Hadlee Landers and Merrick Moyer walked out of the Lazy E Arena with new titles to their names—2025 WCJR World Champion Barrel Racers.
Landers won the Youth division, while Moyer locked down the Junior division. Both girls earned their way into the World Championship Junior Rodeo in Guthrie, Oklahoma, by nominating events all season long through the WCRA’s Division Youth Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) system. From jackpots to high school rodeos, every run counted toward leaderboard points—and when the dust settled in Guthrie, their seasons paid off in full.
Landers Standout Week at the E
Lawton, Oklahoma’s Hadlee Landers left no doubt in Guthrie. She won a total of $4,590 across the Youth barrel racing rounds, placing second in both open rounds and the average behind Dusky Lynn Hall. She won the semifinal round with a 16.786 and sealed the title with a 16.833 in the finals.
With a total of 6,150 points earned, Landers locked in the 2025 WCJR World Championship in the Youth division and made her mark on one of the toughest stages in youth rodeo.
Moyer Doubles Up with Barrel and All-Around Wins
Merrick Moyer entered Guthrie on a mission—and “Hiccup,” was right there with her. The pair started strong by winning Round 1 of the Junior barrel racing with a 17.169, followed by a smoking 16.799 in Round 2. A 16.840 in the semis and a 17.183 in the finals sealed the deal.
Moyer and Hiccup are no stranger to big stages. The duo won the 2023 National Junior High Finals Rodeo in the barrel racing. Hiccup’s dam was an Appaloosa, so he can’t be registered, but he still gets to compete at events like the Pink Buckle, thanks to DNA parentage verification and his sire, MP Jet To The Sun.
“I ran him all week just trying to get his air power back up,” Moyer said. “He’s been out for a while, but he felt good.”
Moyer also stacked points in the pole bending, finishing third in the semifinals with a 19.9 and clocking a 20.1 in the finals. Her combined performance earned her not just the Junior barrel racing world title, but also the 2025 WCJR All-Around World Championship.
“I didn’t even think I had a chance at that,” Moyer said. “This is all super exciting. It’s been a good week.”
Moyer’s WCJR earnings totaled $12,031 and she knew exactly what to do with the money.
“I’m going to save it all,” Moyer laughed. “I’ll probably use it on something, but I’m going to save it for now.”
Moyer credited a deep support team behind the scenes for helping her make the week count.
“My mom and dad have played a big role in this,” Moyer said. “Ceri Ward, who trained Hiccup, has helped me so much. You don’t notice how many people you have supporting you until something big happens—and they’re all there.”
She ended the week with 14,693.50 points in Junior barrel racing—7,313 points ahead of the next closest athlete. Combined with her 9,048.50 points in pole bending, Moyer amassed a staggering 23,742 points to leave Guthrie a two-time WCJR World Champion.