Lonestar Standout — Kinsel Keeps on Winning

By Jolee Jordan

San Antonio, Texas — There really is something special about Hailey Kinsel and her golden mare Sister.

It’s not just that they make fun to watch, fast and exciting barrel runs. It’s not only how much they’ve won and how short a time span it’s been to accomplish such major resume stuffing titles.

It’s more than what they’re doing inside rodeo arenas . . . it’s the way they do it. The incredible Sister, with her lighting fast feet and her grit, has horse lovers simply drooling. Always with humility and grace, Kinsel is appreciative of her wins; she seems able to find a way to shine a spotlight on things important to her which are apart from her wins.

The sum total is that this is a team that everyone wants to cheer on to more and more victories.

Case in point was the 2019 edition of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, where Kinsel and Sister won for the second consecutive time and in a huge way. Following the win, Kinsel’s thoughts and words were on a friend lost tragically the week before and she dedicated the victory to Cody Lawrence and his friends and family.

Lawrence was a South Texas roper and a friend of Kinsel’s who passed on Friday, February 15 at the age of 27. Kinsel happened to begin her 2019 San Antonio journey that night, competing in the fourth of five brackets in the tournament style rodeo. She won the round that night, and another the next day, to march into the semi-finals in her title defense. She competed in the second semi-final set on Thursday and Friday, February 21-22.

Semi-Final 2

Amber Moore came into the set of semi-finalists ranked fifth by money won but quickly erased any doubt that the 2017 San Antonio champion would be back in the finals for the third straight year. Her gritty mare Paige was perfect posting a 14.02 as the third out on the ground.

With the $5,000 go round win, Moore moved up to second behind Kinsel, who won third on the night and virtually assured her spot into the final go. Kathy Grimes, the reserve champ here the year Moore won it, was 14.07 as the final runner of the night to win second in the go.

With one round left to clinch a finals berth, the ladies on the inside were Kinsel ($9,500), Moore ($8,750), Grimes ($6,875), Shali Lord ($6,500) and Jana Bean ($4,500). The remaining five were all one round victory away from being as high as third, leaving the field wide open for the second go after which the final cut of the rodeo happens.

On Friday night, the reigning San Antonio champ Kinsel roared through the pattern in 13.83 seconds, the second fastest run of the rodeo thus far. She cruised to her third round win during the 2019 rodeo and ended with $14,500 in earnings already.

Ericka Nelson and her great gelding Friday sprinted to their best run of the rodeo just when she needed it the most. Her time of 13.97 seconds took second in the round and allowed the Florida cowgirl to advance to the finals with $8,000 won.

Moore finished fourth in the round and second in the group with $10,250 total earnings to move into the finals along with Grimes and Lord.

Finals

Moore, Kinsel and Jessie Telford were the only three of the ten finalists who were in this spot a year ago and only Grimes had made this round in any other year. On the other end of the spectrum, Dona Kay Rule and Jimmie Smith made it through the five previous rounds and two qualification cuts during their very first San Antonio rodeo experiences.

Smith entered San Antonio with the highest WPRA World standings ranking at number two while Telford was the lowest at 194th. With first place prize money at $15,000 on the final night, the final run was as pressure packed as any previous round here, offering a big standings boost to whoever claimed the final victory lap.

Moore had the chance to draw first blood after drawing the number one position on the final night. The winner of the Championship round the last two years sprinted toward a third straight win but an unfortunate tip of the second barrel cost her the round win, though her time of 13.87 seconds was very fast.

Telford and Cool Whip posted a solid 14.11 in the second position followed by Smith and her mare Lena. Though the first two corners were quite fast, a little too much real estate around the third cost the precious tenths on the clock and the pair were 14.29 seconds.

As the next in the line-up, Nelson and Friday also ran into penalty troubles, tipping over the second barrel on a run that would have been 14.42 seconds.

With Telford still clinging to the lead, new crowd favorite and San Antonio rookie Dona Kay Rule and her horse Valor rolled down the alley. After another smooth and flawless run, the scoreboard showed 14.10, putting the Prairie Circuit Finals champ to the lead as the field hit the halfway mark.

The lead was short-lived, as it turned out, as Mountain States champ Shali Lord and the tough stud horse she calls Can Man shaved time around each turn, stopping the clock at 14.04 seconds.

Reigning Canadian champ Callahan Crossley was the next barrel racer, riding the ageless Brownie who carried not only Callahan but both of her older sisters to the College National Finals Rodeo. The dynamic duo were 14.31 seconds in their first San Antonio finals, solid but out of the money.

Elsie’s mom was next—former Wrangler National Finals Rodeo cowgirl Nikki Hansen. Hansen and her gelding Sky finished up with 14.34 seconds.

Lord held the lead at 14.04 as Kinsel worked her way up the alley. Just another high pressure situation for the reigning WPRA World Champ and no one has handled those moments better in the last few years than the pair from Cotulla, Texas.

Despite a little room on the first barrel, born perhaps of a slight slip, and a lost stirrup, Sister was fast enough on the final two turns, stopping the clock at 14.02 seconds, to steal the lead from Lord.

The final lady with a chance to dethrone the hometown favorite was Kathy Grimes. Her mare Issy had won a pair of rounds already and her quick pass around the pattern came close again. At 14.07, she slid into third behind Kinsel and Lord while Rule earned the final check of the night with her 14.10.

For the second straight year, Kinsel was crowned the champion in the rodeo just an hour up the road from her home, earning the huge $5,000 gas card and gorgeous buckle given to the winners. Sister also earned a repeat title, taking the Animal Athlete Award for the WPRA barrel racing.

En route to becoming the first repeat winner of San Antonio since the change to a tournament format—and first since Mandy Terry in 1994-1995 in any format—Kinsel added $29,500 to her season earnings. She more than doubled her 2019 total and now has more than $50,000 won for the year in just about a half dozen rodeos entered.

“The super loud crowd, one stirrup, and an honest horse made this run so memorable!” Kinsel posted to social media following the win.

“The win is memorable too, but came from much more than just the runs,” Kinsel continued. She thanked fellow competitor Carley Cervi for the fortuitous trade which allowed her to compete in both San Antonio and the finals in Fort Worth. Then she turned to mom, Leslie, with whom trained Sister to be the champion she has become.

“Thank you to my mom who came down with us each night at San Antonio to help with the yellow devil dragon beast post-run, so that I could enjoy a victory lap without worrying about my horse.”

Kinsel also thanked the rodeo and its connections for the good ground conditions as well as her huge cheering section.

“Thank you to my family and dear friends that came out to support, as well as the many people who cheered without knowing me, just because I’m from Cotulla,” she wrote.

Kinsel took time to talk about her friend Lawrence and her equine partner.

“Of course, Sister, for your big heart and try. I’m most thankful to our rodeo family’s newest guardian angel, Cody, for riding along with us.”

As she did a year ago, Kinsel won four of the six rounds in which she competed, taking a second and a third in the other two. But, because she won the heavily stacked final round, she won more than $4,000 more here than she did a year ago.

This is Kinsel’s second big stock show win of 2019; she claimed the win at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo just a few weeks ago.

Lord moved her total for the season to nearly $28,000, which should put her near the top five of the new standings.

“Thankful for a great run in the short round winning 2nd for $12,000 and a total of $18,500 at San Antonio!” she posted on her Facebook page. “Can Man is a blessing and tries so hard! Thank you to his team and our great sponsors!”

Five ladies earned more than $10,000 while in the Alamo City: Kinsel, Lord, Grimes, Rule and Moore.

For more information on the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, visit them on-line at www.sarodeo.com.

---

Results

Semi-Finals #2

Round One

1. Amber Moore, CP Dark Moon, 14.02, $5,000
2. Kathy Grimes, KG Justiceweexpected, 14.07, $4,000
3. Hailey Kinsel, DM Sissy Hayday, 14.13, $2,500
4. Shali Lord, Freckles ta Fame, 14.17, $1,500

Round Two

1. Kinsel, 13.83, $5,000
2. Ericka Nelson, Goodfrenchmanfriday, 13.97, $4,000
3. Jackie Ganter, Howes a Tycoon, 14.00, $2,500
4. Moore, 14.03, $1,500

Total Money Won

*Hailey Kinsel, $14,500
*Amber Moore, $10,250
*Ericka Nelson, $8,000
*Kathy Grimes, $6,875
*Shali Lord, $6,500
Jackie Ganter, $5,000
Jana Bean, $4,500
Ivy Conrado, $3,250
Emily Miller, $2,500
Katelyn Scott, $2,500

*Advance to Finals

Finals Qualifiers with Total Winnings

Hailey Kinsel, $14,500
Amber Moore, $10,250
Dona Kay Rule, $9,750
Callahan Crossley, $9,250
Jessie Telford, $8,750
Ericka Nelson, $8,000
Jimmie Smith, $7,750
Kathy Grimes, $6,875
Shali Lord, $6,500
Nikki Hansen, $6,500

Finals

1. Kinsel, DM Sissy Hayday, 14.02, $15,000
2. Lord, Freckles ta Fame, 14.04, $12,000
3. Grimes, KG Justiceweexpected, 14.07, $7,500
4. Rule, High Valor, 14.10, $4,500
5. Telford, Famous Cool Whip, 14.11
6. Smith, Lena On the Rocks, 14.29
7. Crossley, Brownie Bi Bogie, 14.31
8. Hansen, Sky High Guy, 14.34
9. Moore, CP Dark Moon, 18.87
10. Nelson, Goodfrenchmanfriday, 19.42

Total Earnings (Finalists)

Hailey Kinsel, $29,500
Shali Lord, $18,500
Kathy Grimes, $14,375
Dona Kay Rule, $14,250
Amber Moore, $10,250
Callahan Crossley, $9,250
Jessie Telford, $8,750
Ericka Nelson, $8,000
Jimmie Smith, $7,750
Nikki Hansen, $6,500

Courtesy of WPRA