The 15 ladies competing in the IFR 54 will storm the Lazy E Arena for the first of four rounds of competition on Jan. 11, and the stakes have never been higher for barrel racers as the 2023 world championship race comes to a close.

These are the top 15 barrel racers who have earned their way to IFR 54. French-Canadian Julie Plourde is the leader after a record-setting regular season, where she banked $57,806 thanks to a combination of American and Canadian IPRA rodeos, plus her attendance at multiple co-sanctioned WCRA events.

On her heels is the three-time and reigning IPRA champion, Julie Thomas with $36,110. The Georgia cowgirl daylights as a school principal. Behind her is the third “Julie,” of the lineup, Tennessee’s Julie Goodrich, whose family roots run deep in the Southeastern rodeo scene.

• Kindyl Scruggs and “Underdog” Melrose Chrome Advance to 2024 Stampede at The E Triple Crown of Rodeo Round
• 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Canadian Sensation Julie Plourde
• Julie Thomas Three-Peats at the IFR

Kindyl Scruggs, who boasts an IPRA gold buckle of her own, banked over $29,000 on the season to enter as the No. 4 barrel racer. She got comfortable aboard Melrose Chrome inside the Lazy E at the WCRA’s Stampede at the E just one week ago, and earned over $10,000 for her round placings and second-place finish overall behind Stephanie Fryar. Fans can expect the pint-sized Mississippi native to bring her aggression and grit to the arena dirt each round. She is trailed by Emily Stiles, the 17-year-old barrel racer from Indiana. She’s looking to follow in the footsteps of her aunt and well-known competitor, Ronda Casey. Stiles is the frontrunner in the IPRA Rookie of the Year race and will be battling it out with No. 10 athlete, Madilyn Kidd, who is entering IFR 54 with $20,915

The action kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be livestreamed on NextGen Rodeo.

IFR 54 barrel racing roster

Barrelracing.com will be bringing play-by-play IFR action thanks to support from the WCRA, an IPRA partner.