Small Now Topping the Leaderboard in Ft. Worth

By Jolee Jordan

Fort Worth, Texas — They’ve now been rodeoing in Cowtown for a full century.

The Fort Worth Fat Stock Show actually began in 1896 but the rodeo was not added as part of the attractions until 1918 as one of the first events to be held in the brand-new Cowtown Coliseum at the Fort Worth Stockyards. There, the “World’s Original Indoor Rodeo” was born.

“Holding the world’s first-ever indoor rodeo 100 years ago contributes greatly to the identity and mystique of Fort Worth. It’s says a lot about who we are as a community and a city,” said Stock Show President and General Manager Brad Barnes in a press release.

The WPRA is celebrating 70 years in 2018 but its history with Fort Worth is a little shorter. Aside from a stint in 1966 when the Stock Show hosted the WPRA’s National Finals Barrel Race as part of the show, the ladies of the WPRA have only been a part of the regular rodeo since 2004.

Fort Worth has quickly become a favorite of the ladies however, both for its huge payout thanks to the $40,000 committee purse and high entry limits as well as the chance at a $5,000 bonus for being the best dressed cowgirl in the finals thanks to the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and the Jerry Ann Taylor Foundation, that the award is named for.

The rodeo is one of the most open of the big winter rodeos, accepting a whopping 210 entries. Each lady makes one run during the opening 21 performances of the rodeo and then the field is cut to 70 based upon the first round times. Beginning on Wednesday, January 31, the second round—also known as the progressive round—will start with the matinee performance. Following the 28th perf on Saturday afternoon, Feb 3, the 12 short go round qualifiers will be determined based on the two-head average.

2016 WPRA Rookie of the Year Cayla Small had some struggles in 2017, beginning with an injury to her good horse Gator in the spring and ending with a horse accident that left her with hairline fractures in her collarbone. Finally healed up—for the most part—Small has hit 2018 with a vengeance, winning more than $4,000 in Denver at the National Western last week.

Small and her mom, fellow Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) qualifier Jane Melby, made the drive from Denver to Fort Worth for the first performance at the big Texas show before heading back to Denver for the finals there on Sunday, January 21.

Small and Gator stayed on the same track they established in Denver, taking the early round lead in Fort Worth with a blistering 16.61 second romp through the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum.

Her closest competitor on Friday night was Hallettsville, Texas cowgirl Cheyenne Kelly, who stopped the clock at 16.86.

Saturday’s in Fort Worth mean three big performances and the ladies brought their game for each set. Glencoe, Oklahoma cowgirl Skyla Whitters topped the morning with a run of 16.99 seconds while Kacey Kirby’s 17.19 was the best of the matinee.

On Saturday night, Great Lakes Champion Lacinda Rose and her gelding Real Deal took the performance honors, stopping the clock at 16.97 seconds. Rose is ranked tenth in the WPRA World standings.

Sunday’s are a bit more relaxed with just a pair of performances on the schedule. Sissy Winn piloted her horse Flash to the win in the Sunday matinee, putting 16.92 seconds on the board.

On her own comeback trail, former college champion Liz Herrin has battled her way back from a major head injury suffered during the Reno Rodeo in 2013. Now riding a young horse she calls Mikey, Herrin discovered that Mikey likes Fort Worth as the pair streaked to a time of 16.79 seconds on Sunday night.

Two million dollar cowgirl Lisa Lockhart started her season off well with an appearance in the finals at Denver on Sunday but then battled her way through winter road conditions to arrive in Fort Worth just an hour prior to the seventh performance on Monday night.

Lockhart had to scramble to find a farrier to tack a shoe back on her horse—blown during a brief stopover on the road down from Colorado—but she and her newest superstar Rosa didn’t let any of that slow them down in their trip through the pattern. Horses who run to the left barrel first, as Rosa does, have done well here in the past and the trend continued on Monday as Lockhart moved to second in the go round at the time with her run of 16.76 seconds.

While others were making comebacks, Jody McKay was making the most of opportunities. A last minute replacement into the rodeo on Monday, McKay rode the horse she calls Hellion to a fast time of 16.78 seconds.

The Stock Show went pink on Tuesday to support the Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth’s efforts toward breast cancer awareness and treatment. Half of the proceeds of tickets for the day were donated to the cause.

In the barrel racing, Small’s lead was strongly challenged, beginning with Dena Kirkpatrick, who would have passed Small with her run of 16.57 but for a downed barrel. Instead, Jodi Colton was tops of the performance with her 16.62 second run on her eight year old mare Solo. Colton lands second by just one one-hundredth of a second.

A pair of lefties also jumped into contention on Tuesday night. Kim Schulze rode Holy Moly and Fallon Taylor was aboard Babyflo as the pair put up runs of 16.78 and 16.87, respectively. Taylor is the reigning champion here.

Right behind them was Michele McLeod, who was back on the great stallion Slick for just their third run in a year; the pair put 16.91 on the board to sit in a tie for ninth.

The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo continues with single performances on Wednesday and Thursday nights before kicking into high gear with two on Friday and Sunday and three on Saturday. Due up in the barrels Thursday are WNFR qualifiers Terra Bynum-Gernentz and 2012 WPRA World Champion Mary Walker.

Regular season earnings record holder Tiany Schuster highlights the Friday field along with top rookie contender K.L. Spratt and WNFR qualifiers Trula Churchill, Sabrina Ketchum and Cassidy Kruse along with Kassie Mowry, who claimed $10,000 inside Will Rogers already after winning the non-sanctioned Fort Worth Super Shootout on Thursday, January 18 while competing for the San Angelo Rodeo team.

Over the weekend, the barrel racing lineup includes WPRA World standings leader Taci Bettis, Hailey Kinsel, Lindsey Hayes-Banks, Amberleigh Moore, Carlee Pierce and Brenda Mays, all former competitors in Las Vegas along with former Fort Worth Champions, two-time WPRA World Champion Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi (2007), Taylor Jacob (2013) and Ivy Conrado (2016).

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

---

Current Results

1st Go

1. Cayla Small, Shameon U, 16.61

2. Jodi Colton, BB French Effort, 16.62

3. Lisa Lockhart, Rosas Cantina CC, 16.76

4. Kim Schulze, Holy Moly Im Famous, 16.78

4. Jody McKay, RL Rare and Lucky, 16.78

6. Liz Herrin, Bogies Lil Mikey, 16.79

7. Cheyenne Kelly, Running ta Dash, 16.86

8. Fallon Taylor, Flos Heiress, 16.87

9. Kristin Shoppa, JW Freeze Fame, 16.91

9. Michele McLeod, Slick by Design, 16.91

11. Jane Melby, Perks Pazazz, 16.92

11. Sissy Winn, Flashy Red Flame, 16.92

13. Ashley Schafer, KR Last Fling, 16.93

13. Deb Guelly, Shining Red Zetta, 16.93

15. Kelly Tovar, A Dash ta Glamour, 16.94

Courtesy of WPRA