Keep up with all things National Western Stock Show Rodeo barrel racing at the 2024 edition of the Denver rodeo.

National Western Stock Show Rodeo Finals

Finals: 1. (tie) Hailey Kinsel and Halyn Lide, 14.73 seconds, $4,257 each; 3. Maggie Poloncic, 14.81, $3,366; 4. Kailey Mitton, 14.84, $2,772; 5. Sadie Wolaver-Troyer, 14.92, $2,178; 6. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 15.07, $1,584; 7. Shali Lord, 15.26, $990; 8. Casey Mathis, 15.42, $396.

National Western Stock Show Semifinals

The field of 24 whittled down to 12 on Saturday, Jan. 20 in Denver. The top four from each Semifinals section earned their position to the final leg of the tournament on Sunday. Barrel racers have already seen the NWSSR arena record call three times in the performances: Chelsea Moore’s 14.68 in Bracket 4, Hailey Kinsel’s 14.63 in Bracket 7 and Tessa Arnold’s 14.50 in the third section of Saturday’s Semifinals. The field is looking stacked with a mixture of invitees and qualifiers on Sunday.

First Semifinal: 1. Sadie Wolaver-Troyer, 14.78 seconds, $2,834; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 14.84, $2,126; 3. Lucy Bowns, 15.10, $1,417; 4. Shali Lord, 15.13, $709; 5. Shelley Morgan, 15.16; 6. Sabrina Ketcham, 15.39.

Second Semifinal: 1. Maggie Poloncic, 14.64 seconds, $2,834; 2. Casey Mathis, 14.95, $2,126; 3. Jamie Olsen, 15.03, $1,417; 4. Kailey Mitton, 15.04, $709; 5. McKenna Coronado, 15.26; 6. Paige Conrado, 15.32.

Third Semifinal: 1. Tessa Arnold, 14.50 seconds, $2,834; 2. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.76, $2,126; 3. Ilyssa Riley, 14.77, $1,417; 4. Halyn Lide, 14.84, $709; 5. Andrea Busby, 14.86; 6. Lisa Lockhart, 15.01.

National Western Stock Show Barrel Racing Results

Bracket 1

First Round: 1. Ilyssa Riley, 15.20 seconds; 2. Lucy Bowns, 15.30; 3. Paige Conrado, 15.35; 4. Kylie Kanngiesser, 15.43; 5. Ashley Castleberry, 15.58; 6. Fonda Melby, 15.84. Second round: 1. Lucy Bowns, 14.71 seconds; 2. Ashley Castleberry, 14.82; 3. Paige Conrado, 15.01; 4. Piper Cordes, 15.08; 5. (tie) Ilyssa Riley and Kylie Kanngiesser, 15.19 each. 
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Lucy Bowns, 30.01 seconds on two head; 2. Paige Conrado, 30.36; 3. Ilyssa Riley, 30.39.

Bracket 2

First Round: 1. Karson Bradley, 15.21 seconds; 2. Shali Lord, 15.31; 3. Austyn Tobey, 15.34; 4. Jackie Ganter, 15.35; 5. C.J. Vondette, 15.69; 6. Madelyn Chambers, 16.14. Second round: 1. Brittany Fellows, 14.95 seconds; 2. Karson Bradley, 15.02; 3. C.J. Vondette, 15.04; 4. Jackie Ganter, 15.05; 5. Rachel Huerkamp, 15.08; 6. Shali Lord, 15.23. 
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Karson Bradley, 30.23 seconds on two head; 2. Jackie Ganter, 30.40; 3. Shali Lord, 30.54.

Bracket 3

First Round: 1. Rainey Skelton, 14.83 seconds; 2. Millie Marquart, 14.84; 3. Sabrina Ketcham, 14.97; 4. Kailey Mitton, 14.98; 5. Jillian Zaun, 15.23; 6. Mejrusa Rustemovic, 15.26. Second round: 1. Rainey Skelton, 14.77 seconds; 2. Sabrina Ketcham, 14.96; 3. Kailey Mitton, 15.05; 4. Jillian Zaun, 15.17; 5. Mejrusa Rustemovic, 15.20; 6. Chris Gibson, 15.25.
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Rainey Skelton, 29.60 seconds on two head; 2. Sabrina Ketcham, 29.93; 3. Kailey Mitton, 30.03.

Bracket 4

First Round: 1. Lisa Lockhart, 14.98 seconds; 2. Sadie Wolaver-Troyer, 15.02; 3. Abigail Knight, 15.25; 4. Chelsea A. Moore, 15.26; 5. Kappie Bryant, 15.29; 6. (tie) Alex Odle and Jodi Lyn Colton, 15.30 each. Second round: 1. Chelsea Moore, 14.68 seconds; 2. Sadie Wolaver-Troyer, 14.87; 3. Kappie Bryant, 14.93; 4. Abigail Knight, 15.04; 5. Lisa Lockhart, 15.13; 6. Jodi Lyn Colton, 20.15.
Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Sadie Wolaver-Troyer, 29.89 seconds on two head; 2. Chelsea Moore, 29.94; 3. Lisa Lockhart, 30.11.

Bracket 5

First Round: 1. Sydney Graham, 14.92 seconds; 2. Jamie Olsen, 14.96; 3. Sara Winkelman, 14.97; 4. Amanda Welsh, 15.03; 5. Tessa Arnold, 15.09; 6. Brittney Sporer, 15.34. Second round: 1. Preslie Reid, 14.74 seconds; 2. Tessa Arnold, 14.78; 3. Jamie Olsen, 14.91; 4. Amanda Welsh, 15.03; 5. Sydney Graham, 15.05; 6. Brittney Sporer, 15.14.

Semifinal qualifiers: 1. (tie) Tessa Arnold and Jamie Olsen; 3. Sydney Graham, 29.97.

Bracket 6

First Round: 1. Shelley Morgan, 14.70 seconds; 2. Andrea Busby, 14.83; 3. Casey Mathis, 14.94; 4. Jennifer Kalafatic, 15.04; 5. Fallon Forbes, 15.41; 6. Teressa Peck, 20.35. Second round: 1. Andrea Busby, 14.83 seconds; 2. Shelley Morgan, 15.00; 3. Casey Mathis, 15.07; 4. Fallon Forbes, 15.34; 5. Kim Schulze, 15.53; 6. Teressa Peck, 15.85

Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Andrea Busby, 29.66 seconds on two head; 2. Shelley Morgan, 29.70; 3. Casey Mathis, 30.01.

Bracket 7

First Round: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 14.63 seconds; 2. McKenna Coronado, 14.69; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.85; 4. (tie) Molly Otto and Ashlyn Goven, 14.96 each; 6. Oceane Veilleux, 14.97. Second round: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 14.78 seconds; 2. McKenna Coronado, 14.89; 3. Oceane Veilleux, 14.92; 4. Natalie Bland, 14.93; 5. Donna Tippen, 15.01; 6. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 15.2

Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 29.41 seconds on two head; 2. McKenna Coronado, 29.58; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 29.87.

Bracket 8

First Round: 1. Halyn Lide, 14.78 seconds; 2. Maggie Poloncic, 14.90; 3. Katelyn Scott, 14.91; 4. Ivy Hurst, 15.04; 5. Jessica Routier, 15.12; 6. Leslie Smalygo, 15.21. Second round: 1. Maggie Poloncic, 14.69 seconds; 2. Katelyn Scott, 14.98; 3. Halyn Lide, 14.99; 4. Ivy Hurst, 15.01; 5. Jessica Routier, 15.12; 6. Sage Kohr, 15.13

Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Maggie Poloncic, 29.59 seconds on two head; 2. Halyn Lide, 29.77; 3. Katelyn Scott, 29.89.

First round: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 14.63 seconds, $3,667; 2. McKenna Coronado, 14.69, $3,188; 3. Shelley Morgan, 14.70, $2,710; 4. Halyn Lide, 14.78, $2,232; 5. (tie) Rainey Skelton and Andrea Busby, 14.83, $1,514 each; 7. Millie Marquart, 14.84, $797; 8. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.85, $319. 

Second round: 1. Chelsea A Moore, 14.68 seconds, $3,667; 2. Maggie Poloncic, 14.69, $3,188; 3. Lucy Bowns, 14.71, $2,710; 4. Preslie Reid, 14.74, $2,232; 5. Rainey Skelton, 14.77, $1,754; 6. (tie) Tessa Arnold and Hailey Kinsel, 14.78, $1,036 each; 8. Ashley Castleberry, 14.82, $319.

How do barrel racers qualify for the National Western Stock Show Rodeo?

Of the 80 barrel racers competing at the NWSSR, 40 come from the qualifier held prior to the rodeo. To hear the 2024 Denver qualifier recap, click here. The remaining 40 spots are made up of invitees, to be filled in the following order:

• Top 28 contestants from the 2023 Pro Rodeo World standings
• Top 5 from the 2024 Pro Rodeo World standings based on winnings 7 days prior to the National Western Stock Show entries closing
• The top 2 from the 2023 WPRA Tour
• The top 5 from the 2023 Pro Rodeo Mountain States Circuit year-end standings

What is the NWSSR barrel racing format in Denver?

Barrel racing will follow the same format as the six PRCA events in Denver (breakaway roping is not included as an event in the National Western Stock Show Rodeo). Here’s the format outlined in the WPRA ground rules for 2024. 

FIRST TWO RUNS: THE PERFORMANCES

• All events will have two full go-rounds. They will be ran in consecutive performances. So the first 16 performances will feature eight brackets of 10 contestants and contestants will run their go-rounds back-to-back (see schedule) 
• The top three in the aggregate on two runs in each bracket will advance to the semi-finals rounds. 

THIRD RUN: THE SEMI-FINALS

• The semi-final progressive round will consist of three performances. Each performance will have eight contestants. 
• The top four contestants of each semi-finals performance advance to the finals.

FOURTH RUN: THE FINALS

• 12 contestants will compete in the finals on Sunday, January 22.
• The fastest time of the finals will earn the title of National Western Stock Show Rodeo champion.

Throwback: Read about Jimmie Smith’s 2023 National Western Stock Show Rodeo win.

How does the National Western Stock Show Rodeo payout in the barrel racing?

According to the WPRA website, the WPRA entry fee to compete in Denver is $351 ($330 entry fee and $21 Procom charge). Here’s how the payoff will break down in each round with the entry fees and $56,875 added money.

Note: Although entry fees decreased $45 from the 2023 NWSSR, added money increased from $45,000 to $56,875 from 2023 to 2024.