For nearly two decades, Lisa Lockhart has set the gold standard for professionalism, horsemanship, and consistency in ProRodeo—plus she’s the winningest of all time at $3.4 million earned in the WPRA and climbing.

With trip No. 19 to the National Finals Rodeo in 2025, the South Dakota cowgirl stands among the most accomplished athletes the sport has ever seen.

Long before her NFR streak began, Lockhart built her foundation in the Badlands Circuit, hauling young horses, raising a family on the road, and learning the arenas that suited her horsepower. She credits those early years—complete with breakdowns, long miles, and hauling three small children—as the period that taught her the tenacity required to compete at the highest level. When her husband, Grady, encouraged a full summer in Canada in 2006, everything shifted. Solid horses, hard-earned confidence, and the experience of the Canadian Finals launched her toward her first NFR qualification in 2007 and set a trajectory that has remained steady ever since.

Lockhart’s legacy is inseparable from the horses she’s developed, each one adding its own chapter to her career.

Fast And Gold, better known as “Chisum,” was the big golden gelding she bought as a 6-year-old. He became the horse that first carried her into big outdoor arenas with confidence. He excelled on hard ground, thrived in wide-open pens, and helped her break through in both Canada and ProRodeo.

IR Peppys Breeze, “Sterling,” the gray gelding who complemented him, was the reliable, adaptable counterpart—quick-footed, consistent indoors, and the horse she trusted at her earliest NFRs until injury shortened his career. Together, the pair anchored her transition from the circuit level to full-time rodeo.

But if one horse defines Lisa Lockhart’s career, it’s An Oakie With Cash, “Louie.”

The buckskin gelding arrived as a long 4-year-old with a rained cow horse background and a sensitive, overachieving mind. Lockhart restarted him from scratch, building his confidence slowly and accommodating the insecurities that made him brilliant but complex. His seasoning happened on the road—breezing through rodeo setups between performances, learning hard ground, lights, and pressure.

Louie’s NFR debut in 2010 is now part of ProRodeo lore. After her main horse Chisum was injured in practice, Lockhart sent Louie down the alleyway asking simply for a clean pattern—and he won the opening round. From there, he delivered one of the most iconic careers in the sport, ultimately making 85 runs inside the Thomas & Mack and carrying Lockhart to multiple NFR Average titles, megawatt crowd moments, and deep emotional victories.

Louie’s resilience became a trademark of his story. Through stifle surgeries, a life-threatening case of lymphangitis, and repeated comebacks that seemed impossible, he always returned—often just in time for the winter majors or Las Vegas. Lockhart calls him the most willing horse she has ever ridden, one who always tried to give the same run, whether facing mud, hard ground, small pens, or the brightest lights in rodeo. His longevity allowed fans to build a rare connection to a horse who felt like a constant presence in the arena.

He retired after helping her solidify yet another NFR bid, and today, Louie remains the boss of the Lockhart ranch—playful, sassy, and unmistakably himself.

And if Louie is the legend, Rosa is the heir apparent.

Originally trained by Jacque Woolman and finished by Hallie Hanssen, Rosas Cantina CC, “Rosa,” came to Lockhart from owner Alan Woodbury as a 6-year-old with enormous talent and a powerful motor. Her right-eye blindness—progressive since she was a young horse—created challenges in bright indoor environments, but Lockhart’s adaptability and horsemanship helped Rosa thrive in major outdoor venues.

Rosa’s résumé now includes wins at Cheyenne Frontier Days and Pendleton Round-Up, two of ProRodeo’s most historic arenas. Rosa’s bold style, stamina, and efficiency have helped extend Lockhart’s NFR streak deep into her career and added new dimensions to her program. The mare’s fierce competitiveness and sharp responsiveness make her vastly different from Louie, but equally unforgettable.

• $22K Cheyenne Win on Rosas Cantina CC Puts NFR No. 19 in Reach for Lockhart
• Lisa Lockhart Earns First Pendleton Round-Up Win en Route to NFR No. 18

Lockhart’s depth of program continued with a pile of success aboard Promise Me Fame Guys,”Levee,” whose accolades include NFR go-round wins and The American Rodeo, and Prime Diamond, “Cutter“, another dependable mount with a Pendleton Round-Up win under his belt, raised and trained by Lockhart. In recent seasons, Blazin Ta Betty “Sasha,” has entered the lineup, giving Lockhart a fresh wave of horsepower as she balances veteran mounts with emerging talent. Each reflects her long-held philosophy: build a program horse-by-horse, season them correctly, and ride the individual—not the trend.

• Lisa Lockhart and Blazin Ta Betty Win $102,500 and Second Hondo Rodeo Title
• ‘It Was Kind of a Blur’ Lisa Lockhart and Levee Win NFR Round 3

Lockhart returned to Las Vegas after another strong season marked by wins at Cheyenne, Estes Park, Rapid City, Buffalo, and Granite Falls, along with seconds at Pendleton, Puyallup, Mandan, New Town, and Tremonton. Her earnings surpassed $169,000 for the year, adding to her standing as the WPRA’s all-time career earnings leader at $3.4 million and climbing.

Through 19 NFR qualifications, world-class horses, and nearly two decades at the top of the sport, Lockhart has remained quiet, steady, and deeply respected. She has navigated injuries, comebacks, new horses, and changing rodeo landscapes with the same understated professionalism that defined her first Finals in 2007.