Blanchard Blasts to Top of Leaderboard in Fort Worth

By Jolee Jordan

Fort Worth, Texas — The theme for the 123rd annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo (FWSSR) is ‘Old School Cool,’ a tip of the hat to the World’s Original Indoor Rodeo which is hosting its final rodeo inside the historic Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum.

But nothing is more cool than how lucrative the FWSSR is for cowboys and cowgirls. The rodeo will pay out three quarters of a million dollars in 2019. The committee added purse is $40,000 with 210 WPRA barrel racers entered. Each lady gets one run during the first 21 performances before the field will be narrowed to the best 70 from that opening round. Those 70 will make another run before the short round is set, comprised of the top 12 in the two-run average.

Following the first ten performances, the lead was held by National Western Stock Show and Rodeo champion Jennifer Sharp. The middle weekend of the Stock Show brought a flurry of competition, however, with seven performances in three days.

The weekend got off to an electric start when former WPRA Rookie of the Year Sydni Blanchard came down the famous long alley inside Will Rogers. Riding her sorrel bolt of lightning Heart, Blanchard blew the doors off the field with a time of 16.22 seconds, the fastest of the rodeo so far. In fact, it’s the fastest time run here since the finals in 2013.

“Famous Heartbreaker did it again! She is on fire taking the lead as well as me for a ride at the Fort Worth Rodeo. This #FearlessMare is so special to me,” Blanchard wrote on social media.

Thanks to the efforts of the FWSSR committee—which provides a hand rake following every cowgirl for 29 performances—times continued to be tough as the Friday evening perf kicked off. Seven cowgirls broke into the 16’s though a couple suffered barrel penalties. Michelle Alley had the top run of the night with her 16.67 second run on Saucy.

A raucous crowd enjoyed the rodeo on Saturday morning during the 10 A.M. show. Sidney Forrest topped the performance with her run of 16.60 seconds. Her gelding Sterling was smooth through the pattern to post a run that’s inside the top fifteen in the round thus far.

“Prince Sterling was a Champ today at Fort Worth! He is My Blessing!” Forrest said on social media.

Reigning Fort Worth champion Amberleigh Moore posted the best run in the middle performance on Saturday afternoon, equaling the time put up by Forrest. She and the super mare Paige were 16.60 seconds, just three one-hundredths of a second better than 2017 Rookie of the Year Taci Bettis.

“Paige ran a 16.60 in the afternoon performance at Ft Worth, TX to be sitting in the top ten,” Moore noted on her Facebook page. “We both love running here, however this year I feel a little nostalgic about it, being that it is the last year the rodeo is being ran at the Will Rogers Coliseum.”

An amazing day of barrel racing concluded in the Saturday night performance with Taylor Langdon taking the top honors. Riding her streaking grey horse Louie, and fresh off a reserve championship in Denver, Langdon was able to cut off the clock at 16.43 seconds, the second best of the rodeo through the first 150 runs.

Again, a proud barrel racer took to Facebook following the run. “Louie is on a roll! I’m so freakin proud of that little gray rocket! He smoked a run last night in Fort Worth running a 16.43 to move into 2nd place in the round!”

About 10 days ago, just prior to the start of the FWSSR, three-time Wrangler NFR qualifier Stevi Hillman competed in the FWSSR’s Rodeo X, the Stock Show’s team shoot out competition. She won the event for $10,000 riding Toni Dixon’s Sherlock. On Sunday afternoon, Hillman returned to Will Rogers aboard the same mount and took the performance win with a run of 16.62 seconds.

“Guys R A Mystery truly loves Ft Worth!” Hillman posted on social media. “Sherlock, you are a rockstar. And yes the barrel gods were with me today,” she joked, acknowledging the very precarious brush with the third barrel. “I am so incredibly thankful. This horse has ran a 16.7, 16.5, 16.9 and a 16.6 here, and is getting both me and Toni Dixon back to the 2nd round. What a horse…. thank you Toni for sharing your boy.”

A few hours later, Sadye Simpson made her return to the FWSSR. The last time she competed here was in the finals a year ago where she won the Jerry Ann Taylor award given for the best dressed cowgirl, an award worth $5,000. Though she’s back with a different mount in 2019, she’s got a shot to repeat after posting the best run on Sunday night, a 16.62 second effort that was just three one-hundredths of a second better than Emily Miller.

“I love this horse with my entire heart!” said Simpson on Facebook. “Thanks Gigi for another fun ride.”

The long round here at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo will conclude on Tuesday night but not before a stacked field of ladies take their shot at the next round. The final four perfs feature Wrangler NFR cowgirls Shali Lord, Shelly Morgan, Lisa Lockhart, Jackie Ganter, Danyelle Campbell, Angie Meadors, Kylie Weast and Carman Pozzobon.

The WPRA’s winningest cowgirl, Sherry Cervi will also compete on the final day of the long round as will WPRA World Champion and former Fort Worth winner Fallon Taylor. Three other Fort Worth champions will be among the final forty: Sarah Rose (McDonald) Waguespack, Shelly Anzick and Nikki Hansen.

For more information on the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, visit them on-line at www.fwssr.com. Stay tuned to www.wpra.com for continuing updates from the 2019 edition.

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Results (In Progress)

1st Go

1. Sydni Blanchard, Famous Heartbreaker, 16.22
2. Taylor Langdon, Dashin Louie, 16.43
3. Jennifer Sharp, Six French Smooches, 16.48
4. Jill Wilson, Lean Mean Blue Dean, 16.49
5. Tiany Schuster, Show Mance, 16.53
6. Ilyssa Glass, Championofthehouse, 16.58
7. Ivy Conrado, KN Fabs Gift of Fame, 16.58
8. Sidney Forrest, So Epic, 16.60
9. Amberleigh Moore, CP Dark Moon, 16.60
10. Stephanie Fryar, The Red Maserati, 16.62
11. Stevi Hillman, Guys R A Mystery, 16.62
12. Sadye Simpson, God Given Fame, 16.62

Courtesy of WPRA