The race for the WPRA Rookie of the Year title has been heated this season with marginal separation between the two leading ladies.
Makenzie Mayes, of Scroggins, Texas, is holding the top spot in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association’s Resistol Rookie of the Year world standings with $80,882.83 as of September 16. With less than a month left in the regular season every penny counts and rookies will be making their last bids for the title.
Early Year Progress
Mayes and her Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo champion and Women’s Rodeo World Championships qualifying mount, Chicado Moon made a splash in WRWC and World Champions Rodeo Alliance competition in 2024. This year on the WPRA professional rodeo trail they’ve battled for each dollar and ultimately overtook the No. 1 spot from Resistol Rookie Roundup champion Emma Kate Parr, of Greensboro, Alabama.
Mayes and Chicado Moon, who’s a 2018 sorrel mare by Guys Canyon Moon and out of the Chicados Cash daughter Chicados Bully, was bred by Jolene Montgomery and has earned $115,000 in EquiStat reported lifetime earnings — all of which was earned with Mayes.
Parr took an early lead in the rookie standings after winning the Resistol Rookie Roundup in Fort Worth, Texas, in April. The Alabama cowgirl hit the rodeo rodeo in hopes of holding onto her lead.
Race to the Finish
As the final push of the 2025 pro rodeo season began both rookies were pushing for the top spot. As of August 29, only about $700 separated the Mayes and Parr. However, by September 11, Mayes had pulled away from Parr in the standings putting more than $8,000 between them.
As of September 11, Mayes had $71,682.63 and Parr had $63,565.49 in earnings.
The weekend of September 10-13 offered up more chances for the standings to change with the Pendleton Round-Up offering up more than $766,000 in total payout. Mayes finished fourth in the first round at Pendleton with a 28.88, worth $4,373, and finished sixth in the aggregate with 58.08 for another $2,691 for a total of $7,064.
As of September 16, Mayes holds onto her No. 1 position in the Resistol Rookie standings with $80,882.83.
Parr did not enter Pendleton, but did pick up fifth place at the West Texas Fair Rodeo in Abilene earning $1,559.
End of Season Rush
The WPRA regular season ends September 30, and both the top 15 headed to the NFR, and the Rookie of the Year will be determined. In the last weeks of the regular season the rookies did not slow down.
As of September 24, Mayes holds onto her No. 1 position in the Resistol Rookie standings with $81,530.67.
In the regular WPRA world standings, Mayes sits at No. 25 in the world standings and Parr sits at No. 27.
2025 WPRA Rookie Standings
As of September 24, 2024
| Place | Name | Hometown | Money Won | Rodeos Attended |
| 1 | Makenzie Mayes (R) | Scroggins, TX | $81,530.67 | 94 |
| 2 | Emma Kate Parr (R) | Greensboro, AL | $68,779.94 | 98 |
| 3 | Makenna Shook (R) | Needville, TX | $49,861.72 | 73 |
| 4 | Taylor Cherry (R) | Surprise, AZ | $35,502.48 | 37 |
| 5 | Avery Ledesma (R) | San Luis Obispo, CA | $22,472.51 | 63 |
| 6 | Brylee Banning (R) | Litchfield Park, AZ | $19,619.40 | 45 |
| 7 | Ruby Lightfoot (R) | Arlington Heights, CA | $18,897.25 | 97 |
| 8 | Jordynn Knight (R) | Roosevelt, UT | $16,273.69 | 53 |
| 9 | Kaydi Anderson (R) | St James, MN | $15,158.95 | 76 |
| 10 | Brylee Wall (R) | Roosevelt, UT | $15,109.17 | 40 |
| 11 | Nikki Reynolds (R) | Ellsinore, MO | $14,536.72 | 47 |
| 12 | Jeannette Etchebarne (R) | Newberg, OR | $14,127.75 | 33 |
| 13 | Keylee Zancanella (R) | Aurora, SD | $13,470.35 | 37 |
| 14 | Brittney Hawley (R) | Suprise, AZ | $13,463.72 | 27 |
| 15 | KariAnn Cross (R) | Blackfoot, ID | $10,811.46 | 49 |
As of September 16, 2025 – according to the WPRA
| Place | Name | Hometown | Money Won | Rodeos Attended |
| 1 | Makenzie Mayes (R) | Scroggins, TX | $80,882.83 | 91 |
| 2 | Emma Kate Parr (R) | Greensboro, AL | $68,779.94 | 96 |
| 3 | Makenna Shook (R) | Needville, TX | $47,427.04 | 71 |
| 4 | Taylor Cherry (R) | Surprise, AZ | $35,502.48 | 37 |
| 5 | Avery Ledesma (R) | Las Cruces, NM | $22,472.51 | 63 |
| 6 | Brylee Banning (R) | Litchfield Park, AZ | $19,619.40 | 44 |
| 7 | Ruby Lightfoot (R) | Arlington Heights, CA | $18,897.25 | 96 |
| 8 | Jordynn Knight (R) | Roosevelt, UT | $16,273.69 | 53 |
| 9 | Brylee Wall (R) | Roosevelt, UT | $15,109.17 | 40 |
| 10 | Kaydi Anderson (R) | St James, MN | $14,901.21 | 74 |
| 11 | Nikki Reynolds (R) | Ellsinore, MO | $14,536.72 | 46 |
| 12 | Jeannette Etchebarne (R) | Newberg, OR | $14,127.75 | 33 |
| 13 | Keylee Zancanella (R) | Aurora, SD | $13,470.35 | 37 |
| 14 | Brittney Hawley (R) | Suprise, AZ | $13,463.72 | 27 |
| 15 | KariAnn Cross (R) | Blackfoot, ID | $10,811.46 | 49 |
As of August 26, 2025 — according to the WPRA
| Rank | Name | Home Town | Money won | Rodeos Attended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Makenzie Mayes (R) | Scroggins, TX | $65,660.46 | 79 |
| 2 | Emma Kate Parr (R) | Greensboro, AL | $64,959.45 | 86 |
| 3 | Makenna Shook (R) | Needville, TX | $42,668.83 | 61 |
| 4 | Taylor Cherry (R) | Surprise, AZ | $34,879.03 | 27 |
| 5 | Avery Ledesma (R) | Las Cruces, NM | $21,670.36 | 58 |
| 6 | Ruby Lightfoot (R) | Arlington Heights, CA | $18,897.25 | 91 |
| 7 | Brylee Banning (R) | Litchfield Park, AZ | $18,106.71 | 39 |
| 8 | Jordynn Knight (R) | Roosevelt, UT | $16,273.69 | 49 |
| 9 | Brylee Wall (R) | Roosevelt, UT | $15,109.17 | 36 |
| 10 | Jeannette Etchebarne (R) | Newberg, OR | $13,954.42 | 28 |
| 11 | Brittney Hawley (R) | Suprise, AZ | $13,198.96 | 24 |
| 12 | Keylee Zancanella (R) | Aurora, SD | $12,925.15 | 35 |
| 13 | Kaydi Anderson (R) | St James, MN | $11,841.47 | 66 |
| 14 | Nikki Reynolds (R) | Ellsinore, MO | $10,837.50 | 42 |
| 15 | McKinlee Paschal (R) | Nome, TX | $10,431.96 | 60 |
