Lisa Lockhart Ties NFR Qualifications Record

Lisa Lockhart, the winningest cowgirl in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, clinches her 19th National Finals Rodeo qualification tying the record.

Lockhart finished the 2025 season in the No. 5 position in the WPRA world standings and clinched her 19th National Finals Rodeo qualification. This ties the most NFR qualifications record held by Charmayne James and Sherry Cervi.

Lisa Lockhart didn’t set out in 2025 with the a record in mind. She began the season with the same intentions as she typically does: put her horses in the best positions for them to do well for their individual styles and talents. She kicked off the year like any other, picking up checks steadily and having won a little more than $32,000 by May 1, which put her in No. 15 position, but by June she hadn’t put many more dollars on the board. Cowboy Christmas during the Fourth of July is typically a turning point for many hunting for those NFR qualifications with ample amount of rodeos and money to be earned. Yet, following the conclusion of Cowboy Christmas Lockhart was no longer sitting in the top 15 in the standings. As of July 8, the No. 15 position had banked $53,314 and No. 1 in the world had more than $148,000 on the board. Lockhart knew she needed to make a move.

“I wouldn’t say I was complacent. It wasn’t like I was sitting at home,” Lockhart said. “But, sometimes when things aren’t rolling quite like you wanted them to and you hit a lot of barrels throughout the winter you just stop. So, I just kind of played it by ear not worrying about it, because if it was meant ot be it was meant to be.”

The Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo held July 19-27 ended up being the turning point, and ultimately led to the boost in momentum Lockhart needed.

“That week was a big turnaround week for sure,” Lockhart said. “Cheyenne has always been one of those rodeos [that I love], it’s kind of a hometown rodeo and such an iconic Western rodeo. It’s not always one that fits your horse situation. I’ve been lucky over the years that it’s fit most of my horses.”

Lockhart won her first Cheyenne Frontier Days championship aboard her stalwart winner An Oakie With Cash, affectionately known as “Louie,” in 2015. Louie is a 2003 buckskin gelding by Biebers Oakie and out of the Judge Cash daughter Lady Kaweah Cash. He’s helped Lockhart to multiple NFRs and has earned more than $1.9 million in EquiStat reported lifetime earnings. He retired in 2020 after having made 85 runs at the NFR, won two NFR aggregate titles, the American Rodeo and the Calgary Stampede.

This year, she called on her other fan-favorite buckskin for the Cheyenne Frontier Days — 2010 mare Rosas Cantina CC, who’s by Corona Cartel and out of Dash Ta Vanila, who’s by Dash Ta Fame. “Rosa,” who’s owned by Alan Woodbury has stepped into the role Lockhart needed for a winning professional rodeo mount since 2016. Together the duo has earned more than $677,800 in EquiStat earnings. The powerful mare showed in Cheyenne why she’s become a constant part of Lockhart’s arsenal winning the Cheyenne Frontier Days clean-slate finals round and banking $17,158 in Cheyenne. The CFD championship catapulted Lockhart into the running for a top 15 finish and gave her the confidence boost she needed to finish the year strong.

“It probably brought me more anxiety in reality,” Lockhart said with a laugh of her CFD win. “It put us in a position to where we needed to keep going, because I wasn’t sure I was going to do much, but it catapulted us forward. We had to keep going and try to accomplish the goal.”

By August 19 Lockhart was sitting No. 11 with $107,000 in WPRA world standings earnings and she kept climbing each week throughout the rest of the season. She finished the 2025 season in the No. 6 position with $169,467.02 from 66 rodeos.

Lockhart’s career has been a storied one with multiple winning horses and many highlights. She joined the WPRA in 1993 and qualified for her first NFR in 2007 with Fast An Gold (1998 chestnut gelding, El Roco x Romanna Glass x Raise Your Glass (TB)) aka “Chisum.” She’s earned a total of three NFR Average titles (2014, 2016, 2023) and 17 national circuit finals rodeo/NFR Open qualifications winning the circuit system’s championship in 2019.

Lockhart has now etched her name in the record books yet again as not only the richest WPRA barrel racer, but she now shares the most WPRA NFR qualifications record with legends James and Cervi.

Yet, the Oelrichs, South Dakota, cowgirl who has earned more money in the WPRA than any other cowgirl with more than $3.8 million continued to hold on to her humble outlook on life. She continues to hold strong to her love for her horses and her family above all else, insisting that records and winnings aren’t what are on the top of her goal sheet.

“Realistically it is not of importance or a goal in any manner, so I haven’t given it much thought, but there are always little fun things that go along with every year and almost every situation or rodeo,” Lockhart said of tying the NFR qualifications record. “Sometimes I look back at my career and I think ‘Wow!’ It has been amazing. I always say all good things must come to an end, so it’s going to have to come to an end at some point. I have prepared myself for that. I think it’s easier with maturity to know that sometimes things don’t work out and that’s OK. Our horsepower dictates how far we can go and where they’re going to take us. The little victories or the big victories make it all so worth it. I just love these horses.”