Barrel Racing and Breakaway Roping Bubble is Ready to Burst as One Week Remains

With seven days left in the regular season, several cowgirls are still working hard to secure their 2024 NFR qualifications.

Teal Stoll | Sep 24, 2024

Wenda Johnson / Roseanna Sales/For PRCA

The last weeks of the rodeo season are typically nail-biters, but the addition of more money in the final days of the regular season has only increased the anxiety for those who are still working to solidify their positions within the top 15 in the World Standings.

One of those season altering rodeos wrapped up over the weekend and the other will kick off this coming weekend. The Rough Rider Cup in Mandan, North Dakota paid out over half a million dollars and The Governor's Cup will have over $1 million in added money September 26-28, 2024.

Barrel Racing

In the barrel racing, we can consider seven women relatively safe in their 2024 NFR qualifications. Leslie Smalygo, Hailey Kinsel, Emily Beisel, Kassie Mowry, Lisa Lockhart, Ashely Castleberry, and Tiany Schuster are set to see the bright lights of Las Vegas in December.

Positions 8-18 are separated by $20,000 as of September 23, which means the future is much less certain for those cowgirls. Wenda Johnson (8th in the World Standings), Dona Kay Rule (9th), and Halyn Lide (11th) will all compete in Sioux Falls, giving them each a chance to bank substantial money to hold onto their positions. Andrea Busby (12th) is not far behind and also punched a ticket to the Cup, giving her a huge opportunity to maintain her spot in the top 15.

Abby Phillips currently holds onto 10th, between Rule and Lide. She and Carlee Otero (13th) will not be competing in The Governor's Cup, so they will be making the last minute push for checks in rodeos like Mona, Utah, Stephenville, Texas, and the California run this coming weekend.

For LaTricia Duke (14th) and Shelley Morgan (15th), who also earned qualifications to Sioux Falls, the runs they make will have the final say in their 2024 NFR bids. Duke has been on fire in September, placing high at Pendleton and Albuquerque, which helped land her spot in the Cup.

The cowgirls outside the top 15 are still a threat with Tayla Moeykens only $500 behind Morgan. She will not be competing in Sioux Falls, but expect to see her fighting it out at the final rodeos as she seeks her first NFR qualification.

In 17th, Paige Jones is in a familiar position. She has had to grit it out to make her NFR dreams a reality before, so we know that despite falling short of qualifying for the Cup, she will continue to capitalize on opportunites at other rodeos.

We would be remiss not to highlight Jordon Briggs. When Rollo sustained an injury in early 2024, it looked like their season was over. Starting the summer with no substantial earnings, the duo scratched and clawed their way back into the top 20. They will be competing in Sioux Falls and it is a very real possibility they could earn their spot on the NFR roster. Rollo looked strong in Mandan, earning them an important check and momentum to carry into the coming weekend.

Breakaway Roping

Per WPRA, 9/23/24 /

In the breakaway roping, we can probably consider the top nine cowgirls relatively safe: Josie Conner, Taylor Munsell, Jackie Crawford, Martha Angelone, Shelby Meged, Maddy Deerman, Kelsie Domer, Danielle Lowman, and Rickie Fanning.

In 10th, Macy Young is likely safe at $89,530, but she will probably be trying to pick up final checks to ensure that spot is hers. Hali Williams is in the same boat, at $84,790. Neither of these cowgirls will compete in the Cup.

When we talk about battling it out, Jordan Jo Hollabaugh will be bringing her fiercest game in these final days. Missing out on the Cup and currently sitting 12th, she is $300 ahead of Kendal Pierson, who did qualify for Sioux Falls.

Rylee George has bumped up to 14th, $3,000 ahead of Sarah Angelone in 15th. While George will compete in the Cup, Sarah Angelone will not. Bailey Bates and Joey Williams also missed out on Sioux Falls qualifications and are just outside the bubble of the top 15. These three cowgirls will rely on crucial checks at other rodeos through the weekend to make their final moves.

Bradi Good and TiAda Gray earned crucial positions in the Cup, which gives both an excellent shot of moving into the top 15.

Published Sep 24, 2024

TEAL STOLL

Teal Stoll is a lifelong Wyomingite from a working ranch family of several generations. Both sides of her family have deep roots in rodeo, as contestants and stock contractors. Teal grew up horseback and actively competes in rodeos and barrel races. She has degrees in both business and accounting, which she uses operating her own bookkeeping service. Teal enjoys spending time with her horses, training colts, and maintaining her string of athletes. When she isn’t at the barn, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or on her paddle board at the lake. Teal lives with her fiancee and a plethora of animals, because she can’t say no to a displaced critter with a sad story. When she isn’t on the road running barrels, she spends her time helping with day to day operations on the family ranch.