Renowned rodeo journalist, BarrelRacing.com contributor and barrel racer Tanya Randall has been officially announced as the 2023 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association media award recipient for 2023.
“Tanya’s very deserving of this win. Her tireless dedication to the industry and commitment to both the equine and human athletes in barrel racing is obvious through her years of service to the sport. She’s always professional, positive and isn’t scared to do the work of a true journalist when there’s something that needs a thread pulled.”
Chelsea Shaffer, BarrelRacing.com Editorial Director, Publisher of The Team Roping Journal and former WPRA Media Award Recipient
Randall is an award-winning equine journalist and avid barrel racer. After graduating from Texas A&M University, Randall has spent the past 25 years extensively covering the sport of barrel racing, from winning bloodlines to horse health care and everything in between. In her spare time, she enjoys raising and training horses with her husband Matt, an equine veterinarian, and serving as hockey mom for their son Colton.
Not only has she poured time into extensively covering barrel racing stories from across the industry, Randall also spends countless hours collecting registered names on every horse who places at ProRodeos across the country all year long to report them to Equi-Stat for barrel racers. The tedious task is often a thankless one.
Here’s what some of the 2023 NFR qualifiers and barrel racing veterans had to say about their years of working with Randall.
“Tanya has been a tremendous asset to the barrel racing community. From writing articles, to keeping track of horses and Equistat earnings—the barrel racing world could not have come this far without her and her steel trap of a mind. She always impresses me when she remembers things about my horses that I forgot.“
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, two-time WPRA World Champion
“Tanya has such knowledge about our industry, and she does an amazing job of collaborating with everybody, gathering all the info and using it to the utmost perfection! She is very gifted in her writing and it’s always a pleasure to be interviewed by her. “
Lisa Lockhart, 17-time NFR qualifier
“Tanya can be credited for so much progress and expansion of the barrel racing industry. Her attention to detail, ability to communicate effectively, and her effort to bring light to horses, riders, and events has brought structure and meaning to the sport we are passionate about.”
Hailey Kinsel, four-time WPRA World Champion
Here’s a few of our favorite articles from Tanya Randall
- Cowgirl Bloodlines: Meet the Mother-Daughter NFR Barrel Racing Qualifiers
- The Bits That Won the World: 1984-2022
- “Magic” Horse of the Year Crosses: Sun Frost x Casey’s Ladylove
- Rosies of the Range: How Helping Save a Nation Became the Genesis of Women in Rodeo
“Tanya’s passion for the barrel racing industry is evident through the years of hard work and diligence she has provided.“
Wenda Johnson, four-time NFR qualifier
“Tanya is such a gift to our industry. She’s a walking encyclopedia for any barrel statistic you could ever need. She’s as diligent as they come on accurate information and logging results. She also has a presence about her that makes every interview memorable.”
Emily Beisel, five-time NFR qualifier
“I think that one thing all barrel racers have in common is that we want our horses to get the recognition that they deserve. Tanya has put in countless hours to make sure this happens, and I will forever be grateful for that.”
Jessica Routier, five-time NFR qualifier
“I’ve been working with Tanya for many years. She’s always in the barrel racers’ corner and has earned our trust. Like many others, I am so grateful for what she’s done for our sport, the amount of time she pours into helping to move the industry forward and how hard she works on many thankless tasks. She truly eats, sleeps and breathes the sport of barrel racing and delivers the facts in a kind and interesting way.”
Jordon Briggs, 2021 WPRA World Champion
