Wenda Johnson Keeps Momentum Rolling With Deadwood Victory

The veteran barrel racer blazed her way to another big payday to continue climbing in the WPRA World Standings.

Wenda Johnson's time of 17.16 seconds was by far the fastest run at the Days of '76 Rodeo in Deadwood, S.D., allowing her to pick up another big payday. / Roseanna Sales/For PRCA

The setup and conditions at the Days of ’76 Rodeo in Deadwood, S.D., were favorable to barrel racer Wenda Johnson and her equine partner Steal Money “Mo.” 

And the pair certainly made it count. 

Finishing in a time of 17.16 seconds, Johnson and Mo set a standard that wouldn’t be caught during the Thursday evening performance at the rodeo, allowing the duo to pick up another crucial win as July draws to a close. 

“He loves a center alley and went to his spots,” Johnson said of the run. “The ground was on the deeper side, but it was a welcome sight after running on some shallow, hard ground, and I really feel like you could get into it and make great turns.”

The result was part of a late July surge aimed at helping secure Johnson’s trip at her fifth straight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. 

The win at Deadwood yielded a $5,573 payday and Johnson also picked up $6,567 for a fourth-place showing at the Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days earlier in the week. She’s already earned about $2,300 at Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days heading into Sunday’s championship go-round. 

Sitting seventh in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association World Standings with about $82,500 in earnings as of the July 26 update, the Pawhuska, Okla., cowgirl is inching closer to locking up her spot in Las Vegas, which will allow Mo to get some much-needed rest before the December competition. 

While making sure Mo remains healthy for NFR is crucial, Johnson is also looking forward to opportunities to season one of her up-and-coming horses at rodeos as the season winds down. It’s about competing in the present but also planning for the future, a balancing act she is greatly enjoying. 

“The homestretch is coming closer and with the successes Mo and I have had, it will provide the opportunity for my young horse to go to the final rodeos I have scheduled and continue to build his confidence in learning to handle the different types of ground and set ups,” Johnson said. 

Other results from the Days of ’76 Rodeo:

Leighton Berry and R.C. Landingham tied for the bareback riding title after they each rode for 87 points. Berry competed on Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co’s Sippin Firewater, while Landingham battled Dakota Rodeo’s American Grafiti. They each took home $5,293. 

Steer wrestler Gus Franzen won the average title with a total of 8.8 seconds on two head. Between the rounds and average, he took home $7,542. 

Lightning Aguilera and Lane Mitchell finished their two runs in a combined 10 seconds to win the team roping average title. Each cowboy earned $7,097. 

Saddle bronc rider Q McWhorter went for 87.5 points on Sutton Rodeo’s South Point to win the event and secure a $6,007 payday. 

Blane Cox and Dylan Hancock tied for the tie-down roping average, finishing at 18.8 seconds on two head. Cox left with $6,879 in earnings, while Hancock took home $6,353. 

Steer roper Kelton McMillen posted an aggregate time of 37 seconds on three head to win the championship. Between rounds and the average, he left with $4,827. 

Bull rider Jestyn Woodward edged out Hayes Weight by a half point, riding Dakota Rodeo’s Dr Campbell for 88.5 points to nab a $5,809 payday. 

Jason Schaffer won the all-around cowboy championship with $2,354 in earnings from tie-down and team roping.