Jordan Briggs joined our very own Jeff Medders to talk the Top 15 Barrel Racers in the world. This year, there is a mix of new faces and veterans coming to the Thomas and Mack and there are seasoned rodeo horses and one that’s on her first year out of the futurities.
The No. 15 cowgirl in the world is Molly Otto. Although this will be Otto’s first appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, she has trained and competed in futurities on some of the best young horses. The yellow horse she ran most of the summer is one of those. Teasin Dat Guy, also known as Chewy, has a track record of winning and stepped up to the plate for Otto at the Pro Rodeos this year.
In the No. 12 spot is NFR veteran Ivy Saebens. Saeben’s year on JLo wasn’t perfect but her saying of the year was “Just keep swimming.” and the duo did just that. Saebens and JLo are both fan favorites that everyone loves to see. JLo is another horse that did outstanding back in her futurity years but stepped into the big leagues of Pro Rodeo with Saebens and the pair is tenacious.
Amanda Welsh is an NFR Rookie as well that hit the road hard this year and had success. Welsh and her horse Firefly were stopping clocks and cashing checks everywhere they went. Welsh ended the regular season ranked No. 7 in the world.
The ladies that everyone are hunting are No. 1 in the world, Hailey Kinsel and Sister. Kinsel gave Sister a break during the spring and came back in the summer to climb right back to where she’s comfortable in that No. 1 position. This duo is known for breaking records all over the country and they are vying for their fourth Gold Buckle in a row.
