Cowboy Christmas takes place over the Fourth of July during the summer run and includes many high paying summer rodeos across the northern United States and Canada. Some barrel racers hit as many rodeos as they can while making over night drives, while others enter a few and capitalize on those runs. Cowboy Christmas includes rodeos ending between June 29th and July 5th.
Michelle Alley and Lipstick N Stilletos made the most of a muddy arena across the border, topping the Ponoka Stampede in Ponoka, Alberta. Though it wasn’t without trials and limiting weather conditions, Alley and “Stiletto” placed second in the first round with a 17.58 for $5,191.
She won the finals with a 17.27 second run, more than a half second faster than Taylor Manning’s second place run of 17.85 seconds, worth an additional $2,000 for Alley. She and Stiletto finished their time in Ponoka with the wet and muddy Showdown Round with an 18.08 for $7,500 and won the aggregate race with 34.85 seconds on three run for another $6,108. In total, the duo added $20,799 to their more than $65,000 in season earnings.
After winning the Derby and Open average titles at the Ruby Buckle Central in 2025, Alley said that qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo on limited rodeos was the goal. In 2024, Alley was No. 31 in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world standings after running Stilleto at 34 rodeos.
“The goal would be to make the NFR, whether or not that happens, that’s God’s plan,” Alley said in the 2025 interview. “She’s capable of doing it with a limited amount of rodeos, but we’ll just see.”
In 2025, Alley finished No. 25 in the WPRA world standings, and before her Cowboy Christmas earnings, she held the No. 9 position in the 2026 standings with 20 rodeos. Alley and Stiletto made their jump to the top 10 in the world standings after their win in San Angelo, Texas in April at the San Angelo Stock Show Rodeo where they claimed $23,175.
Alley is set to compete at The Calgary Stampede in Pool C starting July 9.
Cowboy Christmas Top Money Earners:
- Michelle Alley – $23,615
- Ponoka Stampede, Ponoka, Alberta – $20,799 on Lipstick N Stilletos
- Western Stampede, West Jordan, Utah – $2,816
—>>> From Futurities to Rodeos with Michelle Alley
- Anneliese McCurry – $14,106
- St. Paul Rodeo, St. Paul, Oregon – $13,459 on Blazin Summer Shandy
- Sedro-Woolley PRCA Rodeo, Sedro-Woolley, Washington – $647
- Makenzie Mayes – $13,603
- Greeley Stampede, Greeley, Colorado – $5,472 on Chicado Moon
- St. Paul Rodeo, St. Paul, Oregon – $4,038
- Cody Stampede, Cody, Wyoming – $2,120
- Oakley Independence Day Rodeo, Oakley, Utah – $1,973
—>>> Making Her Mark: Makenzie Mayes Earns WPRA Rookie of the Year
- Raelin Jurgens – $13,453
- Greeley Stampede, Greeley, Colorado – $9,817 on Ima Epic Burr Bug
- Livingston Roundup Rodeo, Livingston, Montana – $1,794
- Killdeer Mountain Roundup PRCA Rodeo, Killdeer, North Dakota – $1,686
- Rodeo Roundup, Roundup, Montana – $156
- Lanita Peirce – $13,301
- Cody Stampede, Cody, Wyoming – $11,308 on Famous Wahini
- Livingston Roundup Rodeo, Livingston, Montana – $1,993
