story by Lindsay King
A barrel racer turned breakaway roper, Makenzie Wilson from Arthur, Nebraska, picked up a rope only four years ago at the recommendation of her husband Chip. “My mom ran barrels when I was little. I did not do much high school rodeo growing up, but I did some amateur rodeos and then Chip talked me into trying to rope instead.” She has not looked back since trading her barrel horse for a calf horse. “I like the competitive nature of rodeo in general and how dedicated you have to be if you want to be successful. There is a lot more to breakaway than just going fast, you have to make your horse work well.” An avid horsewoman, Makenzie started on her ranch-broke mare who was green to rodeo and they grew in the event together. “That is probably my biggest accomplishment so far. She would have been a great horse, but she got struck by lightning out in the pasture along with one of Chip’s horses.”
Chip has been Makenzie’s biggest influence in rodeo, keeping her in the roping pen and on good horses. “He has always been a positive influence for me. He has taken me to every rodeo he possibly could to get me roping well. My father-in-law has been helpful also. He is out in the roping pen helping us see things we could not from the back of a horse.” Makenzie looks to Lari Dee Guy for inspiration in the roping pen as well. “She has such great horsemanship, she is humble and helps everyone she can. Not to mention she is an outstanding athlete in the WPRA.” Makenzie has worked on her mental game the most in the past few years. “I used to get so nervous that I would make myself sick before a run. I have worked hard to build my confidence and to keep myself quiet in the pen. Chip has boosted that a lot and it has changed my roping immensely.”
The western way of life extends beyond rodeo for Makenzie and Chip, as they work on a four-generation cattle ranch: Wilson Cattle Company. “We have a cow/calf operation of about 900 cows to calve out every year. And then we run some yearling heifers as replacements.” Outside of ranching and rodeo, Makenzie likes to hunt coyotes and deer, but jokes that working is her true hobby. “We also raise and work cattle dogs. Mainly Chip works them and gets them started and I just take care of them and work the older dogs.” Their dogs are mostly Border Collies but have some McNab and Kelpie in them as well.
Makenzie attended Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis to get her degree in equine science. She also went to taxidermy school in Missoula, Montana, after graduation for five weeks. “Taxidermy school was a fun deal. Then I came home and worked for a guy in Basset until his shop burned down. Then I got into ranching and have known nothing else ever since.” One of Makenzie’s biggest accomplishments in life is her ability to ride several different horses in the roping pen well. “I am riding six horses right now, four of which I compete on regularly. I think it is neat that I have not been roping long, but they all work pretty well regardless.” Her top mount is a ranch raised gelding who Makenzie won more money on in the NSRA in just one year than she had her whole life. “I split the average at the NSRA finals last year. It was neat to do that on a family-raised and trained horse.” This summer marks the fifth year Makenzie has competed in the NSRA. “It is a good association because of the people in it. Everyone supports each other, and they are all fun to be around.”
