Navajo Mountain cowgirl bounces back

Gilbert wins barrel racing, all-around titles

PINE HILL, N.M.

After a slight mishap, Kylie Gilbert needed to regroup.

The Navajo Mountain, Utah cowgirl was given a speeding ticket in the breakaway event at the 2nd annual Peshlakai Angels Don’t Drink & Drive Rodeo in Pine Hill, New Mexico.

So for her signature event she traced the steps that she needed to make in order to make a consistent run in the barrel racing. As she paced her horse outside the arena before her turn, Gilbert thought about all of the drills they put together at home.

“Sometimes my horse kind of overthinks things,” she said. “She does that because of the crowd and the flags that are out there, but I felt like I warmed her up really good.”
While trusting her mare to handle anything thrown her way, Gilbert clocked in a first-place run of 18.021 seconds.

That run earned her a $745 paycheck but at the conclusion of the rodeo she collected another $1,000 for winning the women’s all-around race.

“I am so thankful,” Gilbert said. “I didn’t know I had a chance to win this but the rodeo committee does a great job with this rodeo. They give away a lot of good prizes and I would like to give them a big thanks.”

In addition to the prize money, Gilbert bagged her 10th saddle at the young age of 15.

Needless to say, Gilbert thought she was out of contention for the all-around race as her calf got distracted when she had asked for it.

“Right when I nodded my calf looked right,” she said as her draw waited a half-second before it exited the roping chute.

“I felt like I was set but I broke out,” she added.

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