Barrett Records Fastest Run in Denver for 2018, Small Still Leads the Average

By Jolee Jordan

Denver, Colorado — The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo began more than one hundred years ago as a means for western growers to establish a big market center in the West thereby saving money on the high expense of shipping east. Organizers planned the event for January so that it would fall after the fall harvest but before spring calving began and Denver businesses eagerly signed on to support the new endeavor to help drum up sales during the slow post-Christmas season.

More than a century later, the National Western is still a huge livestock show and its rodeo is one of the best on the pro rodeo schedule. A good showing in Denver can often springboard a competitor into the season and launch them to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR).

Every contestant entered in the WPRA barrel race competes in two preliminary rounds before the field is established for the short round on Sunday, January 21. Only the fastest 12 from the two-run average will move on to compete for the championship on the rodeo’s final day.

2016 Rookie of the Year and Wrangler NFR qualifier Cayla Small took the lead in the average on the first day of the rodeo and hasn’t budged on that leaderboard since.

The first set of the National Western’s final week brought a match between the WPRA’s leading rookie contender K.L Spratt of Wyoming and record breaking cowgirl Tiany Schuster, who set an all-time regular season earnings mark last year en route to finishing third in the final WPRA World standings.

Monday night it was the red-hot rookie on top, stopping the clock at 15.40 seconds on her good mare OK. Spratt won a round of the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming last summer with OK and got her rookie season off with a bang last fall, picking up more than $7,600 in earnings.

On Tuesday, Spratt ran into penalty blues while the veteran took advantage as Schuster posted a 15.39 second run on her horse Show Mance. That run put her second in the second round and in a tie for fifth in the average. In 2017 Schuster tied Hailey Kinsel for second here.

Everyone entered has been chasing Small since the opening night of the rodeo but Wilderness Circuit Finals Champion barrel race Jennifer Barrett was the first to succeed in bumping her out of the top spot on the leaderboard for the first round.

Barrett and her horse Larry set a high bar in round one during the Wednesday matinee performance, posting the fastest time of the rodeo at 15.28 seconds. Unfortunately, a downed barrel kept the duo from making an appearance in Sunday’s final round.

The fast time on Wednesday night belonged to Lisa Lockhart. The 10-time WNFR competitor was consistent in her two runs on Wednesday, posting a 15.46 second run in the second round to move to fifth in the go and fifth in the two-run average.

Thursday’s top run came from former College National Champion Barrel Racer Liz Herrin. Herrin and her horse Mikey stopped the clock at 15.31 seconds to move into second in the first go round.

The National Western races to its conclusion over the weekend with the final 20 contestants before the field is set for the Finals on Sunday.

Competing in the final preliminary rounds are WNFR arena record holder Hailey Kinsel, who won second in Denver a year ago en route to her first WNFR qualification, along with fellow WNFR cowgirls Sydni Blanchard, Tillar Murray, Cassidy Kruse, Carley Richardson, Jill Moody, Jackie Ganter, Tammy Fischer, Taci Bettis and Christine Laughlin. Reigning Canadian champion barrel racer Carman Pozzobon will also competed on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, visit www.nationalwestern.com and stay tuned to www.wpra.com.

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Current Results

1st Go

1. Jennifer Barrett, Beduinos Prospector, 15.28
2. Liz Herrin, Bogies Lil Mikey, 15.31
3. Cayla Small, Shameon U, 15.39
4. KL Spratt, KK Cash Colours, 15.40
5. Kathy Grimes, KG Justiceweexpected, 15.46
6. Lori Todd, Wranglers Bedrock, 15.48
7. Sissy Winn, Flashy Red Flame/Benette Little, Ms Carrie Lou, 15.50
9. Wendy McKee, Little Snoop Dog, 15.52
10. Emily Miller, Namgis D56, 15.54

2nd Go

1. Small, 15.37
2. Tiany Schuster, Show Mance, 15.39
3. McKee, 15.44
4. Michelle Darling, Morning Traffic, 15.45
5. Lisa Lockhart, An Oakie With Cash, 15.46
6. Nikki Hansen (Sky High Guy)/Kelly Bruner, Suzytresseis, 15.49
8. Margo Crowther/CJ Vondette, 15.50

Average

1. Small, 30.76
2. McKee, 30.96
3. Hansen/Todd 31.05
5. Lisa Lockhart, 31.07
6. Grimes/Schuster, 31.08
8. Ivy Conrado, 31.19
9. Jamie Hinton, OJS Tex Wood, 31.22
10. Jane Melby, Perks Pazazz , 31.23
11. Miller/Kelly Tovar, A Dash ta Glamour, 31.26

Courtesy of WPRA