Kassie Mowry Rides Away With Round Four Win Breaking Kinsel's Three-Day Streak

On the fourth night of the NFR, the pattern was broken, and a new champion walked away with the first place winnings.

Kassie Mowry / Hillary Maybery for Rodeo On SI

Kassie Mowry left Round Four of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo $33,687 richer, breaking the three-night winning streak for Hailey Kinsel.

With the bar set high in just the first three runs of Round Four, the remaining 12 champion barrel racers had a lot to live up to. The first racer to cross the electric eyes was Tiany Schuster, riding Famous Mic Guy Ver. The team put up a solid run, pulling a 13.68 to kick things off for the fourth night of barrel racing.

Schuster's run stood firm at No. 1 until the eighth team of the night ran their pattern with a time of 13.59. Carlee Otero took over the lead for the night with her clean run, chasing that first-place payout. With only seven teams remaining, Otero had a firm grasp on Round Four.

All eyes were on Kinsel tonight though, as her route has been nothing but clean and fast in the first three rounds of the NFR. She was set to run immediately after Otero, so she knew the time she had to beat to continue her winning streak. Unfortunately, her time of 13.61 couldn't quite nail down that first place spot, however she still rode out of the arena with some money in her pocket.

Through the first three rounds, Kinsel had collected $111,000 (which includes her $10,000 automatic stipend) putting her at least $90,000 ahead of her competition.

Kinsel and Otero were each bumped down when the night's champion team, Kassie Mowry and Force The Goodbye, recorded a 13.43 run. Her textbook run was fast and clean, placing her above Otero for the No. 1 spot on the night. With just two teams following Mowry, her fate was sealed.

Round Four saw three teams hit at least one barrel, and another team knock down all three. Many of the ladies are making their debut appearance in Las Vegas, and they still have plenty of runs and opportunity to get through before the NFR ends.

Some takeaway points going into Round Five that are important to note: Abby Phillips was sitting high in the average, but with a horse change and a hit barrel in Round 4, she'll be looking at a slight bump in the average. Halyn Lide collected her first check on Jettin Ta Heaven with a 13.72 run, pushing ahead of LaTricia Duke on the night.

On the fifth night, some of these gals will look to maintain their standing in the average, while others will try to shake up the average entirely. With each run, these teams know just what is at stake here in Vegas.

Round 4 Complete Results:

1. Kassie Mowry, 13.43 seconds, $33,687
2. Carlee Otero, 13.59, $26,624
3. Hailey Kinsel, 13.61, $20,104
4. Tiany Schuster, 13.68, $14,127
5. Halyn Lide, 13.72, $8,693
6. (tie) LaTricia Duke and Shelley Morgan, 13.75, $2,717 each
8. Ashley Castleberry, 13.79
9. Andrea Busby, 13.81
10. Emily Beisel, 13.82
11. Dona Rule, 14.04
12. Wenda Johnson, 18.87
13. Lisa Lockhart, 18.92
14. Abby Phillips, 19.29
15. Leslie Smalygo, 29.28