Oklahoma’s Wenda Johnson and her equine partner, Mo, made their first full season together an unforgettable one. The five-time National Finals Rodeo barrel racer and the bay gelding doubled down in some places and cashed in anew in others.
Ever a threat to finish first in the Thomas & Mack, Johnson has won three rounds in her last three NFRs.
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, $17,000
A fierce start to her 2024 season came during the second leg of the Texas Swing. Johnson and Mo’s performance in San Antonio came with a big payday when they finished second overall after coming up empty in Fort Worth, their first rodeo of the 2024 calendar year. Winning two of three rounds in Bracket 5 set Johnson on a proper course before a 13.75 was fast enough for second in the Finals.
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, $11,718
Keeping up their success in the Texas Swing, Johnson and Mo found the winner’s circle in San Angelo. They blazed to a Round 1 win by three tenths of a second before a 14.05-second run split second in Round 2. Johnson wound up first in the Average by more than three tenths of a second to claim the title. Every cowgirl in the Top 6 made either the 2023 or 2024 NFR.
She now has two wins and a second place finish in San Angelo since 2020.
Clark County Fair and Rodeo, $6,762
A quick trip to Logandale, Nevada in April landed Johnson at the pay window for another second-place check. This time, her and Mo stopped the clock at 17.25 seconds to be just one tenth off of fellow veteran barrel racer Emily Beisel. Johnson won Clark County in 2023.
Clovis Rodeo, $4,302
In California, Johnson would be two tenths of a second away from sweeping the win. Her 16.86-second run in Round 1 was enough for the win and she stayed as consistent as ever when she was 16.85 in the Finals, which resulted in a second place finish. However, the Average title was hers by almost two tenths over Sissy Winn.
It was her second straight win in Clovis and those make up her only two career victories in California.
Cheyenne Frontier Days, $9,330
The Daddy of ‘Em All was good to Johnson as Mo continued to find another gear with every run. Their first time came in at 17.69 seconds while their Finals time was a 17.24-second run. The third-place finish in the Short Round alone paid $7,000 and only added to the duo’s momentum.
Deadwood Days of ’76 Rodeo, $5,573
The same weekend as the Finals in Cheyenne, nesteled away in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Johnson would add another win.With a time of 17.16 seconds, they edged out the competition in Deadwood by seven-hundredths of a second, defeating standouts like Emily Beisel and Lisa Lockhart.
Lea County PRCA Rodeo, $7,977
The second weekend of August would make Johnson a repeat champion at two different rodeos. The first would come at a PRCA Playoff Series event in New Mexico. A 17.50 would be the time that Johnson and Mo set that nobody could catch in Lovington.
That same week, Johnson went to defend her title at the Lawton Rangers Rodeo in her home state. There, she would do just that when she laid down a run that clocked in at 17.15 seconds.
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