Billingsley
won the all‑around and breakaway roping titles; Miller
won in the team roping category; and Lawrence won in tie‑down
roping, making her the three‑time world champion.
The
connection to Old West shows has special meaning for Billingsley
as her family has been on the rodeo circuit for generations.
Her
grandmother, Margie Greenough Henson, did Roman style horseback
riding and saddled
broncos. Her grandfather, Charlie “Heavy” Henson, was a bulldogger.
Both Hensons were rodeo champions.
“They
did everything,” Billingsley said.
A
mother of two, 39‑year‑old Billingsley has been
involved with rodeos since she was 10 years old.
“I
love the people and competing,” she said.
Lawrence
too has been competing in rodeos since she was a child.
“I’ve
been doing rodeos all my life,” Lawrence said, adding the
sport is a family tradition.
A
land broker and developer by profession, Lawrence earned her
first rodeo card when she was just 13 years old.
Miller,
of Cave Creek, is also a lifelong rodeo competitor. At 32,
Miller is a fourth generation rodeo championship rider.
Though
she does not have children, Miller is planning to someday
have a family of her own. She said her family’s tradition
motivated her to participate in the sport.
“Today,
especially with the younger generation, there’s not a lot
of people who have traditions or heritage in their life,”
she said. “This is a good thing for me because I have something
I can pass on to my kids rather than being out there and looking
out for a buck.”
