In the field of barrel racers set to appear at the National Finals Rodeo in December, one third of them are first-time qualifiers.
Abby Phillips comes in, unofficially, at No. 13 in the World after kicking off her year with an impressive win at the Wilderness Circuit Finals that propelled her into a fast year. Her mare, Andy Anderson, is a powerhouse in her own way.
Andrea Busby punched her NFR ticket on a horse that you may recongize. Benny set arena records last year with Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and he made dreams come true yet again with Busby, who bred and owns him.
Your No. 9 barrel racer is Halyn Lide. Lide’s year picked up after a successful Cowboy Christmas that gave her extra momentum throughout the rest of the Summer Run on her great horse Keeper.
LaTricia Duke had to wait until the very last weekend of the regular season but a trip to the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup cinched her qualification. Her palomino stallion that they call Vanilla Wafer was as consistent as ever.
Ashley Castleberry’s year started with success and ended with success. Her gelding, Skyy Blue, thrived in Fort Worth, picked up the win in Puyallup and followed it up with second in Sioux Falls.
The barrel racing in Las Vegas is full of undeniable horsepower and the NFR Rookies are there to leave their mark.
