TheFR Open runs July 14–18 at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs, with $85,300 added in barrel racing and 27 circuit champions entered, among them Lisa Lockhart and defending champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi. Here is how the week works and who is running.
Table of contents
What the NFR Open is
The NFR Open is the season-ending payoff of the circuit system, the regional standings race that runs alongside the world standings all year. Every WPRA circuit sends its year-end champion and its circuit finals average champion, and they meet in Colorado Springs to settle a national circuit title. The week carries beyond the check: a strong showing and big payday plays into 2026 WPRA World Standings and can open the door to limited-entry events in 2027, or help athletes looking to make the NFR this year. Barrel racing runs alongside the full slate of ProRodeo events during the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, and the event adds $682,400 across all disciplines.
- Days of Summer: 2026 July ProRodeo Results Tracker
- Results are Rolling: Cowboy Christmas Barrel Racing Tracker 2026
How the format works
The barrel racers are split into three sets of nine, and each set runs two go-rounds back-to-back over consecutive performances. Every rider competes in both go-rounds of her set, and the top three in the average from each set advance to Saturday night’s Top 9 Finals, where the champion is decided. The finals running order is set by random draw rather than seeded by average.
Each go-round pays $7,500 to the top four: $3,000, $2,250, $1,500 and $750.
The Finals pay $41,000, with $13,000 to the winner, $10,000 for second, $7,000 for third and $1,500 to each of the six remaining finalists. The WPRA covers its barrel racers’ entry fees at the NFR Open, and those riders do not draw the event’s guaranteed award.
Who’s entered
The field draws from all 13 WPRA circuits. WPRA’s winningest cowgilr of all time, Lisa Lockhart is in out of the Badlands, and Tonozzi returns as the Mountain States year-end winner and the rider to beat after taking the title here last year.
Big headliners ranked high in the current WPRA standings like Emily Beisel comes off the Prairie, Hayle Gibson-Stillwell out of California, Carlee Otero as the Wilderness year-end champion and Katelyn Scott from the Turquoise. They’re alongside regional gems like Willie Horzepa from the First Frontier Circuit, Jayden Wilson, the Canadian standout and more.
Set A (July 14-15)
Tuesday, July 14 (7:30 p.m.) and Wednesday, July 15 (7:30 p.m.). Shown in first-round running order.
| Contestant | Hometown | Circuit (how qualified) |
| Tara Seaton | Winslow, AZ | Turquoise, 2nd year-end |
| Emily Beisel | Weatherford, OK | Prairie, year-end |
| Jayden Wilson | Gleichen, AB | Maple Leaf, year-end |
| Megan McLeod-Sprague | Marsing, ID | Columbia River, year-end |
| Hayle Gibson-Stillwell | Redcrest, CA | California, year-end |
| Molly Otto | Grand Forks, ND | Badlands, average |
| Willie Horzepa | Millstone, NJ | First Frontier, year-end & average |
| Taylor Gardner | Purple Springs, AB | Montana, average |
| Karson Bradley Berger | Saratoga, WY | Mountain States, average |
Set B (July 16-17)
Thursday, July 16 (7:30 p.m.) and Friday, July 17 matinee (12:30 p.m.). Shown in first-round running order.
| Contestant | Hometown | Circuit (how qualified) |
| Carlee Otero | Lipan, TX | Wilderness, year-end |
| Blake Molle | Chauvin, AB | Maple Leaf, average |
| Alyssa Urbanek-Wade | Stephenville, TX | Texas, year-end |
| Breann Justice | Esparto, CA | |
| Hailey Garrison Graham | Glen, MT | Columbia River, average |
| Margo Crowther | North Fort Myers, FL | Southeastern, year-end & average |
| Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi | Lampasas, TX | Mountain States, year-end |
| Riley Youngman | Centuria, WI | |
| Karissa Landis | Middleburg, PA | First Frontier, 2nd year-end |
Set C (July 17-18)
Friday, July 17 (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday, July 18 matinee (12:30 p.m.). Shown in first-round running order.
| Contestant | Hometown | Circuit (how qualified) |
| Jordan Driver | Garden City, TX | Texas, average |
| Caitlyn White | Spanish Fork, UT | Wilderness, average |
| Austyn Tobey | Bemidji, MN | Great Lakes, year-end & average |
| Kristin Hanchey | Okeechobee, FL | Southeastern, 2nd year-end |
| Katelyn Scott | Odessa, TX | Turquoise, year-end & average |
| Kara Kreder | Decatur, TX | Prairie, average |
| Ashley Day | Volborg, MT | Montana, year-end |
| Lisa Lockhart | Oelrichs, SD | Badlands, year-end |
| Monica Flores | Presidio, TX |
When and how to watch
- Tuesday, July 14, 7:30 p.m. — Go-Round 1 (Set 1)
- Wednesday, July 15, 7:30 p.m. — Go-Round 2 (Set 1)
- Thursday, July 16, 7:30 p.m. — Go-Round 3 (Set 2)
- Friday, July 17, 12:30 p.m. — Go-Round 4 (Set 2)
- Friday, July 17, 7:30 p.m. — Go-Round 5 (Set 3)
- Saturday, July 18, 12:30 p.m. — Go-Round 6 (Set 3)
- Saturday, July 18, 7:30 p.m. — Top 9 Finals
Results
Set B
Round 1
1.Emily Beisel, 17.32 seconds, $3,000; 2. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 17.45, $2,250; 3. Molly Otto, 17.86, $1,500; 4. Hayle Gibson-Stillwell, 17.95, $750.
Round 2
1. Emily Beisel, 17.11 seconds, $3,000; 2. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 17.30, $2,250; 3. Hayle Gibson-Stillwell, 17.79, $1,500; 4. Taylor Gardner, 17.86, $750.
Qualifiers
1. Emily Beisel, 34.43 seconds on two head; 2. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 34.75; 3. Hayle Gibson-Stillwell, 35.74.
Set 2
Round 1
1. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 17.27 seconds, $3,000; 2. Hailey Garrison Graham, 17.49, $2,250; 3. Blake Molle, 17.53, $1,500; 4. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.63, $750.
Round 2
1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.13 seconds, $3,000; 2. Hailey Garrison Graham, 17.21, $2,250; 3. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 17.30, $1,500; 4. Blake Molle, 17.53, $750; 5. Margo Crowther, 17.57; 6. Carlee Otero, 17.62; 7. Riley Youngman, 17.66; 8. Breann Justice, 18.53; 9. Karissa Landis, 18.56.
Advancing to the Finals (Aggregate)
- Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 34.57 seconds
- Hailey Garrison Graham, 34.70
- Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 34.76
Set C
Round 1
1. Lisa Lockhart, 17.12 seconds, $3,000; 2. Caitlyn White, 17.31, $2,250; 3. Katelyn Scott, 17.46, $1,500; 4. Jordan Driver, 17.47, $750.
Round 2
1. Katelyn Scott, 17.14 seconds, $3,000; 2. Kristin Hanchey, 17.34, $2,250; 3. Caitlyn White, 17.35, $1,500; 4. Austyn Tobey, 17.36, $750; 5. Lisa Lockhart, 17.39; 6. Ashley Day, 17.78; 7. Monica Flores, 18.81; 8. Jordan Driver, 22.44; 9. Kara Kreder, 23.15.
Advancing to the Finals (Aggregate)
- Lisa Lockhart, 34.51 seconds
- Katelyn Scott, 34.60
- Caitlyn White, 34.69
Finals
1.Caitlyn White, 17.29 seconds, $13,000; 2. Katelyn Scott, 17.33, $10,000; 3. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 17.38, $7,000; 4. Lisa Lockhart, 17.41, $3,500; 5. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.42, $1,500; 6. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 17.54, $1,500; 7. Hayle Gibson-Stillwell, 18.01, $1,500; 8. Emily Beisel, 22.37, $1,500; 9. Hailey Garrison Graham, 22.67, $1,500.