Megan McLeod-Sprague may be a rookie at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but nothing about her story suggests inexperience.
Her route to No. 5 in the World Standings with $174,974 in earnings reads like a masterclass in persistence, patience, and the power of waiting for that horse.
Her 2025 season—with wins ranging from the winter buildings to nearly $30K earned over Cowboy Christmas and a Columbia River Circuit Championship—has propelled the Marsing, Idaho’s horsewoman into World Champion contention.
And even more importantly, McLeod-Sprague rolled into Vegas with full belief in her lead mount Jag’s soundness and hunger for the bright lights of the Thomas & Mack.
“Right now it’s the Jag show,” McLeod-Sprague said. “My vets think he’ll even be ready for round 11.”
For a rider who has held a WPRA card since 1997, this moment is more than a debut. It’s a culmination.
A Lifetime of Horsemanship Led Her Here
McLeod-Sprague’s rodeo roots run deep. She grew up in Idaho, raised by parents Sandy and Teri, who immersed her in the sport from childhood. She competed from the age of 5, went on to become an Idaho State High School Champion, and finished as the Reserve National Champion. She then qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo from 2002 –2005.
Her mother, Teri, served as Wilderness Circuit Director for nearly a decade, and McLeod-Sprague followed in her footsteps: first as Wilderness Circuit Director from 2008–2009, then as Columbia River Circuit Director from 2019–2021. Her father, Sandy, passed away in 2013—a loss that still shapes her drive.
Her early professional years were marked by consistency and flashes of brilliance. She won the Silver State Stampede in 2005 and 2008, captured a Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Round win at the 2006 National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver, and collected multiple Columbia River and Wilderness Circuit Finals qualifications. But she never poured her entire year into the schedule, typically entering fewer than 40 rodeos annually.
From 2012–2021, McLeod-Sprague stepped back to raise her children—daughter Markie and son Smokey—and support her husband, Buck. She rode colts, trained young horses, and stayed connected to the sport, but her focus was home.
“I always had the goal to get to the NFR,” McLeod-Sprague said. “But there were many years I knew it was probably out of reach with the rodeos I could realistically get to. I just always kept it in focus.”
Everything changed in 2021, when Kyle Jack McIntyre called her about a horse named Jag, registered as Seis Corona.
The gelding, originally bought and trained by Megan Lewis and polished further by Judy Myllymaki, became the cornerstone of McLeod-Sprague’s resurgence—the horse that made the dream feel realistic again.
2025: Megan McLeod-Sprague’s Year
Nothing about McLeod-Sprague’s 2025 season was accidental. She opened the year fast, finishing second at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and winning the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. Jag was fresh off muscular injury in his back from 2024, and immediately proved he was hungry.
“To say I was surprised isn’t the right word,” McLeod-Sprague said. “I’m not surprised when he wins. I just didn’t expect his comeback to turn around that fast.”
From there, the momentum rolled. She bided her time in the spring as the Northwestern ProRodeos began to defrost, and hit the summer run going full tilt. At Reno, she barely missed the short round, but Jag felt sharp. Up next was Cowboy Christmas.
Jag carried her to $29,321 over the Fourth of July run, the most of any barrel racer in the WPRA. He was unstoppable, stringing together explosive runs across the Northwest and setting the tone for a career year.
“He’d had enough sitting around,” McLeod-Sprague said. “He made every stride count that week.”
Her list of wins tells the same story: Pleasant Grove, Castro Valley, Livingston, Canby, Homedale. Runner-up finishes in Fort Worth, Redding, Cody, Basin City, Redmond, Hayward, and Kennewick. Every time the gate cracked, she was a threat.
And her dominance on the Columbia River Circuit was historic—nearly $35,000 earned, buoyed by big checks at St. Paul, Kennewick, and Canby. She “plucked away” at 19 circuit rodeos, carefully choosing setups that fit her string.
“I’ve never won nearly $35K on the circuit,” McLeod-Sprague said. “I had it won going into the [Circuit] Finals, which helped my confidence.”
Jag was made for the circuit’s wide-open setups, but her younger horses stepped up too. 6-year-old mare Ticket stole the spotlight in Basin City and then again at the Circuit Finals with a Round 1 win.
Her circuit success fed directly into her NFR qualification—and her recognition as the 2025 WPRA Lifetime Family Heritage Award recipient underscored the depth of her lineage in the sport.
A Rookie With a Veteran Army Behind Her
Though she’s a first-timer in Las Vegas, McLeod-Sprague does not walk into the Thomas & Mack alone. Her entire support system is here—so much so that she’s begged for extra tickets.
“Buck has been instrumental to all of this,” McLeod-Sprague said. “It’s pretty hard to put into words how much the support means to me. We’re going to try to make everybody proud.”