Emily Beisel entered the 2025 National Finals Rodeo ranked No. 3 in the world, qualifying for her seventh NFR (2019–2025) and arriving with a program that has rarely been built around one horse, one setup or one way of doing things.
Beisel’s biography reads like a steady climb. She didn’t grow up in a rodeo family, and she has been open about the fact that her parents “weren’t horse people.” She was introduced to barrel racing by her babysitter and moved through the ranks the way most first-generation athletes do: 4-H, junior high, high school and college, stacking experience one season at a time.
That foundation still shows up in how Beisel rides. She has credited her background in 4-H and horse showing, with its emphasis on horsemanship and body control, for helping her understand why different horses require different cues. “They’re all unique,” she said, explaining that even horses trained by the same program can have different styles and need different approaches.
Away from the arena, Beisel built a parallel life that mirrors that structure. She earned an associate’s degree from Garden City Community College and later completed a dental hygiene degree through Southwestern Oklahoma State University, continuing to compete collegiately along the way. She still works as a registered dental hygienist when she is home from rodeos or barrel races, a balance she has maintained throughout her professional career.
Pipewrench: The First Chapter
Before she became a regular on the NFR stage, Beisel built her first wave of professional momentum aboard Namgis D 35, “Pipewrench,” and others at the circuit level.
“Pipewrench was the very first horse that I started having success on,” Beisel said. She bought him in July 2015, and the partnership quickly produced real results, including a Prairie Circuit Finals title and later an RNCFR championship that would lead to Beisel’s first NFR appearance.
What defined that stretch was how unplanned it was. Beisel has described that season as one where things “kept going and we kept winning,” noting that she “almost made it by accident” while still working full time. For a first-generation competitor, it was a lesson in how quickly opportunity can expand when the right horse shows up.
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Foxy and Beau: Managing a String
As her career progressed, Beisel began managing a true string of A-list athletes, with each horse filling a different role.
Foxy, a palomino mare and Pipewrench’s younger sister, became her dependable option when conditions were less predictable. “She’s just rock solid,” Beisel said. “You can always count on her to give you the same trip every time, no matter what the conditions are.”
Foxy was the mare Beisel trusted indoors and on questionable ground, and the one she rode in Round 7 of her first National Finals Rodeo. Quiet and consistent, Foxy represented the kind of reliability that allowed Beisel to stay competitive across varied setups.
Biddin On Fame, “Beau,” was the opposite kind of story. Purchased in December 2017, he was talented but quirky and slow to mature. “I tried to sell him a couple times,” Beisel said. “Nobody would even tolerate him.”
Instead, Beau stayed, and over time he became the horse Beisel relied on when the season demanded toughness. “He’s tough,” she said. “That horse handles the rodeo road better than any horse I’ve ever had.” During a demanding stretch that required long hauls and constant competition, Beau took the miles, stayed sound and kept winning. “He just kept taking the all-night drives,” Beisel said. “It takes a really special horse to handle that kind of travel time and time again.”
CHONGO!
If Pipewrench marked the beginning, Namgis D 33, known as Chongo, became the horse most fans associate with Beisel. She purchased the gray gelding in January 2018.
One of the most telling parts of Beisel’s relationship with Chongo is how she talks about responsibility. She has been open about the fact that they didn’t click immediately and that she took him back to the Namgis Quarter Horses program where he was started so she could learn what she was doing wrong. She described leaving him there for a substantial stretch and returning regularly to ride and figure out how to get him “to make him tick just right.”
Chongo’s demeanor became a defining asset. He approaches every rodeo full-steam ahead and has become Beisel’s signature partner through NFR qualifications, round wins between the Thomas & Mack and Arlington, has been known to handle any setup or ground condition thrown his way, and continues to be one of the top horses in ProRodeo well into his teen years.
Liza’s Time
Beisel’s adaptability showed up again with Ivory On Fire, known as Liza. In 2023, Beisel framed Liza’s Governor’s Cup victory performance as a long-awaited opportunity finally meeting the right stage. “A lot of people have believed in her, but she’s just never had that opportunity,” Beisel said. “Not only did she seize that opportunity, but she freaking owned it.”
Later that season, Liza added an NFR Round 6 win. “I’m so proud of her,” Beisel said. “We’ve known she was capable of performing on this kind of stage, but you don’t really know until you put them in the situation.” Beisel described her goal on a strong first barrel as simply staying out of the mare’s way when she turns that hard.
Chewy and the 4M match-up
Teasin Dat Guy, known as Chewy, became Beisel’s most recent headline addition when the reins were turned over to her by 4M Performance Horses in 2024. Beisel had admired the mare long before she had the chance to ride her. “Chewy was my dream horse,” she said.
She has described the mare’s defining traits in straightforward terms. “She loves tough ground,” Beisel said. “She loves a challenge, and the roar of the crowd.” She also points to Chewy’s personality as part of what makes her special. “She’s really sweet, but also is proud of herself and very confident.”
A career built on versatility
On paper, Beisel’s recent seasons reflect consistency. She finished fifth in the NFR average in 2020, placed in seven rounds in 2021, added multiple round wins across 2022 and 2023, and continued that momentum through 2024. Those facts matter, but they serve more as context than headline.
The through-line is simpler. Beisel rides different horses, with different needs, and treats that as normal. She prepares them for the job, manages them carefully, and adapts when the season demands it.
A Life That Matches the Program
Beisel married Austin Beisel in October 2020. She has described meeting him at the gym while she was in dental hygiene school, studying while she trained. It is a small detail, but one that fits the larger picture her career reflects.
Emily Beisel didn’t grow up with a rodeo blueprint handed to her. She built a name for herself in the sport her own way, kept a career and blooming life outside the arena, and developed a program capable of competing at the highest level with horses she’s believed in.
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