Taylor Armenta Tops The American Rodeo Semifinals

Taylor Arementa and Hes Got Cat Style topped The American Rodeo Semifinals May 22 inside Globe Life Field to advance to The American Rodeo Showdown Round May 23, and is one step closer to the $2 million Championship Round.

After a year of battling through The American Rodeo qualifiers and The American Rodeo Regional Tournaments the barrel racers eligible for the $2 million bonus as a qualifier contestant met inside Globe Life Field to make their bids for one step closer to the Championship.

The field of qualifier contestants featured 15 athletes from the three Regional Tournament Semifinals — East, West and Central. Among the semifinals contestants were horses that have qualified for the National Finals Rodeo, helped to win Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world championships, high school and college champions, National Barrel Horse Association and Better Barrel Races champions.

Through a tough group of horse and rider teams it was 14-year-old cowgirl Taylor Armenta aboard her 2104 chestnut gelding Hes Got Cat Style (Palo Duro Cat x My La Tee Dah x Sonnys Hot Jazz) who stood above the rest to claim The American Rodeo Semifinals title and $15,000. The duo from Bloomfield, New Mexico, turned in a 15.321 to win the round and advance to The American Rodeo Showdown Round.

On May 23 The American Rodeo Champion will be crowned when the top five from the Semifinals meet in the Showdown Round to compete against the top five in the WPRA world standings in the Showdown Round. The top four from the Showdown Round will advance to the Championship Round where the winner will be decided. Only the qualifiers will be eligible for the $2 million bonus. The invited WPRA world standings contests will be eligible for the $100,000 championship prize.