It can be said that when Hailey Kinsel and her great mare, Sister, won The American in 2017 it was the kickstart a Hall of Fame worthy career. The 14.689-second ran at AT&T Stadium was the first of many winning runs that we continue to see from the iconic duo.
“I knew that horse was special but to be able to show up on a stage like that and have the confidence in her and her have the confidence in me, that was by far the loudest and craziest place I had ever been in and I was wondering how my young horse was going to handle the sights and sounds. Would she go turn three barrels with everyone screaming at her and strobe lights in the arena? And she not only did that, she came out on top and did something that I will always remember not just because of the money but because of the moment that it was,” Kinsel said.
Kinsel and Sister are now three-time American Rodeo Champions and they are headed back gunning for a fourth come April.
The American Rodeo format is one that Kinsel can attest to as it gives young competitors all around the country a chance to shine and compete against the best of the best.
“It may be a shock to some but, to them, they’ve been preparing for moments like this their whole life and they’re getting to live their dream by doing it,” she said.
As Kinsel prepares for the American, her game plan is keep improving and no backing down.