LAS VEGAS — DECEMBER 12, 2024 — Two Texas cowgirls shared the win in Round Eight of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, presented by Teton Ridge. Shelley Morgan aboard HR Fameskissandtell and Kassie Mowry and Force The Goodbye each turned in times of 13.45 to share the round win and $30,155. This marked Morgan’s first round win, and Mowry’s fifth consecutive, breaking a 40-year record.
Morgan and “Kiss” were first out on the ground and set the pace. The Eustace, Texas, cowgirl has struggled for the round win at this year’s NFR, however she’s still collected $45,589. She’s split her runs between the NFR average winning mount Kiss, and young-gun Bucky Wonder Horse aka “Bee,” who’s a 7-year-old mare by First Down Dash and out of Lisa Lockhart’s winning mare Rosas Cantina CC, who’s owned by Allen Woodbury.
Morgan earned her only other paycheck of the 2024 NFR aboard Kiss in Round One where she picked up from sharing the sixth place finish from a time of 13.84. Through struggling to pickup another paycheck in the following seven rounds Morgan decided to take a different approach to Round Eight.
“I’ve tried so hard to get a round win this year, maybe I’ve been trying too hard, and it’s been a little bit of a rough Finals, not the one we envision,” Morgan said. “So the round win feels amazing.
“My plan tonight was, I got to turn things around. I got to be there for her,” she continued. “The devotional before we all went in was really good. It’s like, show up for what God intended you to do. And it really hit home. I’m not going to say I didn’t want to throw my sucker in the dirt last night after the Finals we’ve had. My husband encourages me to just keep showing up and for Kiss. I had to keep showing up for Kiss. So tonight, my goal was to show up. We were first on the ground, [so] give her the best chance possible, and she pulled through. She really made a nice run.”
Mowry continues to break records at this year’s NFR. After sharing the Round Eight win she tied current WPRA President Jimmie Munroe’s record of five consecutive round wins, which Munroe has held since 1984.
Mowry and “Jarvis” continue to set their game plan based on consistency and taking one round at a time.
“I wanted to stay consistent,” Mowry said. “I felt like it’s hard to top what he’s done, but I want to stay close and stay clean, and that gets you really far out here. The rounds pay a lot of money. The average pay is good. We’re right there in the middle of both. And so just trying to keep the momentum going.”
While Mowry isn’t paying attention to the standings she has moved into the No. 1 position in the WPRA world standings with $390,435 and sits third in the aggregate race with 112.18 seconds on eight runs. A reminder for how important the aggregate payout is during the NFR is that to win the aggregate it pays $86,391. If Mowry stays in the No. 3 position in the aggregate she would earn $55,421.
2024 NFR Barrel Racing Horsepower
Top 10 EquiStat NFR All-Time Leaders
Injury Report
Dona Kay Rule took a spill coming into the alley aboard High Valor. As Rule and “Valor” headed into the alleyway Valor took off before he was clear of the panel gateway and clipped it with his left should throwing Rule to the ground in the alley. She was assisted to her feet by the Justin Sports Medicine team and walked out of the alley. According to the Justin Sports Medicine contestant injury update at the conclusion of the rodeo Rule suffered a head abrasion, a left ankle sprain and a sacrum contusion. She was released for the night and will be re-evaluated in the morning to determine her status for Round Nine.
Standings Update
After Round Eight, the WPRA world standings shifted moving Mowry into the No. 1 position and four-time WPRA world champion Hailey Kinsel currently sits in the No. 2 position. Carlee Otero has been staying consistent and picking up checks to earn $125,188 so far at this year’s NFR. Otero is currently sitting third in the world and eighth in the average. Andrea Busby holds onto her lead in the aggregate and sits fifth in the world. Latrica Duke and DM High Roller moved into the No. 2 position in the aggregate race with 111.01 seconds on eight runs.
- 2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round One Results
- 2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round Two Results
- 2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round Three Results
- 2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round Four Results
- 2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round Five Results
- 2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round Six Results
- 2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round Seven Results
2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round Eight Results
1/2. TIE- Shelley Morgan/HR Fameskissandtell/13.45/$30,155.46
1/2. TIE-Kassie Mowry/Force The Goodbye/13.45/$30,155.46
3. Emily Beisel/Ivory On Fire/13.47/$20,103.64
4. Leslie Smalygo/Justaheartbeattofame/13.51/$14,126.88
5. Andrea Busby/Jets Top Gun/13.59/$8,693.47
6. Lisa Lockhart/Promise Me Fame Guys/13.61/$5,433.42
7. Halyn Lide/Jettin Ta Heaven/13.62
8. Hailey Kinsel/DM Sissy Hayday/13.64
9. Tiany Schuster/Show Mance/13.68
10. LaTricia Duke/DM High Roller/13.95
11. Wenda Johnson/Hesa Mr Moonflash/14.07
12. Ashley Castleberry/Skyy Blue/18.77*
13. Abby Phillips/VF Expensive Taste/18.79*
14. Carlee Otero/19.09*
15. Dona Kay Rule/High Valor/ NT
2024 NFR Barrel Racing Aggregate Results
- Andrea Busby, Millsap, Texas, 108.99 on eight runs
- LaTricia Duke, Zephyr, Texas, 111.01
- Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, 112.18
- Tiany Schuster, Krum, Texas, 114.56
- Ashley Castleberry, Montgomery, Texas, 115.32
- Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 118.25
- Emily Beisel, Weatherford, Okla., 119.47
- Carlee Otero, Perrin, Texas, 119.67
- Halyn Lide, China Spring, Texas, 120.78
- Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 124.77
- Abby Phillips, Marshall, Texas, 125.34
- Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, Okla., 125.47
- Shelley Morgan, Eustace, Texas, 134.95
- Leslie Smalygo, Skiatook, Okla., 111.75 on seven runs
- Dona Kay Rule, Minco, Okla., 88.26 on six runs
2024 WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings (After Round Eight)
- Kassie Mowry/$390,434.50
- Hailey Kinsel/$367,324.88
- Carlee Otero/$238,077.57
- Leslie Smalygo/$228,184
- Andrea Busby/$226072.30
- Emily Beisel/$204,212.24
- Ashley Castleberry/$203,055.25
- Tiany Schuster/$193,840.94
- Lisa Lockhart/$187,291.53
- Abby Phillips/$165,163.82
- Shelley Morgan/$156,778.18
- LaTricia Duke/$155,974.04
- Halyn Lide/$140,659.17
- Dona Kay Rule/$140,174.45
- Wenda Johnson/$127,969.63
