Taylor Armenta and Hes Got Cat Style earned $32,507 at the Xtreme Million Arizona as the 1D champion and high-money earner.
The Xtreme Million format allows everyone to run for life changing checks with no memberships, nominations or qualifications. The race is structured with four performances paying out daily as well as combined for the Xtreme Million go-round.
“From the beginning our ‘why’ with establishing Burns Events was to enhance and increase the value of the sport of barrel racing by producing races on safe, fair ground with enormous payouts in all five divisions,” event producer and announcer Danna Burns-Shaw said. “We knew if you had a place you could win big payouts with amazing awards — many made in our saddle, hat and boot shop — that the value of the entire industry would increase.”
Xtreme Million 1D Champion Taylor Armenta and Hes Got Cat Style
The Xtreme Million Arizona event was dominated by the youth, with the top five high money earners all being youth contestants. Leading the pack was 13-year-old Taylor Armenta and her 2014 gelding Hes Got Cat Style, winning the Xtreme Million 1D. The third-generation barrel racer has mainly competed at junior rodeos in events like barrels, poles, goat tying, flags and breakaway, but in 2020 that changed.
“When COVID hit everything was shut down in our state,” the Bloomfield, New Mexico resident said. “I had just got a new horse, and we had nowhere to go. So, my mom found a bunch of big barrel races in Utah, Arizona and Nevada. My mare really stepped up and we saw what kind of money was out there to be won, so since then we really try to go to bigger events or high stakes races.”
Now, Armenta has run at multiple of the Xtreme Barrel Races and has found herself on the Xtreme Million Wall of Fame. Her winning mount in Tuscon has made a remarkable recovery from an injury making this win even more special to the Armenta family.
“Thor” came from Patti Carlile after Cory Mars had encouraged Taylor and her mom, Audra to go look at him several times. Taylor and Thor became a pair in February of 2022 and started winning right away.
“Patti does such a good job with her horses, she puts an amazing foundation and pattern on them,” she recalled. “They’re so broke and honest, so becoming a team was easy for us.”
After a run in June of 2023 that was not typical of Thor, the Armentas noticed fluid accumulation in his right hind leg, above and below the fetlock.
“We loaded Thor up and took him to our vet Josh Harvey at Outlaw Equine. An ultrasound confirmed our worst fears, he had torn his deep digital flexor tendon,” Taylor said. “It was bad enough that there was a chance he would not come back from the injury.”
The Armentas left Thor at Outlaw Equine where he spent almost a year there for rehab to have the best chances at recovery.
“There were times I thought they were going to kick him out of rehab for his bad behavior,” Taylor said. “He likes to kick everything and kick in his stall, which is how we think he tore it, but after nine months we finally were able to pick him up.”
After a long recovery, Thor was released to run in April of 2024.
“I think my mom was just too scared to let me run him and I was scared too, what if he hurt himself again? My mom took him back to Outlaw for one final checkup and Dr. Harvey told us we needed to rip the band aid off and run him,” she said with a laugh.
Their first run after the injury was a junior high rodeo in Clovis, New Mexico where Taylor and Thor won the barrels by half a second.
“Winning on him again is special, I can’t describe how much it means to me,” Taylor added. “The year he was off was so hard on me mentally and my confidence. I have to give all the credit to Josh Harvey and the rehab crew at Outlaw Equine, they have gone above and beyond for me and my horses.”
The duos first couple of runs at the Xtreme Million race proved to be a challenging setup for Thor, who Taylor says won’t run past a barrel.
“The arena is a small set up with barrels on the fence, Thor is a free runner but very rate-y and we hit the first and second,” Taylor explained. “After that run, we went to an outdoor arena and set up a barrel and just really worked on getting him light, moving his rib cage and shoulders. I re-entered that evening, and we had a really nice run, but he tripped on the second and pulled the reins out of my hands, which cost us some time, but it ended up working out because I placed third in the 2D and won some good money.”
Their third run was different and clocked in at a 14.614 which would ultimately win the Xtreme Million 1D and $13,070.
“His first and second (barrel) were smooth and fast, but heading to the third I think the barrel blended in with the wall and he couldn’t see it,” she added. “We were running straight at the barrel. I picked him up and he made this quick move to the right, then turned that third so fast. Not sure how he was able to switch his leads so many times and so quickly, he is so athletic.”
Taylor also ran JH Big City Goodbye, a gelding they bought a week before the Xtreme Million Arizona. They won just more than $6,500 together to put Taylor in the high money earner position for the event.
“I am just thankful for producers like the Burns family that give us the opportunity to run at this kind of money and I’m thankful for Thor, he is a blessing to me and my family,” she said. “Thanks to my mom for helping me every day, cleaning stalls, saddling horses and even riding. She helps me take care of everything, makes sure my horses feel and look like a million bucks. My dad for working hard to make sure I am able to do what I do. I am one lucky girl to have the support and backing that I do.”
This article was originally published in the March 2025 issue of Barrel Horse News.
