The College National Finals Rodeo kicked off June 10 in Casper, Wyoming. Nearly 400 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association athletes from colleges and universities across the country have gathered in Wyoming for the weeklong event which culminates with the crowning of the 2024 national champions on Saturday June 15. All athletes compete in three rounds of competition and the top 12 cumulative scores or times advance to championship Saturday. The second round of competition will finish on Tuesday afternoon. Round three is spread over four rodeo performances beginning Tuesday evening and running through Friday evening.
Follow along here for all the 2024 CNFR barrel racing results, updates and stories.
Information provided courtesy CNFR with modifications from BHN
Taycie Matthews Wins Second Consecutive College Rodeo National Championship
CASPER, WYOMING, (June 15, 2024) —The 2024 College National Finals Rodeo came to a close in the Ford Wyoming Center on Saturday night with a sold-out crowd watching as champions were crowned.
Taycie Matthews, from the University of West Alabama, won her second-consecutive barrel racing title aboard her great horse Fame Fire Rocks. Matthews won Rounds One and Two and was second in Round Three aboard “Poprocks” who earned the 2023 American Quarter Horse Association Horse of the Year award. Matthews and Poprocks clocked the fastest time of the week in Casper on Saturday night and had an aggregate time of 55.32 seconds. They finished two-tenths of a second ahead of Tayla Moeykens from Montana State University, the 2021 college national champion.
The young athlete picked up the reins of the Janna Brown-trained mare, who’s by Firewaterontherocks and out of the Dash Ta Fame mare W R Aces Fame, in 2022 and they quickly went to winning. With Brown, Poprocks had already earning $47,879 in EquiStat earnings. Since 2022, Matthews and Poprocks have gone on to win more than $162,000 together bringing the mare’s total EquiStat earnings to more than $210,800. Plus, the 2017 mare helped Matthews earn her first National Finals Rodeo qualification in 2023. Now, thanks to Poprocks, Matthews can add a second National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association barrel racing world championship to her resume, as well.
Moeykens and KN Fames Best Yet finished the season as the Reserve National Champions behind Matthews.
Tarleton State University captured the men’s team championship with 895 points. Clarendon College was seconds with 820. In the women’s team category, the University of West Alabama finished at the top of the board for the second consecutive time. They earned 855 points and Tarleton was second with 605 points.
Plans are underway for the 2025 CNFR which will return to Casper next June.
Tayla Moeykens and KN Fames Best Yet Win Round Three of CNFR
CASPER, WYOMING, (June 14, 2024) — The final performance of Round Three of the 2024 College National Finals Rodeo wrapped up Friday night with the top 12 in each discipline advance to the short round, where champions will be crowned. The barrel racing action heated up with Tayla Moeykens taking home the Round Three win.
In 2021, Moeykens left Casper as the collegiate champion barrel racer. The next year she finished in the top 10. She came back last year and was the reserve champion behind Taycie Matthews. Moeykens, who is competing for Montana State University, had the fastest time of the week to win Round Three in 13.70 seconds. That gave her a total of 41.72 seconds on three. She will enter the championships in second place behind Matthews of the University of West Alabama who has 41.66. Both of these women have graduated this year and unless they decide to pursue a master’s degree, this will be their last appearance at the CNFR.
Moeykens took home the Round Three win aboard KN Fames Best Yet, who’s by Dash Ta Fame and out of the Frenchmans Fabulous daughter KN Fabulous N Khaki.
The championship finals of the CNFR will start Saturday, June 15, 2024, at 7 p.m. where national championships in all the events will be determined as well as national men’s and women’s teams, all-around and rookie of the year titles.
Jordan Driver Holds Onto Round Three Lead at CNFR
CASPER, WYOMINg, (June 13, 2024) — With just one group of rodeo athletes left to complete the third round of action at the College National Finals Rodeo, the field for Championship Saturday is shaping up. Round three will finish Friday night and the top 12 overall in each event will advance to the finals on Saturday night.
Jordan Driver holds onto the lead in the barrel racing in Round Three after turning in a 13.84 aboard 2018 gelding TRheavensilluminated (JL Dash Ta Heaven x TR Dashing Badger x MR Illuminator) in the second performance.
The fourth performance of the CNFR will feature the completion of the third round of competition at the Ford Wyoming Center on Friday night at beginning 7 p.m. The top 12 in each event who have the chance to compete on Saturday will be determined at the end of round three.
Jordan Driver and TRheavensilluminated Lead Round Three of CNFR
CASPER, WYOMING, (June 11, 2024) — After three days of competition at the College National Finals Rodeo, contestants are seeing their dreams of national championships fading away or coming closer to reality. The first performance of the rodeo kicked off at the Ford Wyoming Center on Tuesday night. It featured all nine rodeo events with contestants starting their third round of competition. The first round started Sunday at the Bulls, Broncs and Breakaway and finished during Monday’s slack. Tuesday was an action-filled day which featured the second round during the day. After a short break, fans filled the stands for the first full performance.
Round Three is spread over four rodeo performances beginning Tuesday evening and running through Friday evening. Jordan Driver leads the round with a 13.84 aboard 2018 gelding TRheavensilluminated (JL Dash Ta Heaven x TR Dashing Badger x MR Illuminator).
The third performance of the CNFR will feature the continuation of the third round of competition at the Ford Wyoming Center on Thursday night at beginning 7 p.m.
Taycie Matthews and Fame Fire Rocks take Round Two of CNFR
The reigning CNFR barrel racing champion and the 2017 mare Fame Fire Rocks ran a 13.81, the fastest time of the entire rodeo so far to win round two and keep their lead in the aggregate. Taycie Matthews and “Poprocks” have, thus far, had a great showing at the CNFR picking up the Round One win as well. They currently lead the aggregate going into Round Three.
Matthews is an earner of more than $415,900 in EquiStat reported lifetime earnings and qualified for her first National Finals Rodeo in 2023. The young athlete picked up the reins of the Janna Brown-trained mare, who’s by Firewaterontherocks and out of the Dash Ta Fame mare W R Aces Fame, in 2022 and they quickly went to winning. With Brown, Poprocks had already earning $47,879 in EquiStat earnings. Since 2022, Matthews and Poprocks have gone on to win more than $162,000 together bringing the mare’s total EquiStat earnings to more than $210,800.
Taycie Matthews and Fame Fire Rocks Top Round One of CNFR
CASPER, WYOMING, (June 10, 2024) — The first round of competition at the College National Finals Rodeo ended on Monday, June 10, with one athlete rising to the top early in the competition. Defending CNFR champion barrel racer Taycie Matthews of the University of West Alabama, started her quest for back-to-back titles in Casper on Monday. She was the only one in the field of 45 to clock a time under 14 seconds. Her time of 13.93 seconds won the first round.
Nearly 400 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association athletes from colleges and universities across the country have gathered in Wyoming for the weeklong event which culminates with the crowning of the 2024 national champions on Saturday June 15.
All athletes compete in three rounds of competition and the top 12 cumulative scores or times advance to championship Saturday. The second round of competition will finish on Tuesday afternoon. Round three is spread over four rodeo performances beginning Tuesday evening and running through Friday evening.
2024 CNFR Barrel Racing Results
Round One: Barrel racing: 1, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.93 seconds. 2, Kalli McCall, Hill College, 14.02; 3, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 14.03. 4, Emma Smith, Texas A & M University, 14.04; 5, (tie) Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, and Libby Berger, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 14.04. 7, Emma Ricke, Northeastern Oklahoma A & M College, 14.21. 8, Weslyn Reno, New Mexico State University, 14.26.
Round Two: Barrel racing: 1, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.81 seconds. 2, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 13.99. 3, Rayne Grant, Laramie County Community College, 14.10. 4, (tie) Allie Murphy, South Plains College; Emma Ricke, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University; and Hadley Tidwell, Tarleton State University, 14.15 seconds each. 8, Sierra Steele, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, 14.16.
Round Three (Leaders): Barrel Racing: 1, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 13.84 seconds, 2, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.92. 3, Hadley Tidwell, Tarleton State University, 13.95. 4, Allie Murphy, South Plains College, 14.04. 5, Saydee Sue Davis, Utah State University Eastern, 14.14. 6, Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 14.22.
Aggregate Leaders: 1, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 41.66 seconds. 2, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 42.38. 3, Kalli McCall, Hill College, 42.55. 4, Rayne Grant, Laramie County Community College, 42.75. 5, Saydee Sue Davis, Utah State University Eastern, 42.81. 6, Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 42.87. 7, Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 43.06. 8, Hadley Tidwell, Tarleton State University, 43.07.
Round Three (Winners): 1, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 13.70 seconds. 2, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 13.84. 3, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.92. 4, Hadley Tidwell, Tarleton State University, 13.95. 5, Allie Murphy, South Plains College, 14.04. 6, Saydee Sue Davis, Utah State University Eastern, 14.14. 7, Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 14.22. 8, (tie) Sadie Mendenhall, Utah Valley University, and Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 14.25.
Finals qualifiers: 1, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 41.66 seconds. 2, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 41.72. 3, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 42.38. 4, Kalli McCall, Hill College, 42.55. 5, Rayne Grant, Laramie County Community College, 42.75. 6, Saydee Sue Davis, Utah State University Eastern, 42.81. 7, Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 42.87. 8, Kennedy Buckner, Blue Mountain Community College, 43.06. 9, Hadley Tidwell, Tarleton State University, 43.07. 10, Aliz VanderVoort, South Dakota State University, 43.08. 11, Jayci Byler, Sam Houston State University, 43.11. 12, Sierra Steele, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 43.15.
Barrel racing: Final Round: 1, Taycie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 13.66 seconds. 2, Tayla Moeykens, Montana State University, 13.80 3, Jaylie Matthews, University of West Alabama, 14.06. 4, Jordan Driver, Tarleton State University, 14.10. 3
Aggregate: (Total on 4): 1, Taycie Matthews, 55.32 seconds. 2, Moeykens, 55.52. 3, Driver, 56.53. 4, Jaylie Matthews, 55.93. 5. Rayne Grant, Laramie County Community College, 57.04. 6, Saydee Sue Davis, Utah State University Eastern, 57.23. 7, Sierra Steele, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 57.25. 8, Alix VanderVoort, South Dakota State University, 57.27.
Complete results are available at www.collegerodeo.com.
