The barrel racing setup will be unique at Rodeo Corpus Christi 2025, utilizing a stoplight system to prepare athletes for a potential positon into Kid Rock’s Rodeo 2025, and Jordan Driver is heading into the competition No. 1

Anticipation is building in the barrel racing field before the highly anticipated Corpus Christi debut of the stoplight starting system at the Southern rodeo.

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But for the 16 qualifiers to Rodeo Corpus Christi, any anxiety surrounding the unique starting line is beginning to melt away, because these ladies are some of the top barrel racing strategists in the game.

Ryann Pedone will be calling upon the gelding One Slick Czar (2018 Slick By Design x Dashin Czar) for her second attempt at a stoplight start.

“My first time trying it was at the practice they held for us at (Cowtown Coliseum), and it was an epic fail,” Pedone said, laughing. “I have been mentally practicing my count so that I don’t get too anxious waiting on the green light and send my counting out the window. I ran at Corpus Christi last year, and I’m excited to get in the arena and practice before my first run on Thursday.”

Pedone’s No. 2 position behind Jordan Driver on the VRQ leaderboard guarantees her into the progressive performance on Thursday, May 8.

The mother-daughter duo of Jennifer and Jordan Driver are both qualified into Rodeo Corpus Christi 2025, and neither are strangers to success inside the WCRA’s rankings. They’ll call upon Judge JB Cash (2017 Judge Cash x Bevs AA Whiz Kid x PC Bar Dox Frost) and DLC Chance Ta B Epic (2020 Epic Leader x Chance At Fame x Dash Ta Fame), respectively.

“This is both of our first times competing with the stoplight system,” said Jordan Driver, who enters the progressive round Thursday as the No. 1 rider on the VRQ leaderboard. “I was supposed to run on it during the Fort Worth Showcase, but I was in the Denver Semi-Finals instead.”

Jordan is riding Judge JB Cash, while her mother, Jennifer Driver, competes Wednesday night in the wildcard round aboard DLC Chance Ta B Epic—known as Bacardi.

“We just came off the Ruby Buckle and Guymon, so we went from 17-second patterns to a 14-second setup with no real prep time,” Jordan said. “Mom and I joked that this one might come down to which horse scores best.”

She chose Judge for his responsiveness: “I can hold him up until I want him to go, and he stays soft in my hands. Bacardi is quieter and new to rodeo setups. Molli Montgomery trained her, and she’s out of my mom’s old rodeo mare—so it’s a full-circle moment for her.”

They both got a chance to work in the arena early Wednesday morning using the light system.

“I was worried the stop would throw off my timing with Judge, but both horses handled it well. That took a lot of the stress off us,” Jordan said. “It’s a different mentality, but it’s going to be fun to be part of it.”

The reigning WRWC and IPRA champion, Kindyl Scruggs is set to make her first appearance on the stoplight start system at Rodeo Corpus Christi this week, bringing two standout horses—Melrose Chrome, known as “Chrome,” and Dark Delight, or “Tracey.”

“This is my first time competing with the light system,” Scruggs said. “It’s also Chrome’s first rodeo run back since a groin tear in September, so I haven’t really been preparing. Honestly, I haven’t been rodeoing much this year—I’ve been riding colts. I just hope my timing’s still on point.”

Her game plan is to ease Chrome into the run and try to match her momentum with the light system.

“I’m planning to time the yellow-to-green transition heading down the alley,” she said. “I got to practice this morning and was a little early, but I’m hoping I’ve got the timing figured out.”

Makenzie Mayes will be riding Chicado Moon—“Rousey”—at Rodeo Corpus Christi this week, with her backup horse Kita Rita also along for the trip.

“The last time I ran on a stoplight start, we were lucky enough to get a practice round in, which helped work a few kinks out,” Mayes said. “I found that keeping forward motion and trying to nail the start at a walk or trot worked better for me than sitting still and launching.”

Her approach for the first round will be focused on keeping her horse relaxed and moving.

“My game plan is to keep my horse calm and maintain forward motion going down the alleyway to try to time the start,” she said. “We’re getting to go into the arena in the morning to practice and get prepared.”