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Rule Rules the Roost in Semifinal 1 in San Antonio

By Jolee Jordan

Dona Kay Rule
Photo by Greg Westfall

San Antonio, Texas — Dona Kay most assuredly rules.

Dona Kay Rule has burst into the national spotlight in 2019 after a solid and determined season a year ago that culminated with a huge $8,000-plus clean sweep of the Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo.

Now, she’s qualified for some of the biggest venues of the winter including the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo (SASSR) and she’s not letting the opportunity go to waste.

The cowgirl who hails from Oklahoma is quickly becoming a crowd favorite but for folks behind the scenes who’ve known the humble mother and grandmother, business owner and talented trainer for years, they’ve been fans for some time. That’s because of the way Rule handles herself and her horses, with quiet assurance and always a smile.

Though she’s ridden and competed as a roper and barrel racer for many years, Rule never made it a priority to hit the road; she was running National Saddlery with her husband John and raising her family. She trained good ones and sent them down the road with new owners to help supplement the family income.

But the time finally came for the former WPRA Pioneer Award winner to step into the sun . . . with kids raised and the business now in another’s hands, Rule is taking on the best in the WPRA aboard horses she trained. And she is winning, including finishing as the leader of the first semi-finals group in San Antonio.

Rule made her first appearance at the SASSR this season. The rodeo is a tournament style event; 50 contestants began the journey here just over a week ago, competing in one of five brackets. After three rounds per bracket, only four cowgirls are left standing, moving on to one of two, two-night semi-finals beginning Tuesday night, February 19.

Rule earned her semi-final spot with a clutch performance in the final round of Bracket 5. After earning just one fourth place check in the first two rounds, Rule and her gelding Valor broke through for the third go win to move on to the next round.

But the pressure mounts with each round—only those with the most money will stick around for more chances to cash in. Five cowgirls from each semi-finals—by virtue of the most money earned in three bracket rounds and two semi-finals—advance to the Finals, setting up a ten player final night for the championship.

Every round in San Antonio is sudden death, no averages are paid and the only thing that matters is going as fast as possible each and every time down the alley.

The opening round of Semi-Final 1 was won by Nikki Hansen. Hansen was the final qualifier from Bracket 4, earning $1,500 in her first three runs around AT&T Center. She and her gelding Sky kicked it up a notch for the next round, however, stopping the clock at 14.07 for the win.

Semi-Final rounds pay double what bracket rounds do so the $5,000 first place check was a huge boost to Hansen’s hopes to keep playing here in the Alamo City.

Already ranked 15th in the WPRA World standings, Rule was right on Hansen’s heels in the first go, winning second thanks to her 14.10 seconds run.

Actually, circuit champions swept the money holes in round one with Hansen (Badlands), Rule (Prairie), Callahan Crossley (Columbia River) and Lacinda Rose (Great Lakes) picking up checks.

Callahan Crossley
Photo by Greg Westfall

At the halfway point, Crossley was the leading money earner with $7,750 won through four rounds. Rule sat just $250 behind her while Hansen had jumped to third with $6,500 won. Rose was fourth with $5,125 won while Kelly Bruner, the high money earner coming into the semi-finals, sat fifth with $5,000 won.

The sudden death format has a way of squeezing big performances out of cowboys and cowgirls and that certainly happened on Wednesday night.

2018 Wrangler National Finalist Jessie Telford and 2018 WPRA Rookie of the Year Jimmie Smith took the wringing and found the extra gear they needed during the second night of Semi-Finals 1.

Neither cowgirl was inside the top five in money won as the night began with Smith running third on the ground. Riding her fantastic palomino mare Lena, she stopped the clock in a quick time of 13.97 seconds, one of only a handful of sub-fourteens posted this year.

Telford won third at this rodeo in 2018, a huge boost that helped her earn a first trip to Las Vegas for the Wrangler NFR. She did it by winning a couple of rounds, including one in semi-finals competition.

History could be repeating . . . she won a round already during Bracket 3 and picked up a semi-finals win with her time of 13.88 on Wednesday night.

“The confidence this horse gives me, as a jockey is next to none,” she wrote of the homegrown gelding she calls Cool Whip. “We won the round tonight, and are headed to the short round Saturday night.”

Telford has been plenty busy while in Texas; after competing in San Antonio, she headed north to the NRCHA World Show in Fort Worth where her daughters are showing and her husband Jake is competing in the World’s Greatest Horseman.

Telford’s big win moved her to $8,750 in earnings while Smith’s second place finish jumped her to $7,750. The cowgirls ended the set third and fourth, respectively, advancing to the semi-finals.

Rule was third on the night with Crossley right behind her for another check.

Rule won the group with $9,750 in earnings, switching to $500 ahead of Crossley, who has placed in every payoff in which she’s competed while in San Antonio.

Hansen once again took the final qualifying position. Her $6,500 in earnings held off Rose and Bruner, who failed to cash in on Wednesday.

Semi-Final 2

The last cut to the field prior to the Finals happens at the conclusion of Semi-Final 2 on Friday night, February 22. The set begins on Thursday and features a tough group of ladies led by the last two winners here in San Antonio: Hailey Kinsel and Amber Moore.

Jessie Telford
Photo by Greg Westfall

Kinsel easily advanced from her bracket after winning two rounds and finishing second in another. She’s won $7,000, more than any other barrel racer through bracket competition.

Moore also won a round, the middle round of Bracket 5, along with picking up a third place check to enter the semi-finals with $3,750. She comes in $500 ahead of Ivy Conrado, who’s been in the Finals here in each of the last three years.

Former Wrangler NFR competitor and current Mountain States Circuit champ Shali Lord is second entering Semi-Final 2 with $5,000 won, just ahead of Jana Bean’s $4,500.

Ericka Nelson ($4,000), Kathy Grimes ($2,875), and Emily Miller, Jackie Ganter, and Katelyn Scott ($2,500 each) round out the set.

Interestingly, seven of the ten ladies have already made a victory lap around AT&T Center in 2019 for winning a go round.

Finals

The Final round will be just one more run with the winner taking home a huge check worth $15,000. Once the payout from the final round is figured in, the San Antonio Championship will be awarded to the cowgirl with the most money won throughout the six runs. The winner earns bragging rights, a gorgeous buckle and an impressive line of prizes. The top Animal Athletes are also named.

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


Current Results

Semi-Finals 1

1st Go

1. Nikki Hansen, Sky High Guy, 14.07, $5,000
2. Dona Kay Rule, High Valor, 14.10, $4,000
3. Callahan Crossley, Brownie Bi Bogie, 14.12, $2,500
4. Lacinda Rose, RR Meradas Real Deal, 14.14, $1,500

2nd Go

1. Jessie Telford, Famous Cool Whip, 13.88, $5,000
2. Jimmie Smith, Lena on the Rocks, 13.97, $4,000
3. Rule, 14.06, $2,500
4. Crossley, 14.11, $1,500

Total Money Won

*Dona Kay Rule, $9,750

*Callahan Crossley, $9,250

*Jessie Telford, $8,750

*Jimmie Smith, $7,750

*Nikki Hansen, $6,500

Lacinda Rose, $5,125

Kelly Bruner, $5,000

Tillar Murray, $4,500

KL Spratt, $4,000

Christine Laughlin, $2,750

*Advance to Finals

Courtesy of WPRA

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