Navajo Nation Fair: Oklahoma cowboy earns two qualifications in short round

Naa’ahóóhai | 78th Annual Navajo Nation Fair

WINDOW ROCK

The short round qualifiers are set for the 78th Annual Navajo Nation Fair All Indian Rodeo following the conclusion of Saturday night’s performance.

Most of the leaders made their runs in front of a packed house at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena, with parking lots filled to capacity before the rodeo began.

The finale is today at 1 p.m., with the top 10 qualifiers advancing to the championship round. Oklahoma cowboy Dontre Goff is one of several qualifiers competing in at least two events. That short list includes timed event specialists Dennison Boone and Jacob Yazzie, who works both ends of the arena as a steer wrestler and saddle bronc rider.

Goff leads the steer wrestling with a 9.36 aggregate on two head after winning the second go-round with a 4.14-second run Saturday night. He is also second in tie-down roping after moving up four spots with his first-place run of 10.65 seconds. The run moved him within one-tenth of a second of aggregate leader Nelson Charley III.

“There are a couple of other guys who are contention to win the all-around, and before tonight I was sitting third,” Goff said. “I really don’t know where I’ll finish, but I try to not to look too much into it until the end of it. That way I ain’t making myself do something that I don’t need to do.”

Goff traded spots with first-round winner Kaden Conway in steer wrestling. The two cowboys are separated by nearly six-tenths of a second, with Conway dropping two steers in 9.93 seconds.

“I watched that steer go, and he set up on my buddy a little bit,” the Cherokee cowboy said. “The game plan was to be ready to get down in the hole and be ready to catch that horn before he was able to catch me and stay on my feet to throw him.”

In tie-down roping, Goff heads into Sunday’s championship round with a 25.53 aggregate, trailing Charley, who leads with a 25.43 aggregate.

Despite being one of the youngest short round qualifiers, Charley is making his third consecutive appearance in the finals. Two years ago, he placed fifth and in 2025 he took third.

Saturday night, the 20-year-old cowboy stayed in contention for his first NNF crown with a fifth-place run of 12.08 seconds.

“I just wanted to catch my calf, be solid and make another good run,” the Chinle tie-down roper said. “I roped my calf fast tonight, but tomorrow I have to try to be stronger on the ground.”

Charley is confident heading into the championship round and credited Dean Holyan for allowing him to use his horse.

“This is my buddy’s horse and he’s been getting the job done for me,” Charley said.

In breakaway roping, veteran cowgirl Odessa Yazzie is seeking her fourth NNF crown. Her last came in 2013, when she also won the women’s all-around title.

The Coyote Canyon, New Mexico, roper turned in the third-fastest time in the second go-round at 2.66 seconds. She leads the breakaway field with a 6.01 aggregate, followed by second-high callback Racey Blackrock at 6.99.

“It’s been over 10 years,” Yazzie said of the last time she’s won the fair. “I didn’t win it back-to-back, but I won the breakaway every other year for two years and then the all-around one year.”

Although she puts much of her time into running her business, Lazy Rock’n Y Sports Medicine, Yazzie never put her rope away and put together two solid runs.

“I didn’t get to rodeo a whole lot this year, and so my plan was to see my start and get my calf roped,” Yazzie said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position, so it feels good to be coming out on top for (Sunday’s championship round).”

The other event leaders heading into Sunday’s championship round are barrel racer Carli Jones with a 32.128 aggregate, saddle bronc rider Ethan Yazzie with 119 points on two head, bareback rider Evan Betony with 163 points on two head, bull rider Vinell Mariano with 83 points, team ropers Dwight Sells and Dennison Boone with a 12.77 aggregate and women’s team ropers Savannah Joe and Mia Ben with a 24.55 aggregate.

Short round qualifier

Barrel racing

1. Carli Jones, 32.128.
2. Faith Jesus, 32.474.
3. Naci Charley, 32.531.
4. Kylie Dodson, 32.558.
5. Maysa Yazzie, 32.743.
6. Jannon Long, 32.751.
7. Lariat Nahkai, 32.973.
8. Autumn Farland, 32.993.
9. Jasmine Yazzie, 33.055
10. Paige Dale, 33.096.

Breakaway

1. Odessa Yazzie, 6.01.
2. Racey Blackrock, 6.99.
3. Mia Ben, 7.6.
4. Jannon Long, 8.52.
5. Erin Jones, 8.56.
6. Cauleen Segay, 8.73.
7. Deniel Lee, 9.06.
8. Heather Rogers, 9.29.
9. Cassidy Begay, 9.91.
10. Kylie Dodson, 15.7.

Ladies team roping

1. Savannah Joe/Mia Ben, 24.55.
2. Debbie Robbins/Jocelyn Coneisenney, 28.2.
3. Destinee Bigman/Dustyne Yazzie, 29.05.
4. Malaika Willie/Tamaris House, 38.91.
5. Deniel Lee/Serena Dahozy, 8.11.
6. Lariat Nakai/Britanya Dan, 8.53.
7. Shaelene Singer/Sherina Singer, 8.63
8. Tami Bigthumb Justin/Chazley Carviso, 9.12
9. Sheila Sells/Kim Jim, 11.01.
10. Autumn Lee/Anna Marie Yazzie, 13.7.

Team roping

1. Dwight Sells/Dennison Boone, 12.77.
2. Brandon Ben/Faron Candelaria, 14.31.
3. Gerald Daye/Ricky Kee, 15.53.
4. Murphy Yazzie/Phil Bigthumb, 16.72.
5. Daydynn Begay/Wesley Benally, 16.74.
6. Jaken Todacheenie/Trey Begay, 17.36.
7. Riley Lee/JJ Dickson, 17.84.
8. Truman Begay/Charles Sells, 20.81.
9. Brennan Tallman/Tyler Sam, 22.13.
10. Caleb Begay/ Lamber Yazzie, 22.86.

Steer wrestling

1. Dontre Goff, 9.36.
2. Kaden Conway, 9.93.
3. Myron Lee, 10.33.
4. Dylan Lucero, 13.89.
5. Rooster Yazzie, 17.32.
6. Luke Smith, 19.36.
7. Jerret Pinto, 25.89.
8. Samson Valentino, 34.47.
9. Michael Bates, 44.04.
10. Jacob Yazzie, 5.29 on one.

Tie-down roping

1. Nelson Charley III, 25.43.
2. Donte Goff, 25.53.
3. Dennison Boone, 27.18.
4. Sheldon Jones, 28.07.
5. Justin Tsosie, 28.19.
6. JW Boyd, 28.78.
7. Laramie Martinez, 29.42.
8. Jay Guerrero, 29.68.
9. Jerome Ben, 33.29.
10. Dylan Nez, 35.14.

Saddle bronc

1. Ethan Yazzie, 119.
2. Oistin Charleston, 81.
3. Shane Phillips, 81.
4. Creighton Curley, 79.
5. Jacob Yazzie, 77.
6. Lorenzo Benally, 71.
7. Diego Begay, 66.
8. Bryan Moreno, 65.

Bull riding

1. Vinell Mariano, 83.
2. Marshal Tsosie, 82.
3. Larren Daley, 81.
4. Nicolas Rocky Touchine, 76.
5. X-Man Antez, 76.
6. Wade Tuni, 75.
7. JaCauy Hale, 74.
8. Jaiden Harrison, 73.
9. Kyler Notah, 63.

Bareback

1. Evan Betony, 163.
2. Matthew Tuni, 149.5.
3. Tom Chee, 137.
4. Malacai Shorty, 112.
5. Cauy Betony, 82.
6. Wyatt Betony, 69.
7. Alvaro Begay, 66.
8. Erick Claw, 65.

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