‘Iron sharpening iron’: Danielle Lowman making headways in WPRA

WINDOW ROCK – The 2024 WPRA season has been nothing but a slam-dunk for Danielle Lowman.

The Gilbert, Arizona breakaway roper has put her peers on high alert as she has broken several arena records. Coming into last week’s Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo, Lowman has posted eight runs this season under the two-second threshold, which is defying the norm.

“Every time I back into a box, we’re either going to win or lose,” said Lowman, a two-time Wrangler National Finals qualifier. “My mentality is to think like a winner and be a winner, so every rodeo that enter I’m going to score sharp and just try to get a good start to take that first swing, that first shot on the calf.”

That way of thinking has propelled Lowman, who grew up in White Cone, Arizona, into the top echelon in her sport. The 31-year cowgirl is sitting second in the world standings at $67,336, having competed in 17 WPRA-sanctioned events.

She trails 20-time WPRA world champion Jackie Crawford as the Stephenville, Texas cowgirl has amassed $79,802 in 27 rodeos in said event.

“I’m just competing at a high level,” said Lowman, who was dubbed the Texas Swing Queen for clinching big wins at the Fort Worth and San Antonio rodeos earlier this year.

At the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Lowman set the arena record with a 1.6 effort in early February. She then tied the arena record at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo later that month with a 1.6 run in the second round of her bracket. After a so-so semifinal, the Diné cowgirl advanced into the finals by posting another 1.6 run in the wildcard round.

“During the winter rodeos, you want to do good at those indoor rodeos because it sets you up for the rest of the year,” said Lowman as she amassed $23,000 of her total winnings at those two big rodeos.

“If you do good there, you don’t have to rodeo as much,” she said. “I’ve actually been only rodeoing on weekends. I’ve spent most of my time practicing during the weekdays, trying to sharp and getting my horses to be sharp.”

Lowman, who started out as a successful team roper before excelling at breakaway, is showing no signs of slowing down. She credits her rapid rise to being around high-level competitors within the WPRA.

“Being around that competitive environment sort of elevates you,” Lowman said. “It’s like iron sharpening iron. I mean, the more prorodeos that I have gone to the more consistent that I’ve become.

“You know, I’ve never seen myself as a bad ass breakaway roper, but here I am,” she added. “I think it’s being around good people. I’m just sticking to the top of the game. I feel like I’m pretty blessed to be where I’m at, and I’m just trying to do the best in what I can, and with what I know.”

Like she’s done at her prior rodeos, Lowman was looking to lift the championship buckle during Sunday’s performance of the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena.

“It feels good to be home,” Lowman said. “I haven’t been home since April, and just to come back and be in front of my family and the home crowd is pretty special.”

The hometown cowgirl was looking to defend her title as she set the arena record with a 1.8 run last year. Lowman, however, scored too early as she was assessed 10-second penalty with a 12.8 run on a borrowed horse.

“No, I don’t think so,” Lowman said when asked if she was feeling any added pressure to excel in her hometown rodeo. “It’s not the end of the world to not do so good. You know having that big lead I go into every rodeo with a good attitude.”

Lowman, who flew in from Dallas, used her cousin’s horse, Mijo, in Sunday’s round.

“My cousin circuit rodeos in the Turquoise Circuit and he Indian rodeos,” Lowman said of Cameron Tsinigine. “When I need a horse that’s the horse I get on.”

Mijo, a heeling horse, helped Tsinigine to a three-way tie for sixth-place with partner Robert Murphy as the pair recorded a 5.4 run.

“I rode him during the California rodeos in April, so he’s a great horse to mount on,” Lowman said.

And while she still calls Arizona home, Lowman has been staying with rodeo traveling partner, Sarah Angelone, in Lipan, Texas. Angelone is currently ranked No. 22 in the world with $23,319 won. The pair will be hitting the rodeo trail full-time in mid-June until the end of the regular season, which concludes in late September.

“We’re slowly starting our summer run,” she said. “It’ll be exciting to be back on the road full-time again. I mean, I haven’t been on the road full-time. I’ve been in Texas, and I’ve been going to some of the smaller rodeos.”

Moving forward, Lowman is looking to stay consistent as she hopes to make some gains on Crawford, who has three world breakaway crowns to her credit.

“Right now, I’m right behind (Crawford),” Lowman said. “I just hope that I can stay within range at getting that gold buckle at the end of the year. That’s the main goal.”

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