Beshbetoh cowgirl wins first all-around title at K-Town Showdown

CROWNPOINT

Beshbetoh, Arizona, cowgirl Jannon Long has entered the K-Town Showdown Fourth of July Rodeo for about 15 years.

She got her start competing in the junior barrels, and the one thing that eluded her was an all-around win.

She changed that after having a big night in the short round performance on Tuesday night.

“Winning it is a huge blessing for me,” Long said. “I just had a baby two months ago, so it was a big blessing for me and a huge accomplishment.”

Before this year, Long said she came close to winning the all-around title only once in her 15-year history at the annual Kayenta rodeo, which took a three-year hiatus due to the global pandemic.

“I’ve actually wanted to win this rodeo, especially when they gave away a horse trailer for the all-around,” she said.

Long, who collected $5,000 for winning the all-around, beat two other competitors for the coveted prize. She garnered 36.5 points ahead of Coyote Canyon, New Mexico, cowboy Hiyo Yazzie (32) and Peridot, Arizona, cowgirl Arena Ben (20).

“I was a bit surprised when they first announced that I was one of the three contenders to win the all-around,” Long said.

She competed in three events, earning points in the breakaway, barrels, and ladies team roping.

Going into the short round, Long said she was a bit nervous, knowing that any slip-up could cost her the title.

“All I thought about was catching my calf and keeping the barrels up and let the chips fall where they may,” she said.

As for the team roping segment, she had won that event with Ben earlier Tuesday with a 10.31 run.

“She feels pretty good,” Long said of Ben. “Going into the box, I thought about just getting out on the steer, and then dally and she would clean it up.”

The all-around champ said her team roping run wouldn’t have been possible without Mijo, the horse she borrowed from Cameron Tsingine.

“That horse is pretty easy to ride,” she said. “He made my job easier. I’ve actually ridden him before, like a couple of times, so I was pretty familiar with his style and how he is.”

In the breakaway, Long said she placed fifth in the short round, as she missed out on an average check.

In her strongest event, she finished second in the average race by completing two runs in 36.899 seconds.

She took second in the long go with an 18.246 and added an 18.653 run in the short round on her mount True Grit.

“We’ve had him since he was four years old,” Long said. “He’s now 11, so we’ve had him for seven years.”

She credited her younger sister, Jareth Curley, for exercising her horse during her pregnancy.

“The last time I’ve been on a horse was at the INFR last year,” she said. “But once I got cleared to get back on a horse, he was already ready to go.”

Other average winners included Whystle Joe (bareback), Mia Wilson (breakaway), Stade Riggs/Shane Phillips (saddle bronc), Hiyo Yazzie (tie-down roping), Whip Peterson/Paul Brashers (team roping), Tara Seaton (barrels) and Wade Tuni (bull riding).