Long Drive Leads to Big Reward for Emily Beisel at Clark County Fair and Rodeo

The last-minute decision to drive 16 hours for one run turned out to be a good call for the veteran barrel racer.

Emily Beisel picked up a big win in Logandale, Nev., over the weekend, keeping her inside the top 10 of the WPRA world standings. / Hailey Rae/Courtesy of PRCA

Emily Beisel made up her mind – she wasn’t going to Logandale, Nev., for the Clark County Fair and Rodeo. 

Nothing about the journey made sense. The Weatherford, Okla., native would have to drive more than 1,100 miles just to take part in a one-run rodeo. When the order of go came out, she was near the bottom of the list in slack, meaning she’d be one of the last barrel racers to run, giving her a chewed-up surface to compete on. 

She decided the 16-hour trek wasn’t worth it. At least, that’s what she tried to tell herself. 

“I thought, ‘That’s too far to drive for that position.’ So I wasn’t going to go,” Beisel said. “Then, right at the last minute, I was able to find a trade-in that performance at the top of the (order). I thought, ‘Well, I better go and make the most of this because what a huge opportunity.’”

In this case, a little second-guessing turned out to be the right call. 

Running her 14-year old grey gelding, Chongo, for only the second time this season, Beisel posted a time of 17.17 seconds, good enough to hold off runner-up Wenda Johnson by eight-hundredths of a second (17.25) to secure the win. 

It was a significant victory for Beisel in her quest to reach the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the sixth-consecutive year. Coming into the weekend, she was 10th in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world standings, with just more than $32,200 in earnings. 

For her one run in Logandale, Beisel added $8,452 to her ledger, giving her more than $40,000 in earnings after competing at just 16 rodeos. 

The win was another example of finding the right balance early in the season to stay in contention but remain healthy for the summer. Because of his age, Chongo is selectively used, especially early in the year. 

“As I’ve gotten older and more experience under my belt, I know the trailer miles aren’t great on the horse, but it’s a lot less runs, which is a big thing in my book,” Beisel said. “He’s just been incredible and had an amazing career, but at this point in time it's my job to make sure I take care of him and put him in a good position to capitalize without wearing him out. I’ve got to preserve him and be smart and make sure I’m doing the best by him.”

The end result was the best outcome Beisel could hope for with a significant payday on one run with a little downtime after. 

While she’d like to be taking part in the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo in Texas later this week, Beisel knocked over a barrel during her first run, costing her the opportunity to advance. 

Even with that disappointment, the veteran cowgirl is finding the positives. She won big money and now has some time off before hitting the road again in the coming weeks. All in all, Beisel is exactly where she wants and needs to be. 

“It was really good to get that run in and kind of reassure that when we start getting ready for Calgary and some of that stuff coming up here in the next couple months that he’s fired up and ready to rock and roll,” Beisel said. 

Other results from the Clark County Fair and Rodeo:

Clayton Biglow scored 88.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo and Phenom Genetics’ Stiletto to win the bareback riding title and $7,262 in prize money. 

Ty Erickson covered two head in 7.9 seconds to win the steer wrestling title, earning $7,895 in total. 

The team roping duo of Brenton Hall and Kaden Profili finished two runs in a combined 9.8 seconds to win the average. They each took home $7,159 in earnings. 

Riggin Smith posted an 89-point ride on Sankey Pro Rodeo and Phenom Genetics’ No. 993 to win the saddle bronc title and $6,994 in earnings. 

Tie-down roper Marty Yates covered two head in a combined 17.2 seconds to win the average title and $8,477. 

Jake Lockwood went for 90.5 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Ol’s Tubs Buck Cherry to win the title and $7,050.