Carlee Otero is making her return to the bright lights of the Thomas & Mack after being away for 10 years. Thanks to a successful season aboard a horse called Sly, Otero has traveled through the peaks and valleys of rodeo to continue living her dream.
Otero is the No. 14 ranked barrel racer in the WPRA World Standings with $112,910 in earnings. Otero has said it herself, this game has only gotten tougher as the horsepower continues to rise, but she has been right there with it.
La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros, $7,217
For her first hefty trip to the pay window in 2024, Otero finished second in Tucson in February. With a 17.19 in Round 1 and a 17.34 in Round 2, she only trailed by four hundredths of a second for the win.
Old Fort Days Rodeo, $3,768
Arkansas would bring Otero her first win of the season. With a time of 16.60 seconds, she cashed in to beat Hailey Kinsel by just five hundredths of a second. The third fastest time would come in over two tenths of a second behind Otero.
That same week Otero also cashed in at Mt. Pleasant Rodeo in Texas. Behind Dona Kay Rule, Otero’s 15.12 earned her second place.
Douglas County Fair and Rodeo, $7,618
In the heat of the summer, Otero and Sly pulled out a huge win in Colorado when the smoked the pattern. Their 17.05-second run was the fastest time by almost half a second. This was Otero’s highest paying rodeo win of the season and her lone PRCA Playoff Series.
She picked up the momentum for this win after a second-place finish at the War Bonnet Round Up in Idaho, where she was one of only two sub-17-second runs.
Horse Heaven Roundup Rodeo, $7,368
Washington would bring the Texas barrel racer her second highest paying rodeo of the 2024 regular season. She was as consistent as they come finishing second in both Go-Rounds and the Average with her fastest run of the rodeo coming in yet again as one of only two sub-17-second runs.
This was another instance where she built off another finish earlier in the weekend to win a big paycheck at a big rodeo. She won in Idaho at the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo with run of of 16.62 seconds. It was a run worth $4,489.
She didn’t stop there, either. At the Gooding Pro Rodeo, Otero picked up a second-place check after stopping the clock at 16.79 seconds to tie with 2021 World Champion Jordon Briggs and trail Kassie Mowry by just three hundredths of a second.
Sheriff’s PRCA Rodeo, $3,449
During the final weekend of the regular season, Otero added a trio of wins to ensure her NFR berth. The biggest of three wins that came her way was in San Bernardino when she was 14.74 to be the fastest run by two tenths of a second.
The second highest payday of the final weekend came from Poway Rodeo. Otero and Sly’s 17.09 was five hundredths of a second faster than LaTricia Duke to get the win.
Her third and final win of the final weekend in the regular season came in Utah. At Young Living’s Last Chance Rodeo, Otero smoked a run yet again. This win was her and Sly’s by three tenths of a second and that is the run that sealed their NFR fate.
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