Macy Auclair - CFR 2023
Macy Auclair is excited for her first Canadian Finals Rodeo, heading to Red Deer, Alberta in eleventh position after taking home $10,724.45. This year she won Medicine Hat, Pincher Creek, and Cranbrook, and finished second at Kennedy, and third at Rockyford Pro Rodeo.
What is your background with horses? How did you get started roping?
I was on the back of a horse since I was very little. My dad started my career as he is a CFR qualifier in the team roping and the bull riding. My family comes from a long time of rodeo cowboys and it seemed like as soon as my dad could convince me to rope I was entered. I started roping on my dads horse “Iceman”, who actually is a CPRA horse of the year! I feel so honored to have always ridden the horses that I have. The horse that took my dad to the CFR was the horse I made my first junior high nationals in the breakaway! Not many can say that! I started roping in grade 6 but I had Barrel raced since I was about 4 or 5.
What is your main mounts reg name, bloodlines and does he/she have any quirks?
Pistol “Smoken Mirrored Image” Pistol is as solid as it gets in my opinion. We have a unique practice style as I NEVER stop her in the practice pen. She craves the stop so she tends to get pretty tight, I’ve learned that if I just fade her out after I rope it keeps her listening to me and not my rope. If I had to pick a quirk i would have to say it’s not much in her performance she is just highly allergic to alfalfa! We found this out a few years ago when her eyes completely swoll up and couldn’t see anything. We had to get her flushed out and learned our lesson very fast that she has close to a 0 tolerance for alfalfa!
What is your horses story?
I won pistol in a 5$ raffle ticket when I was 7 at the North Country Jr Rodeo Association, the Golden family donated a filly every year ,and I was lucky enough to win her! She was an absolute pet since the day I got her.
What is your go to saddle, pad and bit on your main mount? What do you like about them?
I use a Brazilian saddle, “Ze Selerio Selas” King saddle! My saddle pads are the classic equine ESP Contour 3/4 wool pad. I love the way my saddle really sits me up in the right position to where I don’t have to work so hard to get up and over my horse!
What do you do to keep a sharp mental edge in the game of rodeo? How do you stay motivated throughout the season?
I listen to a lot of podcasts and I do try to read mental books. I’m not the best at staying committed to reading books, as I’m not an avid reader, but I do enjoy learning about how to keep my mind sharp. Ben honestly helps me a lot with my mental game, as he has had such a great career, and is so mentally strong and confident in himself in anything he does.. he really does try to relay that back to me, as that’s something I struggle with! I believe that it really comes down to the work you put in and trusting your preparation and also surrounding yourself with the people who truly make you better.
Did you face any challenges this season? Tell us about them.
I would say this season was great for me.. sure there were some small slumps, but I felt like this year was pretty stress free for the most part. But I will say two summers ago I rodeoed with Makayla Boisjoli in the States, and I had the worst year of my career. I missed 16 calves in a row. It was absolutely horrible. By the 10th calf I had missed, the hardest thing was showing up to the next one, and truly believing that it was going to be better. It wasn’t like I was battling 1 problem and couldn’t fix it. I would stand infront of my dummy all day and night to fix the reason I missed at the previous rodeo. I would show up to the next one and miss in a completely different way. I was so aggravated and sick of cutting my own rope off that by the 3rd calf I missed, I just told Makayla I wasn’t gonna cut it off, and the only reason my rope was coming off was if a calf broke it off. So there it sat, loaded in the trailer, rope tied on. I’d warm up before the rodeo with my rope tied on… it was so embarrassing. Makayla has a photo of it too literally as proof and it almost became a game like, “is this the one it’s gonna break off at”, and then when it did break off, I got a no time cause I got a front leg. The same rodeo season I blew 10 tires. And four in one single weekend. But that was a true test for my drive and love for the sport. I over came that battle and it truly taught me how to lose and be okay with it, but know how to work harder for outcome I want.
What has been your most memorable run over the years, and what made it memorable for you?
I would say winning my first college rodeo would probably be the most memorable! I was so nervous. I felt like I really didn’t know anyone, and as much as I practiced and prepared for it, I just didn’t feel prepared enough. I had just moved to Texas by myself at 17 during the pandemic, and it was just a lot for me. I was badly homesick too. I ended up being a 1.9 and I was honestly in shock! All I could do is look around and look at all of the talented girls around me, and it was such a sense of reassurance that, “yes I really do belong in this caliber of ropers”. It just really showed me that when you do put your nerves to work and show up prepared it pays off!
Tell the readers something good that happened to you this season, other than placing at, or winning a rodeo.
This season I took a bold move and quit my office job that I had all last summer and I loaded up my rig and went to Texas with Ben for all the winter rodeos!
While I was sitting in the house in Texas i just thought about the opportunities I could make for myself while I didn’t have a job to go to. It’s been a goal for many years to start my own shop!
So I bit the bullet and started my boutique “Rae1976” in memory of my late Auntie Nicol Rae! My mom owned “Twisted Label” for many years with her best friend Elaine Finkbeiner. They had a huge influence on me and ever since then it’s always been something I’ve been very inspired to do!
It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve had so much support! It’s been great to do while I rodeo because it’s something I can do from the road, yet my mom helps me a lot with mailing out orders, and she has done an extreme amount of tagging! I’m so grateful for her help and guidance through my journey!
What is the best advice you’d give to readers, about horses, competing or life?
The best advice I think I’d give to someone who’s wanting to go down the rodeo trail would be one, travel with someone you trust and who really has your back and wants you to win! That’s huge.
Secondly, embrace all of the amazing opportunities we are given. Not long ago I would have laughed if you said we would have breakaway in the pro rodeos because it seemed so far out there. We are so lucky to be able to do what we do, and live the life we do!
If you can go to the rodeo early, go! Take the stops to jump in the lake, go to the good restaurants, make memories other than just in the arena! Being on the road is hard, so you have to find ways to branch out and experience things that you wouldn’t be able to if you were sitting at a desk job!
Who is your travelling partner, and what do you enjoy most about travelling with them?
I travel with Makayla Boisjoli! We’ve travelled together for a few years now! Makayla and I get along like sisters.
Which of the other CFR Qualifiers horses would you swing a leg over if given the chance and why?
I’m personally a big fan of Makayla’s 5 year old, Capone. I’ve watched that horse since his first rodeo until now, which hasn’t even been a year. This horse is gonna be big time, and he’s not even 6 yet!
What products can you or your horse not live without on the road?
For my horses I swear by three things! Hi-pro Alfa pro elite, Total Equine and Equinity. With Pistol being allergic to alfalfa it can make feeding on the road a little tricky because we really have to watch what she gets into, especially traveling with other horses that are on alfalfa! I started Pistol on Equinity this year, and it’s been an absolute game changer, especially with how much we travel!
I’d like to thank Wrangler, Rattler Rope/Classic Equine and Tim Cooper hats for everything they do for me and my team to get down the road and perform at our best with the best products! I can’t thank my family enough for the endless support they have given me. I cannot imagine the position I would be in if it wasn’t for them. They have had faith in me at times when I had zero, and still told me to go enter.
