Married couple capture three titles at Eastern Navajo Fair

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Aug 1, 2024 | Rodeo |

CROWNPOINT – Married couple Creighton and Jareth Curley went 3-for-3 on Sunday afternoon.

The Beshbetoh, Arizona, pair captured three titles during the last rodeo performance at the 46th Annual Eastern Navajo Fair.

Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Beshbetoh, Ariz., cowboy Creighton Curley gets high in the air aboard Thursday during the 46th Annual Eastern Navajo Fair on Sunday. Curley took first with a 75-point ride.

Creighton was crowned the saddle bronc champion while Jareth won the barrel racing title. Jareth, aided by a second-place finish in the breakaway roping, also captured the coveted all-around title, earning her a trophy saddle.

The annual Crownpoint rodeo awarded two of the coveted saddles, with hometown cowgirl Cassidy Begay (see separate story) winning the all-around race during the Ladies Night Out Rodeo on Saturday night.

Jareth came close to winning that title as she finished third, losing the all-around by $61.

“I always try to do my best for every rodeo whether or not they’re giving out a prize,” Jareth said. “If they have an award, it’s just an added bonus, so like any rodeo I just go out there and try to do my best.”

In the barrel racing, Jareth posted the rodeo’s fastest run of 17.161 seconds on her trusted mount, True Grit.

“He’s the best horse you could ask for,” Curley said. “I mean, you can ask him to run on hard grounds or good grounds. He’s going to try his best 110 percent every time.

“This was a good practice run for us because we’re planning to head up north this weekend,” Curley added.

The Curley family is planning to compete in two rodeos: the Oglala Nation Tour Rodeo in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and the Rocky Boy INFR Qualifier in Box Elder, Montana.

“I feel like we’re ready,” Jareth said. “We’re like on the same page with one another. I mean, this was a good confidence run for the upcoming rodeos.”

Jareth beat out Coyote Canyon, New Mexico, cowgirl Faith Holyan for the barrel racing crown in Crownpoint as Holyan finished a close second with a 17.530 run.

The accomplished barrel racer nearly topped the 4.44 run turned in by Cassidy White, the event winner in the breakaway roping. Jareth recorded a 4.61 run, which was followed by the third- and fourth-place efforts from Yetta Benally (4.98) and Autumn Farland (5.87), respectively.

“I tried my best,” Jareth said. “My calf went left, so I had to take another swing. I lost about a second on that run, but it was good enough to place.”

Despite placing high, Jareth did have some concerns going into her run as Sunday’s slack performance had seven no-times while the afternoon performance had six.

“I really didn’t look at the draws,” the Arizona cowgirl said. “At some of the big rodeos I’ll take a peek at it, but I try not to look at them a lot because I don’t want to overthink it.”

Jareth’s husband, Creighton, was one of two saddle bronc riders to cover his horse. Creighton won the event by posting a 75-point ride aboard Thursday, an equine owned by local stock contractor Jerome Pete Jr., who owns the Beshbetoh Bucking Horses.

“It’s one of their new horses,” Creighton said. “I’m one of the first ones to get on it. That’s a pretty good horse and I really like it.”