This weekend, Maui ropers get a shot at one of the biggest stages in western sports

A huge weekend is on the horizon for Hawaiʻi’s rodeo athletes. One event that shouldn’t fly under the radar is The American Rodeo Contender Tournament qualifier at Oskie Rice Arena on Friday.

The Kaonoulu Ranch Open Breakaway serves as a crucial qualifying stage for the regional finals in Las Vegas, NV. Making it through these rounds will move these athletes to “The American Rodeo Championship Weekend”, one of the biggest stages in the western sports industry where athletes will compete for their chance to win a $1 million bonus.

For many Hawaiʻi ropers, this is their first shot at making it to such a high-profile competition. Among those competing are Maui siblings Elizabeth and Daniel Miranda, both eager to make their mark at the Kaonoulu Ranch qualifier.

For Daniel, the opportunity to compete at this level is a dream he’s been preparing for his whole life. “I’m ready,” said Daniel Miranda in a phone call. The Hawaiʻi Technology Academy graduate and Cal Poly sophomore placed 7th in tie-down roping at the College National Finals Rodeo this past June.

“The American’s been on my radar for a long time,” he said. “I remember when I was in fifth, sixth grade, watching the first two American’s on TV. I’d imagine one day just competing in there, feeling rich and fancy. Being an unknown qualifier guy to winning a million.”

The road to The American is long but “gives little guys from little circuits in little regions the chance to compete on a huge stage for a lot of money,” explained Miranda.

The process starts with qualifiers held across the nation, leading up to regional semi-finals, Jan. 9 through Feb. 15. The top five contenders from each region and discipline earn a spot to compete at The American Contender Finals. At last, the top five Contender athletes go head-to-head with the top five in the PCRA/WPRA world standings to advance to Teton Ridge’s The American Rodeo Championship Round in Arlington, TX on April 11, 2025.

Small town, big dreams

The logistics don’t typically add up for Maui rodeo athletes hoping to compete in big tournaments outside the state. In this case, it’s a different story, since The American qualifier comes to their backyard.

The Miranda family is a significant part in that happening. The Kaonoulu Ranch, where the event will be held for the first time, has stayed in the Miranda family for over a century. Moreover, the recent success of Elizabeth Miranda, a breakaway finalist of The Hooey Junior Patriot, and Daniel Miranda, a three-time regional roper of the American Contender Tournament, have caught the eyes of producers.

Born and graised on a ranch in rural Upcountry, Maui, Daniel couldn’t think of buying anything with his one-million-dollar prize besides “a new head horse and another calf horse, and college tuition of course.”

Even still, it isn’t hard imagine the kind of game-changer that prize would be for Hawaiʻi’s rodeo athletes. “That $1 million could change your rodeo career literally overnight,” said Miranda. “It’s more unique than any other rodeo, Houston, Calgary […] they’ll pay $50,000 for a one- or two-week tournament. But for the American, anyone in their region has the opportunity to go. You still gotta compete against the best in the world, but to get there, they have opportunities to win money against competitors they feel like they have a chance against.”

About 20 local athletes have signed up already, says Kaonoulu Ranch, hosts of the Friday breakaway and tie-down roping event. Uniquely, once the competitors pay their side-pot for the Maui qualifier, their fees are paid all the way through to the end, where the glimmering pot of $1 million awaits them.

Every step along the way, competitors will have a chance at lucrative jackpot payouts. On Maui, a cash jackpot and a Tres Rios buckle is up for grabs. The stage gets bigger as the rodeo progresses to the nationally-televised American Contender Regional Finals. The American Contender Tournament Finals leading up to the rodeo’s crown jewel ups the ante to $360,000.

The dream of competing at The American Rodeo is within reach for Maui individual and team ropers. Last year, Daniel made it to the short round of the West Coast regionals at South Point, just two spots away from qualifying for Texas.

Not far behind, his sister Elizabeth is putting every ounce of effort to blaze her own path in the breakaway and barrel racing qualifiers.

“I can’t wait,” she said. “I’ve been roping every day to prepare for it because of how much of an opportunity this one qualifier can lead to. It may just be roping on Maui, but there’s so much more behind it that I have been preparing for.”

As specialist in Poʻo Wai U Roping , the Seabury Hall high-school student who lives and breathes the paniolo lifestyle has been seething for an opportunity like this one.

“My high-schools rodeos, I’m just getting through them, but preparing for this one, I have bigger things on my mind, and it’s a bigger picture,” said Elizabeth Miranda. “I’m not just trying to be 3.5-3.0 [seconds]. I need to work on getting my roping snap to qualify, because what might win here won’t win up in the mainland.”

If Elizabeth qualifies on Thursday, she’ll also head directly to the West Coast regionals in Las Vegas, with a potential path to Texas.

Elizabeth watched The American Rodeo at Globe Life Field in Arlington last spring. “I haven’t seen rodeo like it,” she said. “Just the amount of people and the competition level at the American. The production itself was amazing.”

She also watched as her brother nearly qualified for the Contender Final last year, a boost of confidence for the young roper. “That made me much more confident because I know that if he can do it, he can help me get to that place where I can be successful on that stage too.”

For both Elizabeth and Daniel, competing on home turf offers a unique advantage. “It makes it so much more relaxing to go roping in your own practice pen. You know the setup, you know the calves. It’ll be a huge advantage,” Daniel said.

The American Rodeo Contender qualifier takes place at Kaonoulu Ranch on Friday, Aug. 16 starting 10 a.m. for the breakaway roping event and 1 p.m. for the tie-down roping event. The event will be followed on Saturday, Aug. 17 by the Hooey Junior Patriot qualifier starting at 9 a.m.

Those interested in entering the contest have until Thursday, Aug. 15 to sign up. Junior Patriot side pot entries close at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17. on www.patriotevent.com. For more information contact Morag Miranda at 808-960-0137.

Both events are open to the public and take place at Oskie Rice Arena at 523 Olinda Road. Tickets are not required, according to Kaonoulu Ranch.