As Stephanie Fryar sets to prepare for her shot at $1 million this week at Rodeo Corpus Christi, WCRA Rodeo is taking fans back to the very beginning to help them learn about this one-of-a-kind barrel racing cowgirl.

5 fast facts about Stephanie Fryar

1. Her competitive drive kicked in at a young age. “My favorite thing as a kid was going out to breeze horses in the cotton fields,” Fryar said. “But I did it all…I was on the varsity track team as a freshman, Miss Martin County pageant queen, I played basketball, was a cheerleader—but all of that had to fit in around rodeo. Rodeo came first for me. Lots of times, we had the trailer sitting outside of track meets to go straight to a rodeo.”
2. Stephanie Fryar’s dad was an NFR steer wrestler. “His nickname was Fluff,” Fryar said with a smile. “He and my grandfather were my rocks.”
3. She expects excellence from herself. “Stephanie is a very competitive, wants-to-win barrel racer,” mom, Dawn Fryar said. “She will win and watch her video and pick it apart.”
4. “Frank” is a special horse. “It’s his honesty and consistency (that sets him apart,)” Steph said. “You can’t make a horse do something. If a horse doesn’t want to do it, they’re not going to. Frank loves his job.”
5. Horses come first. “I was raised that you get up and you feed your horses,” Fryar said. “No matter what. In dark times, I made myself get out of bed. Those horses are what got me out of bed.”

Watch the full interview with rodeo journalist Kendra Santos from the World Champions Rodeo Alliance below.

Learn more about Stephanie Fryar and her shot at $1 million

• The $1 Million Week Has Arrived: Here’s Why Stephanie Fryar Has a Chance to Make History
• I Had to Lose to Make the NFR: The Steph Fryar Tales, Part 3
• I Was Almost a Team Roper: The Steph Fryar Tales, Part 2
• Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket: The Steph Fryar Tales, Part 1
• Can Imaginary Drills Fix Common Barrel Racing Problems?