The 2024 ProRodeo regular season has zoomed by at breakneck speed, and it’s officially down to the final week as Sept. 30 approaches and the top barrel racers in the world battle it out for one of 15 positions to head to the National Finals Rodeo 2024, or NFR.
Let’s break down the current WPRA World Standings (updated Sept. 23, 2024) and analyze which cowgirls in terms of money earned on the 2024 season are locked in for NFR 2024.
Table of contents
The Rundown
Tune into this week’s episode of The Rundown on The Money Barrel to hear which cowgirls cashed in over the weekend on the ProRodeo front.
🟢Green Zone: *unofficially* NFR Bound
These cowgirls are unofficially NFR 2024 bound.
No. 1: Leslie Smalygo
Skiatook, OK
Earnings: $195,906.99
Rodeos: 64
- ‘I’ll Never Have a Year Like This Again.’ Leslie Smalygo is on FIRE in 2024
- “Big Dreams Come True, I am Proof of it.” Leslie Smalygo Gets First NFR Round Win at 47
No. 2: Hailey Kinsel
Cotulla, TX
Earnings: $163,102.54
Rodeos: 65
- Reno’s Silver Spurs, $40K ProRodeo Month Launch Hailey Kinsel Back to Gold Buckle Conversation
- Hailey Kinsel, Halyn Lide Take 2024 NWSSR Title Back to Texas
- Gold Buckle Reflections and Life in Barrel Racing’s Spotlight, with Hailey Kinsel
No. 3: Emily Beisel
Weatherford, OK
Earnings: $154,004.96
Rodeos: 70
- Teasin Dat Guy is Changin’ Emily Beisel’s 2024 Season
- $30,000 Leg Lift: Emily Beisel and Liza Top Round 6 of NFR Barrel Racing
- Emily Miller-Beisel and Namgis D33 Top Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Go-Round No. 5
No. 4: Kassie Mowry
Dublin, TX
Earnings: $151,282.84
Rodeos: 26
- $110K in 15 Rodeos: The Unbreakable Kassie Mowry
- Kassie Mowry Takes Over $15K From Rodeo Austin: Full 2024 Barrel Racing Results
- Beast Mode: Kassie Mowry and Force The Goodbye Get Back-to-Back NFR Round Wins
No. 5: Lisa Lockhart
Oelrichs, SD
Earnings: $140,887.64
Rodeos: 57
- Lisa Lockhart Earns First Pendleton Round-Up Win en Route to NFR No. 18
- Consistency Queen: Lisa Lockhart Locks in Third NFR Average Championship with Round 10 Win
- ‘It Was Kind of a Blur’ Lisa Lockhart and Levee Win NFR Round 3
No. 6: Ashley Castleberry
Montgomery, TX
Earnings: $139,484.90
Rodeos: 72
- Ashley Castleberry and Skyy Blue Win Puyallup: Barrel Racing Results
- Meet Ashley Castleberry on The Money Barrel Podcast
No. 7: Tiany Schuster
Krum, TX
Earnings: $132,495.16
Rodeos: 88
- Tiany Schuster and Showmance Take Inaugural North Dakota Roughrider Cup Title
- No Choking in California: Tiany Schuster Shows Off Shines By Design, Wins Rodeo Salinas 2024
🟠Orange Zone: The coast is *almost* clear.
These are the barrel racers above the “bubble,” or No. 15 line, but are still mathematically in danger of being pushed down the world standings. This is where our analysis will begin for athletes fighting to maintain an NFR position.
No. 8: Wenda Johnson
Pawhuska, OK
Earnings: $117,119.98
Rodeos: 57
Johnson will be at the upcoming Sioux Falls Governor’s Cup, giving herself the opportunity to max out her earnings and provide herself a considerable cushion. With the amount of money left to be won on the ProRodeo trail, Johnson’s $117K in earnings doesn’t provide her a guaranteed cushion. Just $17K separates the multi-time NFR qualifier and her NFR go-round winning gelding, Steal Money, from the No. 15 cut line, although the odds are unlikely that each cowgirl beneath Johnson will be able to earn enough at the remaining events to upset her.
No. 9: Dona Kay Rule
Minco, OK
Earnings: $115,119.98
Rodeos: 57
Like Johnson, Rule will be in attendance as one of 12 at the Sioux Falls Governor’s Cup with her two-time AQHA/WPRA Horse of the Year, High Valor. Rule and Valor made a victorious comeback after going out on injury back in 2023, and fans have rallied behind the team in hopes of seeing Rule back inside the Thomas & Mack.
- Far From Finished: Dona Kay Rule and High Valor Back Inside Top 15 With Guymon Win
- Record Run for Dona Kay Rule in San Angelo
- Poetic Justice: Dona Kay Rule Wins Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Go-Round No. 2
No. 10: Abby Phillips
Marshall, TX
Earnings: $113,910.84
Rodeos: 81
Phillips turned heads all 2024 long with a breakout season, clicking with the mare “Andie Andersen,” and blasting to the top of the World Standings early on. Her early lead helped her maintain a top 10 position all summer and fall long, but as she’ll sit out Sioux Falls, Phillips will rely on smaller rodeos during the final week of the season to help her defend the $13K gap to No. 15.
No. 11: Halyn Lide
China Spring, TX
Earnings: $112,854.70
Rodeos: 81
Lide kicked off her year with a win at the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver, and stayed solid all year on her mare, “Keeper,” at the ProRodeos. After a strong finish in Puyallup, she’s heading into Sioux Falls—a smaller arena, not unlike Denver—looking to hold onto her first NFR qualification after maintaining a top 15 position all season long.
No. 12: Andrea Busby
Millsap, TX
Earnings: $109,857.63
Rodeos: 89
Busby has been leveraging her remaining rodeos at the tail of the regular season to ensure she stays on the right side of the top 15 cut line to head to her first NFR. Busby’s sat at the helm of Busby Quarter Horses’ iconic breeding program, but has capitalized on 2024 as her chance to shine with an A-list lineup of horsepower beneath her. She’ll be in attendance at Sioux Falls, but is also entered up in additional rodeos like Stephenville, Texas, on Sunday. It will be exciting to see which of the rodeos she’ll choose to attend as the final days of the season wind down.
🔴 Red Zone: Danger.
These are the cowgirls inside the top 15 who are in the sweating range. Less than $8,000 separates No. 13 from No. 18 in the world as of Sept. 23.
No. 13: Carlee Otero
Perrin, TX
Earnings: $105,107.82
Rodeos: 73
Otero has held onto her position on the right side of the bubble since she clawed her way there in summer 2024, but the previous NFR qualifier is in danger after missing out on a qualification to Sioux Falls. She’ll have to take advantage of rodeos from Texas to California on Blingolena if she wants to stay safe with sharks circling below the No. 15 line.
No. 14: LaTricia Duke
Zephyr, TX
Earnings: $104,015.57
Rodeos: 85
Is Latricia Duke in danger, or is she the danger? That may be the question of the 2024 season. Duke and stallion DM High Roller, or “Vanilla Wafer,” have been the talk of Sept. 2024’s rodeos, fighting their way upstream week by week to land in No. 14. After going on a rampage at Pendleton, Abilene and Albuquerque to secure a position into Sioux Falls, she’ll look to keep that momentum rolling and hold onto her spot. But the names below Duke on the list won’t let her keep her spot with ease.
No. 15: Shelley Morgan
Eustace, TX
Earnings: $100,939.30
Rodeos: 73
After a rollercoaster season, Shelley Morgan and “Kiss,” have managed to hang onto a top 15 position after an injury started their year off slow. Morgan’s strong finish in Puyallup helped keep her in the hunt, and she’ll be one of the bubble cowgirls duking it out in Sioux Falls to round out her season.
The Outsiders
With just $500 separating No. 15 and 16 in the world standings, these are the athletes looking to cause an upset in the final week of the regular barrel racing season.
No. 16: Tayla Moeykens
Three Forks, MT
Earnings: $100,471.04
Rodeos: 64
The Montana Circuit and collegiate standout, Tayla Moeykens took her MSU degree and ran off on the ProRodeo trail this summer, coming out of absolutely nowhere to make money moves up the standings on her horses “Yeti,” and “Lizard.” Moeykens has stayed true to her circuit success and managed to not venture too far outside of her home state on her 64 rodeos this season. She’s not in the Sioux Falls fight, but Moeykens is entered up from Monta, Utah, to the final weekend’s California run, and BarrelRacing.com will be tracking the first-time NFR hopeful as she tries to fight the tide.
No. 17: Paige Jones
Wayne, OK
Earnings: $99,676.16
Rodeos: 50
Jones has found herself in the position where she’s had to fight the NFR bubble before, and she knows how to slide her way into a Thomas & Mack qualification. Jones missed out on Sioux Falls in 2024, but she’ll have opportunities to let her bay gelding, “Bazinga,” shine at a variety of rodeos during the last week of the season. Her name is on the tradeslists at rodeos like Stephenville, Mona, and others, and the former BFA World Champion seems to thrive on the pressure that the end of the regular season provides.
No. 18: Jordon Briggs
Tolar, TX
Earnings: $97,692.57
Rodeos: 43
One of the emerging stories of 2024 comes from the 2021 World Champion barrel racer Jordon Briggs. After Famous Lil Jet, “Rollo,” went out on injury in winter 2024, it looked like Briggs’ season was shot. Against the odds, Rollo returned without a dollar won in June, and the duo has worked back within the grasp of their fourth consecutive trip to Las Vegas. Briggs fought her way into the final Sioux Falls position after a clutch placing in Albuquerque and will lay it all on the line in South Dakota.
- The Return of Rollo: Jordon Briggs Talks 2024 Cheyenne Frontier Days Championship
- What Happened to Rollo?
2024 WPRA World Standings
| 1 | Leslie Smalygo | Skiatook, OK | $195,906.99 | 64 |
| 2 | Hailey Kinsel | Cotulla, TX | $163,102.54 | 65 |
| 3 | Emily Beisel | Weatherford, OK | $154,004.96 | 70 |
| 4 | Kassie Mowry | Dublin, TX | $151,282.84 | 26 |
| 5 | Lisa Lockhart (G) | Oelrichs, SD | $140,887.64 | 57 |
| 6 | Ashley Castleberry | Montgomery, TX | $139,484.90 | 72 |
| 7 | Tiany Schuster | Krum, TX | $132,495.16 | 88 |
| 8 | Wenda Johnson | Pawhuska, OK | $117,969.63 | 58 |
| 9 | Dona Kay Rule | Minco, OK | $115,119.98 | 57 |
| 10 | Abby Phillips | Marshall, TX | $113,910.84 | 81 |
| 11 | Halyn Lide | China Spring, TX | $112,854.70 | 81 |
| 12 | Andrea Busby | Millsap, TX | $109,857.63 | 89 |
| 13 | Carlee Otero | Perrin, TX | $105,107.82 | 73 |
| 14 | LaTricia Duke | Zephyr, TX | $104,015.57 | 85 |
| 15 | Shelley Morgan | Eustace, TX | $100,939.30 | 73 |
| 16 | Tayla Moeykens | Three Forks, MT | $100,471.04 | 64 |
| 17 | Paige Jones | Wayne, OK | $99,676.16 | 50 |
| 18 | Jordon Briggs | Tolar, TX | $97,692.57 | 43 |
| 19 | Summer Kosel | Glenham, SD | $93,451.10 | 48 |
| 20 | Sara Winkelman | Big Lake, MN | $88,072.68 | 86 |
| 21 | Jessica Routier | Buffalo, SD | $75,656.76 | 64 |
| 22 | Megan McLeod-Sprague (G) | Marsing, ID | $75,534.85 | 64 |
| 23 | Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi | Lampasas, TX | $75,352.90 | 63 |
| 24 | Jymmy Kay Cox (G) | Pleasanton, TX | $72,112.04 | 57 |
| 25 | Jordan Driver | Garden City, TX | $68,506.39 | 77 |
| 26 | Sissy Winn | Chapman Ranch, TX | $64,933.51 | 63 |
| 27 | Jamie Olsen | Brock, TX | $64,279.84 | 92 |
| 28 | Chloe Gray | Yatesville, GA | $62,653.60 | 76 |
| 29 | Jodee Miller | Bellville, TX | $62,287.57 | 58 |
| 30 | Chelsea A Moore | Rose Hill, KS | $61,413.10 | 84 |
