January closed with six-figure payouts, a National Western Stock Show champion crowned and multiple futurity standouts cashing big. From Queen Creek’s nine-day Xtreme Million to Georgia’s high-stakes “Put Up or Shut Up” futurity, the week reshaped early-season earnings and showcased the depth of young-horse talent across the country.
Listen to the full episode and follow along with the BarrelRacing.com show notes below.
Industry Reminders: Stallion Incentive Auctions
- VGBRA Stallion Incentive (Great Northwest Futurity) closes February 7 at vgbrastallionincentive.com.
- Triple Crown 100 Stallion Auction closes February 16 at triplecrown100stallionauction.com.
Both deadlines play into long-term breeding and futurity strategy for 2026 foals and beyond.
Xtreme Million – Queen Creek, Arizona
The nine-day Xtreme Million featured multiple classes including open, senior, youth, futurity and derby divisions. The headline event carried a $1,250 entry fee and drew 371 entries, paying 11 deep in each D.
Xtreme Million Champion
Jordynn Knight – Heza Swift Spyder
15.035 | $15,420 (plus 5th in the aggregate)
With rollovers and day money included, Knight finished the week with $34,711 in earnings.
Runner-up was Ivy Saebens on KN Fabs Gift To Vegas (“Adele”), who collected more than $22,000 on the week.
2D–5D Champions
- 2D: Regan Shafer – CM Dynamites Ladybug | $13,569
- 3D: Rylee Mather – Im The Cover Girl | $12,336
- Garnhart sisters Latigo and Lanai finished 4th and 5th in the 3D, combining for more than $14,000.
- 4D: Kylie Lister – Sweet Lil Contender | $11,102
- 5D: Jessica Walpole – Total of $16,069 (1st and 3rd in the 5D)
Futurity & Derby Highlights
Weekend 1 Futurity:
Skye Miller went 1–2 on Busta Move Down and OZ One Hot Stinson.
Weekend 2 Futurity:
Ashton Jones – MBC Special Goodbye
Payton Johnson – JS Night Moves
Derby Winners:
Weekend 1: Kathy Grimes – KG Just Money
Weekend 2: Lora Nichols – Blissful Version
Put Up or Shut Up (PUSU) – Unadilla, Georgia
The fourth annual PUSU race delivered one of the biggest futurity slot race payouts of the early season.
Molli Montgomery’s $90,000 Weekend
Montgomery dominated the futurity aboard three mares out of LegsGoneWild:
- 1–2 in Round 1 (Heavens Gone Wild / Heavens Wild Side)
- 1st in Round 2 on Heavens Wild Side
- 1–2 in the Average
- Futurity Slot Race Champion on Heavens Wild Side – $48,958
- 2nd in Slot on Heavens Gone Wild – $23,559
With rollovers into open and high stakes classes, the team surpassed $90,000 on the weekend.
Futurity Slot Race (Top Payouts)
- 3rd: Ryann Pedone – Una Tres Seis | $19,567
- 4th: Joao Leao | $12,455
- 5th: Jordan Harrell – The Angels Seis Fame | $7,628
2D Winner: Ceri Ward – Flingin Goodbyes | $11,682
Derby Slot Race
Fast time of the weekend went to:
Dusky Lynn Hall – JH Firewater Honor
$15,580
Top payouts included:
- Ceri Ward – Gamblingslick | $10,640
- Dusky Lynn Hall – Chasin A Win | $6,080
- Brynn Hinton – HP Feel The Fame | $3,800
- Brett Monroe – Gimme All Damoney | $1,900
National Western Stock Show & Rodeo – Denver
- Heidi Gunderson Clinches Victory: National Western Stock Show Rodeo Barrel Racing Results
- Heidi Gunderson: Faith, Family, and a Breakout Year with “Wonder If I’m Lucky” on The Money Barrel
Denver featured 80 barrel racers, half from the WPRA World Standings and half from the December qualifier in Castle Rock.
Eight brackets of 10 competitors ran for semifinal berths, with top three from each bracket advancing on the average.
Round Winners
Round 1:
Brittany Fellows – Neon Lights (“Betty”) | 14.71 | $4,781
Purchased sight unseen two weeks prior, the mare is by The Goodbye Lane x Blinking Ta Fame.
Round 2:
Makenzie Mayes – Ronda Rousey | 14.83
(Guy’s Canyon Moon x Chicados Bully)
Semifinal Leaders
- Heidi Gunderson – Wonder If Im Lucky
- Makenzie Mayes
- Summer Kosel
Advancers included Fallon Forbes, Jordan Driver, Julie Plourde, Jamie Olsen and others.
Finals
Heidi Gunderson – Wonder If Im Lucky
14.91 | $5,312
The 5-year-old by Lucky Wonder Horse out of TS Sunnys Superstar advanced through the qualifier system and captured the title in his first rodeo appearance.
Finals Top 6
- Sydney Graham – Dupont First
- Mataya Eklund – Smoothie (Sheza Smooth Gal)
- Latricia Duke – Carlos
- Jamie Olsen – “Shakira” (PC Frenchmans Hayday x Royal Shake Em daughter)
- Julie Plourde – Rocky
Key Takeaways
- Jordynn Knight cleared $34K in Queen Creek.
- Molli Montgomery surpassed $90K in Georgia.
- Heidi Gunderson captured Denver with a 5-year-old.
- Slot races are producing some of the biggest checks in early 2026.
- Breeding incentives remain critical for long-term strategy.