Skyler Nicholas and Randee Prindle leave Las Vegas with big checks from the All In Barrel Race.
Photos by Pixel Worx
The All In Barrel Race has been held annually at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas during the month of December, when rodeo takes over Sin City. With two races taking place December 5-7 and December 12-15, they also host an American Contender qualifier and KK Run For Vegas qualifier. Each race is structured to have two qualifying rounds and a showdown round.
“We are excited with the strong response of entries, even though coming off of a very weak economy in 2024, most events around the country all felt a drop in entries,” All In owner and producer Chris Woodruff said. “With Las Vegas being a planned destination, we did see tremendous entries after the election which points to a very strong 2025. In addition to barrel racing, we also hosted calf roping and breakaway roping with an additional 400 entries and additional payout of $400,000 in cash and prizes. The Orleans Arena will continue to play host to the All In Barrel Race for many years to come as a new agreement was put in place this year to continue the legacy of the event.”
Race One Showdown Champion Skyler Nicholas and Stoli My Guy
Coming to Las Vegas primarily to run 2012 mare Perrywater Dash (Stratospheric x Fire Waters Free x Fire Water Flit) at the Vegas Tuffest Junior World Championships and Hooey Jr. Patriot Vegas qualifier, Skyler Nicholas didn’t plan to run 2009 mare Stoli My Guy in Vegas.
“My parents and I saw the youth championship sidepot and decided that since we were going to be out there anyways, we would bring ‘Stoli’ to run it,” the 17 year old said. “I really just wanted to have fun with Stoli in my runs. l would be the only person to ever run her in Vegas, and I knew my mom was super excited for me. I told Stoli we were just going for solid runs to try and cover trip expenses, but I think she had other plans.”
Her first run in Vegas was at All In barrel race at The Orleans, and they tipped the third barrel. Nicholas knew she had to be clean, and not quit riding to get by the third barrel in the second run if she wanted a shot at the Showdown round. The pair ran a 14.375 and claimed $1,600 in the second round to win the 1D and qualify for the Showdown round. That time also won the Youth Championship round sidepot for $1,511 and claimed second in the Youth Championship Finals for $3,710.
“All I could think was how I was going to ride harder than that to be clean in the Showdown round,” Nicholas recalled. “I warm-up with headphones, otherwise I am very easily distracted. I think I kept my headphones in until about two before my run because I could hear the crowd going wild with every run. I was first on my drag and just kept reminding myself and Stoli to have fun. The warmup pen view at the All In is truly the greatest I think. It was an indescribable feeling getting to sit on Stoli and look at the entire Vegas skyline. When the gate opened I think it was top five highest pressure moments in my life — running into the Orleans stadium is so scary.”
Nicholas and Stoli topped the Race One Showdown with a 14.203 — the fastest time from both races— worth $20,000.
“I didn’t think it would clock that good after we rounded the third, so I was shocked when I saw the time,” she said. “I walked out into the warmup pen and just called my mom crying, who was already pretty emotional herself.”
Nicholas’s parents bought Stoli as a 2-year-old and her mom, Lisa trained and futuritied her to multiple aged-event and open race wins, including qualifying for The American Semifinals.
“They took a chance on the wild one, and I have always loved that about her. I’m usually smiling to myself in the warmup pen when she does her antics, because it shows me how much she loves her job,” Nicholas said.
Stoli was sidelined with an injury when she was 13 years old and the Nicholas family had already started Stoli’s breeding career because they weren’t sure she would make a comeback in the arena. Early in 2024, she proved otherwise and made an appearance at several large races, topping the leaderboard at most.
“It makes me excited when her colts throw out the same freshness she does,” Nicholas added. “I want to continue training colts with my mom, and finding the best crosses for our mares God has blessed us with. I love running at the open races, but I truly love the seasoning process and those first entries. November is definitely my favorite time of year.”
Race Two Showdown Champion Randee Prindle and Red Man Jones
Randee Prindle and Red Man Jones completely dominated Race Two of the All In Barrel Race. They started with a 14.336 to win Round One and $1,738. They also won the Round One adult and high-stakes sidepots worth $4,073. The duo ran a 14.515 in Round Two, once again taking the top spot and $1,600 as well as topping the adult and adult finals sidepots, high-stakes and high-stakes average sidepots for an additional $7,109. Wrapping up their time in Vegas with a 14.386 in the Showdown Round added $20,000 to their earnings for the 1D win.
“Scooby” has amassed more than $700,000 in EquiStat lifetime earnings, almost all with Prindle aboard. Prindle, who farms full time on her family’s farm in Gilman City, Missouri also rides outside horses when she has time and now has more than $939,000 in EquiStat lifetime earnings. Prindle’s plans for 2025 include helping Scooby reach $1 million in lifetime earnings by running at larger added-money races, like the All In Barrel Race.
This article was originally published in the February 2025 issue of Barrel Horse News.
