LAS VEGAS — DECEMBER 4, 2025 — Reigning world champion barrel racer and the all-time leading barrel racer with more than $8 million in earnings, Kassie Mowry came into the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in the No. 1 spot and she aims to keep it that way. Her 2015 gelding CP He Will Be Epic (Epic Leader x Percilla x Dash Ta Fame) took an early lead with a 13.66 as the first barrel racer down the alley and claimed his first NFR round win.
This is not “Will’s” first NFR and he proved that tonight. He’s been Mowry’s main NFR mount both in 2022 and the first half of 2023, and came as a back up to world champion barrel horse Force The Goodbye (“Jarvis”) in 2024. Will has placed in five rounds, and of those placing second twice but this will be his first round win.
“It means so much to me because that horse has done so much,” Mowry said. “I can count on him. I don’t run him very much. I bet he runs 10 to 15 times a year, but every single time I get on him, he goes out there and does something like that.”
Even being a veteran in the Thomas and Mack Center, Mowry said Will still struggles with his nerves.
“He is very dependable, very predictable and now 10-year-old Will is fun as ever,” Mowry explained. “He is just more mellow now, he has always struggled with his nerves. Now I can talk him out of things when he gets emotional, I can help him out there. And he listens to me, like he didn’t want to be the first one down the tunnel. He was terrified. He turned around four times. That’s him, but he goes out there and he hits his points and he does the best that he can for me, he’s always tried so hard.”
With the recent equine herpes virus (EHV-1) outbreak, all of the top 15 barrel racers have been challenged with the uncertainty of contracting the virus and understanding protocols and regulations between state lines. Mowry also had to navigate the difficult decisions of which horses were healthy and prepared for the NFR.
“He [Will] had got EHV from Waco and was sick and I didn’t think there was a chance for him to come and I had given all that time off to recover,” Mowry said. “And then when they started implementing the rules for us to get tested, he started getting better and he was recovering from it. So we sent off swabs on him because I was running out of horses, my horses were all in quarantine.”
Mowry sent swab tests off on Will and he came back negative twice. With the strict protocol to get horses to the NFR, her vet said he would be the safest horse to bring to Vegas because he had the virus, recovered from it and now has the antibodies.
“Jarvis is great, he’s healthy and is home,” Mowry added. “Probably not happy that he’s not here, because I know he does love it. I just ran him with the BFA and he felt amazing. That was a very hard decision. I was very upset over it, I really wanted him to defend his title. That was big for me and just feeling like he couldn’t get to do that. He did qualify to come if I would have done the protocol with him and the swabs, but the risk wasn’t worth the reward. There’s always next year, and we’ll try again. He’s healthy, happy, and it was my decision, and Will’s going to get a chance to shine now.”
Four-time world champions Hailey Kinsel and DM Sissy Hayday placed second in the round with a 13.70, moving from No. 4 in the WPRA world standings to No. 2.
First-time NFR qualifier Katelyn Scott and Justa DTF Frenchman (Aint Seen Nothin Yet x Madeline Spade 410 x Justa Hickory Spade) placed fourth with a time of 13.81 to earn their first ever NFR check worth $15,376.
Tricia Aldridge and Adios Pantalones (Tres Seis x French Bar Belle x Frenchmans Guy), also first-time NFR qualifiers won their first NFR check placing fifth with a 14.11 worth $9,462.
2025 NFR Barrel Racing Round One Results
Place, Name, Time, Money Won
- Kassie Mowry / CP He Will Be Epic / 13.66 / $36,667.95
- Hailey Kinsel / DM Sissy Hayday / 13.70 / $28,979.51
- Lisa Lockhart / Blazin Ta Betty / 13.76 / $21,882.48
- Katelyn Scott / Justa DTF Frenchman / 13.81 / $15,376.88
- Tricia Aldridge / Adios Pantalones / 14.11 / $9,462.70
- Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi / Sir Epic / 14.12 / $5,914.19
- Andrea Busby / Hanksnthefastlane / 14.17
- Julie Plourde / Waterverocks RC / 14.26
- Tayla Moeykens / DDD Streaknfirewater / 14.96
- Emily Beisel / Ivory On Fire / 18.85*
- Megan McLeod-Sprague / Seis Corona / 18.88*
- Carlee Otero / AM Regina George / 18.89*
- Hayle Gibson-Stillwell / Buncha Dinero / 18.90*
- Wenda Johnson / Steal Money / 19.34*
- Halyn Lide / Halos Frosted Fame / 19.96*
*indicates penalty
2025 WPRA World Standings (after Round One)
- Kassie Mowry / Dublin, Texas / $250,113
- Hailey Kinsel / Cotulla, Texas / $225,297
- Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi / Lampasas, Texas / $210,630
- Lisa Lockhart / Oelrichs, South Dakota / $201,349
- Emily Beisel / Weatherford, Oklahoma / $199,005
- Megan McLeod-Sprague / Marsing, Idaho / $184,974
- Carlee Otero / Perrin, Texas / $178,493
- Tricia Aldridge / Sanger, Texas / $160,645
- Anita Ellis / Blackfoot, Idaho / $156,991
- Katelyn Scott / Odessa, Texas / $156,140
- Halyn Lide / China Spring, Texas / $154,614
- Tayla Moeykens / Three Forks, Montana / $152,560
- Hayle Gibson-Stillwell / Redcrest, California / $150,032
- Wenda Johnson / Pawhuska, Oklahoma / $148,428
- Andrea Busby / Millsap, Texas / $143,098
- Julie Plourde / Krum, Texas / $128,276
All of you women are awesome. Good luck in the next round!