Will Sissy Winn Win over Tonozzi at Cowboy Capital Pro Rodeo

Over 80 Barrel racers, running milli-seconds apart, hit the ground running fast, Thursday Evening, at the PRCA Rodeo in Stephenville, TX.

Madi Roelofsen | Sep 22, 2023

Will Sissy Winn Win over Tonozzi at Cowboy Capital Pro Rodeo /

In a brand new facility in Stephenville, TX, the Cowboy Capital Pro Rodeo kicked off Thursday with over 80 barrel racers and their equine athletes turning in some amazing times. It was definitely a night of high-speed racing in the barrel racing slack.

Sissy Winn, and her amazing partner Scoop, turned in a time of 16.91 to lead the pack going into Friday's performance. Winn and Scoop were 2022 National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and are sitting tenth in the world standings with their sights set on a 2023 NFR qualification.

Only two-hundredths of a second behind Winn is Wenda Johnson and her horse Mo. Johnson has qualified for multiple NFRs on Mo, a standout futurity horse with Kassie Mowry. Johnson is currently ninth in the world standings and hoping to be running at the NFR in the Thomas and Mack arena in December.

Summer Kosel, the arena record holder at the Cheyenne Frontier Days, is in second behind Johnson. Kosel rode Apollo for a time of 16.97. In 14th place, Kosel is on the bubble of making the NFR - she must finish in a top 15 spot to qualify.

Jimmie Smith, the 2020 Rookie of the Year, and her equine partner Stella, finished fourth in Stephenville. Smith and Stella just won $3,506 in New Mexico a few days ago and are sitting in prime position for a check in Stephenville.

Also earning money in New Mexico was Latricia Duke. After riding Vanilla Wafer, Duke placed fifth in Stephenville, with a time of 17.06.

With three performances left, the top 10 barrel racers at the Cowboy Capital Pro Rodeo are:

Sissy Winn, 16.91
Wenda Johnson, 16.93*
Summer Kosel, 16.97
Jimmie Smith, 17.00
Latricia Duke, 17.06
Mallee Jones 17.07
Kourtni McConnell 17.07
Tessa Arnold 17.11
Jackie Ganter 17.13
Jessica Watkins 17.21

The new arena in Stephenville brought arena grounds that were fast and safe. There is still a lot of racing this weekend. The times will continue to be fast.

When the final round is run on Sunday, will Winn still be winning? Or, will other competitors like Brittany Tonozzi, who is currently number one in the world, take home the Cowboy Capitol championship?

*At the time of publishing, the PRCA Standings webpage had Hailey Kinsel in second. It has been verified with the Cowboy Capitol Pro Rodeo Secretary that Wenda Johnson is in second place.

Published Sep 22, 2023

MADI ROELOFSEN

Madi Roelofsen is a writer for Sports Illustrated's feature, Rodeo Daily. Madi not only writes about the western lifestyle and rodeo world but lives it daily. She attended Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and competed in the barrel racing as part of their rodeo team. Roelofsen graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in animal science. Madi enjoyed not only competing in rodeo events but also spectating the greatest sport on dirt. In 2017, while on vacation attending the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, she met her husband Tim Roelofsen. They got married a few years later in 2020. Tim had already established TVR Working Horses but together they grew their program and enjoy raising foals, training colts, barrel racing, team roping and standing their stallions (TVR Eye Needa Corona and CR Baron Bee Joy "Big Sexy") in both Texas and Iowa. They stay busy with the horses, farming alfalfa and raising their baby girl, Texi. Madi has always been passionate about horses, from learning about different bloodlines, breeding the foals themselves to training and competing. She expresses that passion within the articles she writes to open up the world of horses and rodeo to everyone. Twitter-@Madi_Roelofsen Facebook- @TVR Working Horses