Taylor Manning had a superb 2024 Canadian Pro Rodeo season, capitalizing at the Canadian Finals Rodeo, held October 2-5, in Edmonton, Alberta’s Rogers Place, and closing out the season as the Canadian champion barrel racer.

Manning, 20, and her 8-year-old palomino gelding Little Sexcee Cowboy, knows as “Archie,” pocketed a total of $88,217.77 in earnings, running away with the year-end title.

“It was a pretty good weekend,” said Manning, who moved to Ponoka, Alberta, this spring from Yellowhead City, Alberta. “I’m pretty proud of Archie. It’s a lot to process in a way. There are so many things to be thankful for. These horses have done so much for me and have set up my life. I’m very grateful for them. It’s hard to put into words.”

No average Joes here

Manning, who entered the CFR in the No. 4 spot with $32,860.07 in regular season earnings, had a stellar performance, earning a total of $55,357.70 during the five-round average to also claim the average title with an aggregate time of 69.41 seconds, adding $16,650 to her earnings.

The young cowgirl kicked off her CFR week with a 13.90-second Round 1 run, worth $11,100.

“The first round was one of the coolest feelings,” Manning said. “It felt like I was with Archie every step, and it felt like I could place him and guide him wherever I needed to. He was in my hands and alert. He was amazing in the first round. It was a great confidence booster.”

The duo continued their success with a second-place finish in Round 2 with a 13.97-second run, worth $8,253.85, and finished sixth in Round 3 with a 14.02, just out of the round money.

“The second and the third round I was a little bit late on my timing on the first barrel,” Manning said. “I felt like I wasn’t where I should have been, and I was pulling. My line to the first barrel should have been better.”

Before running in the final two rounds on Saturday, Oct. 5, Manning had an early morning training session.

“We were back in the arena at 5:00 in the morning riding on Saturday morning,” said Manning, who trains horses when she’s not rodeoing. “I put draw reins on Archie and made sure I stayed out with my third (barrel) and brought him to the first. We did a lot of stopping and pulling on the first barrel. When he came back in the fourth and fifth rounds, he was very respectful and as soon as I pulled, he came back to me.”

The tune-up paid off, and Manning won another second-place check in Round 4 with a 13.75-second run, worth $8,253.85. She finished the week just as she began it, blitzing a 13.77-second run to win Round 5 and earn another $11,100.

Sexcee and he knows it

For their first outing inside the Rogers Place hockey rink, Manning was confident that Archie would excel in the smaller, indoor setup.

“Archie handled it all so well,” Manning said. “He really likes indoor pens and likes deep ground. He’s a pretty strong, free-running horse.”

Manning purchased the 2016 gelding as a weanling from Rayel and Grant Little, the same family responsible for great mares like Lady Perks and MJ Segers Fast Lane. She stayed in close contact with the Littles. When Archie was 5 years old, Manning started entering futurities on the gelding.

“When I ran him as a futurity horse, I took him right,” Manning said “We switched him left, and it was his first couple of runs and he was working so good. Not that he didn’t to the right, but his right side was so turn-y compared to his left that we had two tighter barrels than just one barrel.”

Ever since Manning began running Archie, she’s satisfied with how the gelding takes to new situations and cues.

“For him to even take what I tried to show him on Saturday morning before the [last] two rounds was pretty cool that he listened that well,” Manning said. “He’s a very laid-back, easy-going horse in his stall. He never gets upset; he just sleeps all the time.”

The support team

Manning’s accomplishments are rightfully shown through her dedication to the sport, but having people behind the scenes helping her succeed is an important part of her success.

“I think the support team is everything to me,” Manning said. “My mom (Shelly) has done everything to make sure I got to where I’ve been. She’s tried to get me better at riding and being open minded.”

“Rayel and Grant have always been there for me,” she continued. “I have amazing sponsors and Jill Vandergust came and worked on Archie every day at CFR with her Equiscope, making sure he was feeling good.”

Future goals

Coming off her recent high in Canadian Pro Rodeo, Manning is packed up and headed to Stephenville, Texas, to continue working on her craft under her friend and mentor Rayel.

“I’ll be there from now until March,” Manning said. “I’m hoping to keep training horses and get getting better. Every horse is supposed to teach you something. The only way you can get better is if you want to learn.”

Looking back, Manning offers what she thinks are the most important lessons learned yet.

“I would maybe tell myself just to always be thankful for what you have, and to always keep working hard and pushing forward,” Manning said. “I think those are two major keys to me. Always be open minded, and always keep learning.”