After a year away from the NFR, Dona Kay Rule and her exceptional horse Valor are back and ready for another National Finals in 2024.
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Rule sat down with Maggie Burke to recap a season that earned her a fifth NFR qualification.
“I am so excited, I didn’t know if at this point in my life I would get do it again,” she said.
In 2023, Rule’s NFR streak was broken when Valor fell in Calgary, cutting their season short. But with months of rehab behind them, the duo returned to action in February in San Antonio, opting to skip jackpots and jump straight into competition.
That decision paid dividends—Rule heads into the NFR ranked in the Top 10 of the WPRA World Standings.
Two standout moments from her season were victories in Guymon and Casper, rodeos she had long dreamed of winning.
“It’s really unbelievable (what Valor was able to do this season), I’ve done this my whole life, I’ve rode thousands of horses,” she said. “You just never know when that one is going to come along. Just because they’re talented or fast doesn’t mean they have all the other faculties that come with it.”
