Despite Hiccups, Tristan Parrish Savors Winning Effort at Crooked River Roundup

The barrel racer had to overcome some adversity ahead of the rodeo and was forced to wait for the results, but the process proved worth it for her biggest victory to date.

Barrel racer Tristan Parrish and her horse, Cappy, used a time of 17.25 seconds in slack to win the Crooked River Roundup in Prineville, Ore. / Ashley Kendall/@ashleykendallphoto_marketing

The only thing faster than Tristan Parrish’s horse, Cappy, was her own finger. 

During barrel racing slack at the Crooked River Roundup in Prineville, Ore., Parrish and Cappy put together a remarkable effort, despite being the last to run in the performance. Their time of 17.25 seconds put them in position for a big result. 

Then came the unexpected waiting game. 

“I was actually watching the live feed on the Cowboy Channel of the last performance, but then they stopped barrels and ended up running it after the rodeo. So I was like, ‘Dang it, I can’t see if I won,’” Parrish said with a laugh. “I was sitting in my bed that night, refreshing the ProRodeo results page just waiting for them to post it. I was like, ‘Please post it tonight.’ I couldn’t fall asleep, it was like 11:30 p.m. and I was just sitting there refreshing my page.”

The constant clicking, along with phone calls from her grandfather and mother, gave Parrish the adrenaline needed to stay awake. It was an all-nighter that proved to be worth it. 

Her time of 17.25 seconds bested a loaded field of ranked barrel racers, including runner-up Ashley Castleberry who finished in 17.26 seconds. The win gave the Yakima, Wash., native $4,596 in earnings, her biggest professional win to date. 

“I didn’t think she’d be that fast, but she was. She always impresses me,” Parrish said of Cappy. “It was her biggest rodeo win yet. It was our fastest time on a standard in a rodeo pen. So a lot of firsts.”

Currently crying happy tears… Cappy won Prineville, OR! 🥹🤍🦄 This is our second pro rodeo win of the year & our biggest...

Posted by Tristan Parrish on Sunday, June 23, 2024

The run itself and even the delayed results turned out to be the easy part of the process as there were moments when Parrish wasn’t sure she was going to reach Prineville. 

On the drive up, a tire on her trailer started running low due to a nail in it and had to be changed. A few hours later, the dash light in her truck signaled that one of the truck tires was also low on air. With Prineville only about 30 minutes away, she decided to keep plugging along and address it at the rodeo grounds. 

The short-term headache proved to be worth it as Parrish got a much-needed outcome at a place that has always been very special to her. In 2021, she and Cappy’s run at the Crooked River Roundup helped Parrish fill her Women’s Professional Rodeo Association permit as she pursued her pro rodeo dreams. 

Now, the duo have another memory with the location and some momentum to build on as the summer begins. 

“It just blows my mind. She just keep getting better every year I swear. Every time I think she has now peaked, she keeps giving. She’s an amazing athlete and I’m so lucky to ride her and own her,” Parrish said. “I’m just going to keep doing right by her and see where it goes and where it takes me. “

Other results from the Crooked River Roundup

Keenen Hayes captured the bareback title and $4,265 in earnings after posting an 88.5-point ride on Big Stone Rodeo Inc’s Mayhem. 

In steer wrestling, Brady Boyce won the average with a 9.6-second aggregate on two-head. All told, he nabbed $5,229. 

Team ropers Hayes Smith and Dustin Davis posted a time of 10.6 seconds on two head to win the event, earning $4,970 each.  

Saddle bronc rider Damian Brennan rode for 87 points on King Rodeo and Wentz Bucking Bulls’ Gone Girl to earn $4,004. 

Shane Hanchey’s aggregate time of 18.5 seconds on two head was more than enough to win tie-down roping. He took home $6,031 for his efforts. 

Bull rider Derek Kolbaba posted an 87.5-point ride on Four Star Rodeo’s Tin Horn to win the title and earn $5,076. 

Cody Stewart was named all-around cowboy after earning $4,482 between tie-down roping and team roping.