended her number-one position going into the short go to come out on top as the champion.
Angelone came into the Short Round in the third and first callback, setting her up nicely for the short go. Angelone explained, “I was focusing on just roping one calf at a time and doing my job each round.” In the second round, Angelone was the fastest one to stop the clock with a 3.05-second run.
Utilizing two of her best horses, Angelone set her day up to come into the Short Round confidently. Coming into the Short Round, Angelone knew she had to be quick and consistent to maintain her position.
As the short round began to wind down, Angelone found herself pushing the barrier to move to the top of the leaderboard with her third-place callback. Unfortunately, Angelone stretched the barrier a little too far and tacked a 10-second penalty onto her run for a time of 12.61. Angelone explained the importance of a strong mental game and “short memory” mindset throughout the long day of roping and in moments like that.
“Having a short-term memory mindset helped me clear my mind and be able to focus on her next calf. That run didn’t go as I had wanted it to, but I knew I needed to focus on the next run and keep a positive mindset.”
Between her third and first call-back calves in the Short Round, Angelone reset and hopped on her 6- year old gelding, whom she affectionately joked is a fire-breathing dragon. She explained the importance of horsepower during BFI Week and how she felt both horses aided her in doing her job to the best of her ability.
“I decided to switch horses in between runs because I enjoy roping off of both of them. My gelding is a little younger and more forgiving at the line.” Angelone played her cards right and roped off her “fire-breathing dragon” to take five swings and complete a smooth 3.18-second run to secure the title.
“I was so scared I broke out again. I didn’t hear anyone call out that I was clean, and I was so relieved to see I was.” Angelone gleamed with excitement as she explained the Charlie 1 Horse All-Girl Breakaway Roping has always been at the top of her list and one she always had aspired to win.
Originally from Reno, Nevada, Julia is currently studying Agricultural Communications and Public Relations at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Growing up immersed in the world of rodeo and roping, she has truly found a passion for sharing other’s stories in the western industry.