Domer Dominates As Williams Cashes In at Inaugural Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway

The Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway was a success on multiple levels. See who cashed in and earned the title.

Danielle Lowman / Hillary Maybery for Rodeo on SI

The world of breakaway roping could do nothing but thank the Kimes family and everyone involved when they reflected on what had just taken place at the Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway. Each and every lady that stepped up to be interviewed expressed their appreciation - some even with tears in their eyes.

Truth be told, breakaway has never seen anything like this with the exception of The American Rodeo but even then, the million dollars wasn't guaranteed to be paid out only in the breakaway. The Kimes family changed the landscape and showed the world how it could be done.

For a quick recap, each of the rounds paid six places starting with first winning $25,000. For the first six rounds, 25 ladies had a chance at the money. Then the field was narrowed to 15 who got to finish out the final four go-rounds and rope for the average prize of $60,000 for the champion. Again, the average paid six spots all the way down to $10,000.

For some perspective on the incredilbe opportunity facing these groundbreaking ladies, let's compare this payout to the National Finals Breakaway Roping that will start on Tuesday.

In Las Vegas when the top 15 ladies back in the box they will be looking at a first place round check paying $6,196.58. The rounds will pay six places going down to $1,068.38 for last hole. In the average, after 10 head, the champion will earn $16,913.63 and eighth in the average will pick up $1,595.63.

The action in Scottsdale was intense and it literally came down to the last calf to determine who would walk away with the title. It was the veteran from Dublin, Texas, Kelsie Domer who will forever have the honor of being the Inaugural Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway Champion.

The nine-time World Champion stayed solid the entire time roping all 10 calves in a total 41.61 seconds. Over the course of three days and ten rounds, Domer earned $95,000. It was clear in the last four rounds that Domer had that average check on her mind and she just went and roped every single one.

It wasn't easy. That's an understatement for sure but normally in the breakaway roping just roping all of the calves will get you the big check. Not here. There were actually three competitors that roped all 10 head.

Hali Williams from Comanche, Texas is blazing her own path and making her own name. She was hot on the heels of Domer the entire time. Finishing with 10 head roped in 43.02, she won second in the average, good for $50,000.

Here are the average results:

Rank	Roper	Total Time
1	Kelsie Domer	41.61 on 10
2	Hali Williams	43.02 on 10
3	Shelby Meged	55.47 on 10
4	Danielle Lowman	28.98 on 8
5	Rickie Fanning	20.39 on 7
6	Reese Jacobs	24.76 on 7
7	Jordi Mitchell	25.50 on 7
8	Kayla Graham	26.07 on 7
9	Josie Conner	12.63 on 6
10	Kash Gay	23.75 on 6

Williams who is making her second appearance at the NFBR this year has battled back from an pretty severe injury all year. When interviewed several weeks ago, Williams said she thought she was around 70% back to herself. She had to learn to do some things different because she couldn't stand solid in her right stirrup. Whatever she is doing, she is doing it right. Over her three day time, Williams was the high money winner taking home an incredible $115,000.

Again for perspective, that's about $30,000 more than she won all year at the professional rodeos, and she still has 10 rounds of the NFR to compete in next week.

Coming in second in the money race was the Texas Swing Queen, 'D-Low', Danielle Lowman. Despite missing two calves, Lowman still earned, $105,000.

When the roping concluded, the list of top money earners was astounding.

Roper	Money Earned
Hali Williams	$115,000
Danielle Lowman	$105,000
Reese Jacobs	$97,500
Kelsie Domer	$95,000
Josie Conner	$85,000
Jordi Mitchell	$80,000
Kash Gay	$75,000
Shelby Meged	$70,000
Martha Angelone	$65,000
Maddy Deerman	$55,000

At the end of the day several references were made that there would be another year of the Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway. The stands were packed and the emotions were high on the final night where history was made and lives were changed. For the industry, let's hope this continues.

Congratulations to all the winners, thank you to the Kimes Family for moving the marker on the standard, and thank you to those incredible horses we got the pleasure of watching do their jobs each and every time they backed in the box with little realization of the stage they were on.