Morgan Bagnell won the 2026 Resistol Rookie of the Year title by $305.62 on the last day of the season, Karli Cowie and Queen Flingtima won the Canadian championship in Edmonton, Alberta, and Summer Kosel and Apollo took both Badlands Circuit titles, all recapped on this week’s episode of The Rundown on The Money Barrel.
The Rundown October 6: The One With the WCBRA Finals
From Buncha Dinero being named 2026 Horse of the Year to a $4,959,750 week at the Pink Buckle in Guthrie, Oklahoma, this week’s episode of The Rundown, presented by Chewy, breaks down the biggest results and what they mean moving forward. Listen to the full episode below.
The sections below run in the order the episode covers them, so they read as a companion while it plays.
The Rundown is presented by Chewy.
2026 Resistol Rookie of the Year
The rookie race came down to Cumberland, Maine, on the last day of the 2026 season.
The full final-day story: Morgan Bagnell Wins Cumberland, Maine, on Final Day to Take 2026 Rookie Title.
- Rookie of the Year: Morgan Bagnell, $61,665.03 from 72 rodeos
- Reserve: Emma Smith, $61,359.41 from 79 rodeos
- Bagnell led most of the year before a broken foot and surgery, and was $616 back with two days left
- Cumberland: second Sept. 29 for $424, then the win Sept. 30 for $497 on a jump ride, Alyssa Lobello’s TL Tuff Shine
- Season horses: Sir Epic, “Sir,” and CouldaWoodaShoulda, “Iago,” for Bagnell. Return Of The Mac, “Creed,” for Smith
- Third through fifth: Catherine Asmussen ($41,028.21), Sonya Madsen and Parker Asam. Standings are unofficial pending the WPRA audit
2026 Horse of the Year
The barrel racing top three.
- Horse of the Year: Buncha Dinero, “Piper”, ridden and owned by Hayle Gibson-Stillwell
- Second: KG Just Money, “Showie,” ridden and owned by Kathy Grimes
- Third: DM Sissy Hayday, “Sister,” ridden and owned by Hailey Kinsel
Canadian Finals Rodeo (Edmonton, Alberta)
Five rounds, with the Canadian title and the CFR aggregate decided in the last one.
- Canadian champs and CFR aggregate champs: Karli Cowie and Queen Flingtima, 68.94 on five
- Cowie came in eighth in Canada, won $38,184 in Edmonton and finished at $70,923. Fourth CFR, second aggregate title after 2023
- Queen Flingtima: 2017 daughter of A Streak Of Fling out of Queen Fa Tima by Dash Ta Fame, bred by Lisa Fulton, and the 2026 Horse With the Most Heart
- Reserve: Austyn Tobey and A Streak Ta The Moon, 69.02, a check in every round, $65,601 on the season
- Round 4: Cowie and Suzanne Depaoli split the win at 13.52, the fastest time of the finals, $10,026 each. Depaoli, 74, is the oldest qualifier in CFR history
- Other round wins: Jennifer Neudorf (Round 1, 13.76), Colby Bonnett (Round 2, 13.78), Heather Crowley (split Round 3 with Tammy Lee Taylor at 13.63, won Round 5 in 13.62)
Badlands Circuit Finals (Minot, North Dakota)
Three rounds and an average, with the year-end title in play.
Every circuit’s results live in the 2026 WPRA Circuit Finals rolling results. The short version follows.
- Average and year-end champs: Summer Kosel and Apollo, 40.60 on three, the only team with a round check every night
- Kosel came in about $2,359 behind Piper Cordes, won $9,794 at the finals and finished the year at $26,580.37
- Round wins: Kosel (13.46), Lisa Lockhart (13.55), Molly Otto (13.42, the fastest time of the finals)
- Heidi Gunderson: second in the average, 40.76, up from fourth to second in the year-end at $22,051.71
- Lockhart moved to third in the year-end at $20,072.52
- Rising Star: Otto’s Movin On Bye, “Gator”
Pink Buckle and Young Guns League (Guthrie, Oklahoma)
Nine days and $4,959,750 paid, about $40,000 shy of $5 million.
Every class is in the 2026 Pink Buckle Week final results.
- Derby: Alona James and XF Tres Of Heroine (Tres Seis x BP Mariahs Heroine by Valiant Hero), 16.446, an arena record. Kassie Mowry and Goodbye Sophie ran a 16.498
- Futurity: Tyler Rivette and Adios Ameegos
- Young Guns League: Jordan Harrell won the Futurity on The Angels Seis Fame, and Tricia Aldridge swept the Derby on Adios Pantalones
- Open-only average: Emily Beisel went first and second on “Pipewrench” and “Chongo” out of 499 entries
- Oldest horse: Designed Ta Smoke, a 2004 gray gelding by Designer Red, 18.328 for Melodi Christensen
- Sale: Hes The Goodz topped the Pink Buckle Sale at $205,000
- The crew ran 500-550 horses a day plus about 1,000 exhibitions over nine days
Industry Notes
- OKC Futurity and Gold Rush: OKC Futurity entries and Gold Rush incentive nominations were due Oct. 15
- Ride TV: a new Angie Meadors shoot with training clips, plus the year’s races to watch back. Code Rundown15