When Mason Appleton and Rance Doyal decided to pair up in 2024, they made a plan to focus on the Prairie Circuit rather than the wide-open road. With nearly a $2,000 lead in the circuit standings, their plan is paying off.
The Oklahoma kids lead the Prairie Circuit in the heat of the season with $15,111.07 won by Appleton and $14,064.73 by Doyal. After a slow winter for Doyal, 23, and an opportunity close to home for Appleton, 20, they knew perfecting their run in the Prairie Circuit fit both their goals.
“Whenever we decided to rope, we were like, instead of just start roping together and start entering everything and leaving, we’ll make sure it’s going to work,” Doyal said. “We’ll just circuit rodeo and if we’re doing good, then we’ll try to win the circuit with as good as Colorado Springs is now.”
Appleton and Doyal have the right idea hunting for the NFR Open as the Colorado Springs rodeo offers circuit cowboys the chance at major money each July, enough to push some into the NFR fight.
Strategy for the win
Appleton and Doyal started the year with different partners but have known each other since junior high. Around the time of the BFI, they discussed their mutual interest in staying closer to home and decided to partner up and focus on the circuit race.
“Our first rodeo was in Guymon, and it went good, and it’s been good ever since,” Appleton said. “We won the first round out there and ended up winning I think third in the average. We haven’t been to a ton of them, but it’s been good every one of them we have been to.”
Guymon was in early May, and Appleton and Doyal picked up $5,055 a man there. They pocketed another $5,001 at the end of May and beginning of June between the Fredonia, Kansas, Wilson County Pro Rodeo, co-approved Mt. Pleasant Rodeo in Texas and Oklahoma’s Hugo Pro Rodeo.
The Prairie Circuit is quiet most of June and July. This break works well for Appleton who helps two-time NFR qualifier and rope horse trainer Billie Jack Saebens with his futurity horses.
“I honestly kind of like it because this summer, when we were on that break, we went to three futurities,” Appleton said. “So, it was kind of nice to not have to worry about trying to get to all the rodeos, too. We just kind of had a break and got to go to all the futurities, and it worked out.”
As their circuit picks back up, Appleton and Doyle made good use of the Kansas swing at the end of July and start of August. they won fifth at the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo in Abilene, Kansas, for $1,485 each, followed by $938 a man for third at the co-approved Dick Stull Memorial Rodeo in Sterling, Colorado. The picked up another $1,015 a man for second in Winfield, Kansas, at the Cowley County PRCA Rodeo.
“For not rodeoing, we had a full week of it for sure,” Appleton said with a laugh.
Here comes the busy season
Appleton and Doyal just pocketed $1,483 each Tuesday, Aug. 6, in the first round of the Lawton Rangers Rodeo (Oklahoma). They head next to Lawton for the second round, Vinita, Oklahoma, followed by Coffeyville, Kansas, next week.
This busy time of year means there’s more money up for grabs, but it also means any Prairie guys vying for an NFR qualification will be hitting the road outside the circuit lines as well.
“The guys that are close to us that we need to get some money on to where we can stay ahead of them, it’s going to work out because they’re all fixing to leave because they still have a chance to make the Finals,” Doyal said. “So, this is a good time to start catching a bunch of steers and start winning because we can make a make up all the ground we need to these next few weeks.”
Appleton will soon be gone for two weeks for futurities, so he will get to go to some but not all of the remaining circuit rodeos. While he’s away, Doyal will rope with Saebens’ partner, Paul David Tierney. Appleton’s no less dedicated to their goal of winning the circuit, though, and looks for redemption in Colorado Springs after his last appearance in 2023.
“It’d be awesome, especially to get to go to Colorado Springs—that’s a great rodeo,” Appleton said. “I went out there last year, and I like that rodeo. I would love to go back.”
Winning the circuit would be a significant achievement for the young team that’s keenly aware of the stiff competition they keep for company.
“To set that goal and then be able to set out and do it, that would be a huge confidence builder,” Doyal said. “That way, whenever we’re ready to start going, we feel that we can hang with them because it’s hard.”
