Event Coverage / Rodeos

2026 National Western Stock Show Rodeo Barrel Racing Updates

The 2026 National Western Stock Show and Rodeo kicked off January 10 inside the Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colorado. The ProRodeo tournament will run from January 15-25, offering up more than $287,500. Follow along here for all the barrel racing action from the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association at the 2026 NWSSR.

The Pro Rodeo is tournament style with each barrel racer competing in two rodeo performances. The top three in each bracket advance to the semifinals based on their aggregate times.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Bracket One:

First round: 1. Acey Pinkston, 15.16 seconds; 2. McKenna Coronado, 15.25; 3. Morgan Addison, 15.41; 4. Whitley Sharp, 15.43.

Second round: 1. Morgan Addison, 15.10 seconds; 2. Kappie Bryant, 15.23; 3. Acey Pinkston, 15.25; 4. Whitley Sharp, 15.27. 

Qualifiers: 1. Acey Pinkston; 2. Morgan Addison; 3. Whitley Sharp.

Acey Pinkston and Streakinfrenchbullet top Bracket One after posting times of 15.16 to win the first performance and 15.25 to place third in the second performance. Photo by C Bar C Photography.

Bracket Two:

First round: 1. Fallon Forbes, 15.09 seconds; 2. Shali Lord, 15.30; 3. Bonnie Wheatley, 15.35; 4. CJ Vondette, 15.40. 

Second round: 1. Shali Lord, 15.38 seconds; 2. Fallon Forbes, 15.43; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 15.44; 4. Jordan Bassett, 15.46. 

Qualifiers: 1. Fallon Forbes; 2. Shali Lord; 3. CJ Vondette. 

Fallon Forbes and RR Dee Dee top Bracket Two, winning the third performance with a 15.09 and placing second in the fourth performance with a 15.43. Photo by C Bar C Photography.

Bracket Three:

First round: 1. Jamie Olsen, 15.18 seconds; 2. Leslie Smalygo, 15.43; 3. Katie Traut, 15.45; 4. Emily Ward, 15.48. 

Second round: 1. Emily Ward, 15.14 seconds; 2. Leslie Smalygo, 15.17; 3. Jamie Olsen, 15.30; 4. Katie Traut, 15.43. 

Qualifiers: 1. Jamie Olsen; 2. Leslie Smalygo; 3. Emily Ward. 

Jamie Olsen and LJ Hay Shake It top Bracket Three at the National Western Stock Show after winning the fifth performance with a 15.18 and placing third in the sixth performance with a 15.30. Photo by C Bar C Photography.

Bracket Four:

First round: 1. Julie Plourde, 15.06 seconds; 2. Chelsea Moore, 15.13; 3. LaTricia Duke, 15.25; 4. Chery Pinkston, 15.29.

Second round: 1. Morgan Bagnell, 14.90 seconds. 2. Julie Plourde, 15.00. 3. LaTricia Duke, 15.03. 4. Lindsey Muggli, 15.13.

Qualifiers: 1. Julie Plourde, 30.06. 2. LaTricia Duke, 30.28. 3. Lindsey Muggli, 30.46.

Morgan Bagnell is the only barrel racer at the 2026 National Western Stock Show Rodeo to have a time under 15 seconds so far. Riding Jet Fuel Only, aka Axel, she set the pace at 14.90 seconds in the second round of Bracket 4, although she will not advance to the semifinals. NWSS photo by Rick Andersen.
Julie Plourde and Wateverock RC top Bracket Four with times of 15.06 and 15.00 in the seventh and eighth performances. She advances to the semifinals alongside LaTricia Duke and Lindsey Muggli. Photo by C Bar C Photography/Rick Anderson.

Bracket Five:

First round: 1. Sydney Graham, 15.02 seconds; 2. Heidi Gunderson, 15.11; 3. Hailey Garrison Graham, 15.27; 4. Katie Chism, 15.38.

Second round: 1. Gracen Harman, 14.95 seconds; 2. Heidi Gunderson, 15.04; 3. Sydney Graham, 15.14; 4. Hailey Garrison Graham, 15.20.

Qualifiers: 1. Heidi Gunderson, 30.15 seconds on two head; 2. Sydney Graham, 30.16; 3. Hailey Garrison Graham, 30.47.

Heidi Gunderson and Wonder If Im Lucky top the leaderboard in Bracket Five, placing second in both rounds with times of 15.11 and 15.04. Photo by C Bar C Photography.

Bracket Six:

First round: 1. Brittany Fellows, 14.71 seconds; 2. Kathy Grimes, 14.91; 3. Sherry Cervi, 15.03; 4. Carlee Otero, 15.08.

Second round: 1. Brittany Fellows, 14.87 seconds; 2. Carlee Otero, 15.01; 3. Sherry Cervi, 15.06; 4. Kathy Grimes, 15.07.

Qualifiers: 1. Brittany Fellows, 29.58 seconds on two head; 2. Kathy Grimes, 29.98; 3. Carlee Otero, 30.09.

Brittany Fellows and Neon Lites run the fastest times of the National Western Stock Show Rodeo so far, a 14.71 and 14.87 to win both the 11th and 12th performances. Fellows leads both the first and the second round with four performances remaining. Photo by C Bar C Photography.

Bracket Seven:

First round: 1. Jordan Driver, 14.91 seconds; 2. Tayla Moeykens, 15.09; 3. Jeanette Etchebarne, 15.10; 4. BryAnna Haluptzok, 15.17.

Second round: 1. (tie) Katie Halbert and Mataya Eklund, 15.04 each; 3. Jordan Driver, 15.12; 4. Emma Parr, 15.15.

Qualifiers: 1. Jordan Driver, 30.03 seconds on two head; 2. Tayla Moeykens, 30.29; 3. Mataya Eklund, 30.45.

Jordan Driver and Judge JB Cash top Bracket Seven after winning the 13th performance with a 14.91 and placing third in the 14th performance with a 15.12. Photo by C Bar C Photography.

Bracket Eight:

First round: 1. Blake Molle, 14.78 seconds; 2. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 14.82; 3. Summer Kosel, 15.26; 4. Julia Johnson, 15.38.

 Second round: 1. Makenzie Mayes, 14.83 seconds; 2. Michelle Alley, 14.90; 3. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 15.06; 4. Summer Kosel, 15.17.

Qualifiers: 1. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 29.88 seconds on two head; 2. Makenzie Mayes, 30.42; 3. Summer Kosel, 30.43.

Alyssa Urbanek-Wade and Martinis At Midnight topped Bracket Eight and won $3,533 in the first round with their 14.82. That time placed second in the 15th performance followed by a 15.06 in the 16th performance to advance to the semifinals. Photo by C Bar C Photography.

First round: 1. Brittany Fellows, 14.71 seconds, $4,781; 2. Blake Molle, 14.78, $4,157; 3. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, 14.82, $3,533; 4. (tie) Kathy Grimes and Jordan Driver, 14.91, $2,598 each; 6. Sydney Graham, 15.02, $1,663; 7. Sherry Cervi, 15.03, $1,039; 8. Julie Plourde, 15.06, $416. 

Second round: 1. Makenzie Mayes, 14.83 seconds, $4,781; 2. Brittany Fellows, 14.87; $4,157; 3. (tie) Michelle Alley and Morgan Bagnell, 14.90, $3,222 each; 5. Gracen Harman, 14.95, $2,286; 6. Julie Plourde, 15.00, $1,663; 7. Carlee Otero, 15.01, $1,039; 8. LaTricia Duke, 15.03, $416.


Semifinals:

Semifinal One: 1. Heidi Gunderson, 15.01 seconds, $3,695; 2. LaTricia Duke, 15.03, $2,771; 3. Fallon Forbes, 15.46, $1,848; 4. Morgan Addison, 15.77, $924.

Semifinal Two: 1. Makenzie Mayes, 14.96 seconds, $3,695; 2. Sydney Graham, 15.17, $2,771; 3. Mataya Eklund, 15.28, $924.

Semifinal Three: 1. Summer Kosel, 15.04 seconds, $3,695; 2. Jordan Driver, 15.06, $2,771; 3. Julie Plourde, 15.15, $1,848; 4. C.J. Vondette, 15.35, $924.


Finals: 

1. Heidi Gunderson, 14.91 seconds, $5,312; 2. Sydney Graham, 15.00, $4,619; 3. Mataya Eklund, 15.07, $3,926; 4. LaTricia Duke, 15.09, $3,234; 5. Jamie Olson, 15.11, $2,540; 6. Julie Plourde, 15.14, $1,847; 7. Jordan Driver, 15.21, $1,155; 8. Summer Kosel, 15.22, $462.

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