They do it for the love of the game. Their game on the reservation. Rodeo. Derrick Begay, Aaron Tsinigine and Erich Rogers have roped their way to Navajo Nation cowboy-role-model status. Humbly volunteering to load cattle, tie neck ropes, rope bulls and teach young kids the ropes at the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo in Window Rock, Arizona is their humble-heroes way of giving back to their native land and people—the land and people who raised them and lent the support that made their big-stage rodeo successes possible.
The Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo is held at the Dean C Jackson Memorial Arena. Carole Jackson Holyan and Jamie Begay Arviso are the actual head honchos here, and they’ve worked their tails off for three years now to bring their beloved local rodeo back to the best it can be. Carol’s Navajo cowboy dad, Dean C Jackson, and Jamie’s Navajo cowboy grandpa, James Begay Sr, were part of the generation that first dared dream of their Navajo native sons and daughters one day qualifying for Rodeo’s Super Bowl.
Family is everything to Carol and Jamie, and both of their families step up and serve without pay as part of their committee’s volunteer army. National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee Carol and her sister and righthand woman, Deana, are Dean C Jackson’s daughters. Carol’s son Dean Holyan is a PRCA tie-down roper and music director who handles the music in Window Rock. Carol’s daughter Faith Holyan is a professional breakaway roper. Carol’s son-in-law is PBR bull rider Cody Jesus. Carol is also Aunt Carol to Navajo NFR barrel racer Kassidy Dennison.
Jamie is big sister to 12-time NFR cowboy Derrick Begay, and mom to 2025 Rookie Header of the Year James Arviso, who looks to have a lock on his first NFR this year. Brother Derrick and brother-in-law and 2015 World Champion Header Aaron Tsinigine, who’s married to Jamie and Derrick’s little sister, Brittany, were two of the first to raise their hands to help. 2017 World Champion Header Erich Rogers also lends a hand at both the rodeo and free roping clinic held for native youth the week of the rodeo. Jamie, Derrick and Brittany’s dad, Victor Begay, is the volunteer tractor driver. Their Aunt Nadine and Uncle Clarence Peterson handle feeding all the contestants as part of the rodeo’s cowboy-and-cowgirl-friendly hospitality.
“I help out because it’s our hometown rodeo, and my sister is one of the bosses,” Begay said of his “why.” “Rodeo is our passion, and this rodeo has become a passion project for our family. The three ladies—Carol, Jamie and Deana—are the rodeo committee. The rest of us are just here to help out.”
Bringing Pro Rodeo Back to the Navajo Nation
The super successful Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo is a rebranded, reimagined version of its former self.
“We sat in a parking lot (at the rodeo) in San Antonio with a notepad, and made a game plan for putting on a great rodeo,” said Jamie; “we” included Derrick, Erich, Aaron and Begay’s heeler and best friend, Colter Todd. “These fans on the Navajo Nation watch and follow rodeo religiously. We changed the dates from the Fourth of July to May, so more contestants could work this rodeo, and cleaned up the facility. This is our home, I can always count on my family and we want to put on a great rodeo not only for the cowboys and cowgirls, but for our own people who love rodeo so much.”
Seven large-as-life photos are featured as backdrops to the bucking chutes. They highlight Navajo contestants who’ve made the NFR, including Begay and bull rider Spud Jones (who were the first to make it in 2008), Tsinigine, Rogers, Dennison, Danielle Lowman and Bailey Bates.
It was fun for everyone to see three of the four team ropers on the two teams that tied at the top of this year’s rodeo be native cowboys. James Arviso, who’s Navajo, roped with Chris Young at Window Rock, and brothers Wawa and Brandon Ben are of San Carlos Apache and Navajo descent.
Showing the Youth What’s Possible
The young people on the reservation are watching, and the free roping schools offered by the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo not only show them the ropes, but inspire them. The team roping school was taught by Jake Barnes, Clay Cooper, Matt Sherwood, Ty Romo, Myles John, Begay, Rogers and Tsinigine. The breakaway roping school instructors included local superstars Lowman, Dennison, Bates, Faith Holyan and Shad Mayfield.
Brittany Tsinigine’s Native Land Insurance Services sponsors both roping schools, college scholarships for native youth interested in pursuing careers in agriculture and the rodeo itself. Begay, Rogers and Aaron Tsinigine ride for the reservation brand as Native Land Insurance ambassadors.
“This was my second year helping at the team roping school in Window Rock, and I’d say there were about 100 kids and their families there,” Cooper said. “I thought it was super cool. We started off with about an hour of motivational talk to the kids and their parents in the stands. I think it’s fantastic what they’re doing for the native youth. There are troubles with drugs and alcohol on the reservation, so if we can encourage kids to go after their dreams, whether it’s rodeo, academics, other sports or having a day job as an electrician or a school teacher, we want them to work toward those dreams and enjoy what they’re doing.
“We want these kids to be successful, and they really look up to Begay, Aaron and Erich. Begay was the breakthrough guy for the Navajo Nation. He went out there, made it and showed the world it was possible. And he’s a remarkable person inside and out of the arena. Tsinigine and Rogers followed on Begay’s heels and won world championships. It was like Derrick’s success opened doors to them, and they stepped into that.
“My old stomping grounds is right there between the Apache and Navajo reservations in Northern Arizona. My granddad and dad lived in the Show Low area, so that’s kind of home country for me going way, way back. When I was amateur rodeoing, I went to a lot of rodeos and jackpots on those reservations, and I was around Derrick’s dad, Victor, all the time. Victor Begay was a really good roper. The Williams boys could really, really rope, too. It’s really an honor for me to return to that part of the country and to be a part of what they’re doing for those kids and that community.”
Every last cowboy-cool detail was planned out and executed at the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo. As just one example, each performance’s winner in the junior barrel race for 12-and-under Navajo girls—which featured added money sponsored by Native Land Insurance Services—got to take her victory lap with that perf’s professional champ.
The victory lap “horse” in Window Rock was Begay’s NFR- and world-famous mule John Henry, which was absolute extra incentive to excel there. This cowgirl-run cowboy committee thought of everything.
“This didn’t happen overnight,” Madame Committeewoman Arviso said. “Rodeo’s been here for generations before us. Our grandfathers had this vision to see our Navajo kids on the same stages as the other pro rodeo contestants. These are dreams come true.”
“This Is Where Dreams Start”
Like Begay, Tsinigine was proud to serve on the volunteer labor list.
“I just try to help with whatever I can, whether it’s loading cattle, or untying calves and steers,” he said. “Jamie and Carol are in charge and have done a great job. Jamie’s family and this is home, so of course we’re going to help her. We’re at the end of our rodeo careers and this is our hometown rodeo. We love the sport of rodeo. How could we not step up and get our hands dirty? People say rodeo’s a sport, but this is how we built our lives. We have everything we have because of rodeo. It’s our trade to pass along to future generations.
“Rodeo is second only to basketball on the Navajo Reservation. To have a good professional rodeo here is important. The pro rodeo was kind of going away here. When these ladies stepped in, we all stepped up to help them. Their hard work has made a big difference. When I was growing up, this rodeo was the only time I got to see rodeo’s superstars. I remember Roy Cooper used to come to Window Rock. There were no cell phones or social media back then, so our hometown rodeo was our tie to the sport and the stars of the sport. Getting a picture with Roy Cooper and getting to talk to him was a big deal. Same with seeing Speed Williams and Rich Skelton, and Cody Ohl and Fred Whitfield at the rodeo in Flagstaff.
“We grew up seeing the best guys in the world at our local rodeos. This is where we saw the big dogs for the first time, and we want that for today’s native kids, too. These ladies came in and brought that back. It hasn’t been easy for them, but they know that big picture and positive influence this event has on our kids is important. Brittany sponsors rodeo and basketball on the reservation with her Native Land Insurance, because those two sports reach the most kids. This is where dreams start. This is where our dreams started, and today’s kids need that same hope and motivation. When our rodeo careers are over, we all want to help our community and our people. If we can change or save a few kids’ lives every year, we’re doing our job.”
Each performance of the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo opens with the introduction of every Navajo contestant entered that day before the National Anthem.
“The Navajo people are the best rodeo fans in the world,” Jamie said. “We wanted to bring the best of rodeo back to the Navajo Nation. Our cowboys, cowgirls and fans deserve that. We are strong people. We don’t give up. We want to tell our Navajo story and showcase our Navajo people. This is where dreams come from, and if we inspire one kid in the crowd to chase his or her dreams because they see big things are possible, then it’s all worth it.”
—TRJ—