BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
With only 10 days remaining before the books close on the regular season, Leslie Smalygo has solidified her hold on the No. 1 spot in the WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings. Smalygo’s July win in Calgary was the spark that kept her ahead of a familiar field filled with rodeo’s top talent, including Hailey Kinsel, Emily Beisel and Lisa Lockhart.
No. 1 Leslie Smalygo, $195,907
Smalygo took third at the Walla Walla Frontier Days (Washington) to win $3,500 over Labor Day Weekend. She has since added to her total at the Lewiston Roundup (Idaho), Puyallup Cinch Playoffs, and Pendleton Round-Up.
No. 2 Hailey Kinsel, $154,212
Kinsel has been No. 2 in the World since the beginning of August and has not won a check since Aug. 23. This will be Kinsel’s eighth straight NFR appearance.
No. 3 Emily Beisel, $152,100
Beisel finished second in the Finals and the Average in Ellensburg to win $7,351 there and move to No. 3 in the World. Keep an eye on her at the Governor’s Cup, too, she won over $40,000 in Sioux Falls a season ago.
No. 4 Kassie Mowry, $151,283
Mowry has been to just two rodeos since sweeping the Kitsap Stampede (Washington) and Horse Heaven Roundup (Washington) over the Weekend of Aug. 24.
No. 5 Ashley Castleberry, $139,485
The Texas native is in like to make her first NFR and has moved up one spot in the World Standings thanks to her $13,000 win in Puyallup with a 14.21-second run in the Finals.
No. 6 Lisa Lockhart $138,030
Lockhart is coming off a win at Pendleton over the weekend after finishing runner up there in 2023. She also won the Othello Pro Rodeo (Washington) as well. It will be 18 NFRs in a row for Lockhart in 2024.
No. 7 Tiany Schuster, $119,815
Schuster has won the last two rodeos she competed in, the Lewiston Roundup on Sept. 7 and the Golden Spike Rodeo (Utah) on Aug. 24. She last made the NFR in 2020 when she entered fifth in the World.
No. 8 Wenda Johnson, $117,970
Johnson has more than likely locked in fifth straight NFR, but has not won a check since she swept the Lawton Rangers Rodeo (Oklahoma) and Lea County PRCA Rodeo (New Mexico) the Weekend of Aug. 10.
No. 9 Dona Kay Rule, $115,120
Rule has won at least $1,000 from all three rodeos she has competed in in September - Lewiston, Puyallup and Ellensburg.
No. 10 Abby Phillips, $113,031
Phillips is looking for her first NFR berth and has won $2,500 since Sept. 6 between the Spokane Interstate Rodeo (Washington) and the West Texas Fair and Rodeo.
No. 11 Halyn Lide, $112,855
Lide got plenty of breathing room after a second palce finish in Puyallup paid her $9,750 on Sept. 8. She also started the month with a sixth place finish in Ellensburg that paid her more than $3,000.
No. 12 Andrea Busby, $105,684
Famous as a trainer, Busby is on the verge of an NFR qualification herself for the first time. After a big August, she has won small checks in Walla Walla, Ellensburg, Lewiston and Abilene in September.
No. 13 Carlee Otero, $103,348
Otero won almost $5,000 between the Walla Walla Frontier Days and Lake County Round-Up (Oregon) over Labor Day Weekend, but hasn’t gone to the pay window since.
No. 14 Shelley Morgan, $100,939
Morgan took fourth in Puyallup and then followed it up with seventh place finish at the New Mexico state Fair and Rodeo. She is clinging to her spot for a fifth NFR, last time she was in Vegas, she won the Average.
No. 15 Latricia Duke, $100,619
Duke is holding the last spot with her first trip to rodeo’s biggest stage hanging in the balance. She has won about $17,000 in September to go from No. 16 to No. 15.
No. 16 Paige Jones, $97,478
Jones has won at least $1,000 at three rodeos since Sept. 7 as she tries to claw back into the Top 15.
No. 17 Tayla Moeykens, $94,120
Moyekens has gone from $13,000 behind No. 15 to just $6,000 behind No. 15 in the last three weeks thanks to winning a check on seven straight runs since Sept. 5. She was second in the Finals and third in the Average in Pendleton.
18. Jordon Briggs, $93,247
Briggs got a late jump on her season and still has shot at the NFR as she recently won $3,800 for third at the New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo and $3,100 for second at the Lewiston Roundup
19. Sara Winkelman, $88,073
Winkelman greatly improved her chances at a first NFR by winning the Finals nad taking second in the Average in Pendleton to collect $11,750 total.
20. Summer Kosel, $82,655
Kosel won more than $6,000 for winning the Walla Walla Frontier Days on Sept. 1.
