“That third barrel has been just attacking me – and the first barrel. After he got around the first, I thought, ‘Don’t mess this up!’ because he really just inhaled it. We got to the second and then the third, and I thought, ‘What am I supposed to do now? Do I hit it? No, don’t hit it again!’” Walker joked in the Thomas and Mack media room. “So I thought really hard about what I was supposed to do and I just happened to look up above the calf roping box and I got by it!” 
All jokes aside, luck had nothing to do with the go-round win for the 2012 WPRA World Champion. Walker changed up a couple things for tonight’s round – some based in superstition, some a result of sound counsel from friend and fellow barrel racer, Sue Smith.
“My friend Sue Smith and I were talking about it all day, and she said, ‘Mary, you’ve got to do something, you don’t have anything to lose!’ So I did switch bits,” Walker said. “It was a Dave Elliot that Sue designed. I ride my colt, Leroy, in it and I’ve exercised Latte in it in the pasture.”
She also traded in her black hat for a white one, and what resulted was her first go-round buckle of the 2014 NFR. Making the win even more special is the fact that Walker has been accompanied in the alley all week by Clayton Hass, a first-time NFR qualifier in the steer wrestling.
“Clayton has been in the alleyway with me every night. He bulldogs and then he runs down there. I thought I might could get in the box with him one night, but I think they’ll kill me,” Walker laughed. “He was Reagon’s best friend, and Clayton is like a son to me. We’ve driven many miles together and he’s been in the alleyway with me every night, checking all my stuff to make sure I’m girthed up. He doesn’t want me to fall off!”
Walker was 10th on the ground, but her 13.79 was the ultimate pacesetter of the round. Close behind her – and 14th out – was Lisa Lockhart with a 13.81 on the rock-solid An Oakie With Cash. Trula Churchill’s 13.85 on the blue roan bombshell, A Streak Of Rita, was good for third, bringing the former Nebraska schoolteacher’s NFR earnings to $42,602.16. Kaley Bass, Sherry Cervi and Jana Bean rounded out the top six.
With tonight’s second-place finish and Fallon Taylor missing the sixth-place check by one tenth of a second, Lockhart regained control of the average race and closed the gap between her and Taylor to just $11,539.83 in the world standings. Stick with us for the final two rounds, and don’t miss the February issue of Barrel Horse News to read in-depth coverage of all the great stories from the 2014 Wrangler NFR.
Barrel Racing Results – Eighth go-round:
1. Mary Walker, Ennis, Texas, 13.79, $19,002.40
2. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 13.81, $15,018.03
3. Trula Churchill, Valentine, Neb., 13.85, $11,340.14
4. Kaley Bass, Kissimmee, Fla., 13.91, $7,968.75
5. Sherry Cervi, Marana, Ariz., 13.93, $4,904.85
6. Jana Bean, Ft. Hancock, Texas, 13.94, $3,064.90
7. Fallon Taylor, Whitesboro, Texas, 14.02
8. Kassidy Dennison, Tohatchi, N.M., 14.03
9. Nancy Hunter, Neola, Utah, 14.10
10. Carlee Pierce, Stephenville, Texas, 14.12
11. Michele McLeod, Whitesboro, Texas, 14.13
12. Britany Diaz, Solen, N.D., 14.62
13. Christine Laughlin, Pueblo, Colo., 19.04
14. Samantha Lyne, Cotulla, Texas, 19.10
15. Christy Loflin, Franktown, Colo., 30.80
Aggregate Standings – Eighth go-round:
(Rank/Name/Aggregate/Aggregate Prize/Total NFR Earnings
1. Lisa Lockhart 116.95/8 $0.00 $85,664.05
2. Fallon Taylor 117.10/8 $0.00 $87,349.75
3. Kaley Bass 118.74/8 $0.00 $27,890.63
4. Britany Diaz 118.98/8 $0.00 $28,656.84
5. Michele McLeod 122.84/8 $0.00 $38,311.29
6. Jana Bean 123.49/8 $0.00 $22,067.30
7. Sherry Cervi 123.59/8 $0.00 $29,116.59
8. Carlee Pierce 123.74/8 $0.00 $25,438.69
9. Trula Churchill 127.12/8 $0.00 $42,602.16
10. Nancy Hunter 132.36/8 $0.00 $26,051.68
11. Kassidy Dennison 133.09/8 $0.00 $34,020.43
12. Mary Walker 137.16/8 $0.00 $26,971.15
13. Christine Laughlin 148.46/8 $0.00 $0.00
14. Samantha Lyne 110.59/7 $0.00 $0.00
15. Christy Loflin 130.07/7 $0.00 $16,243.99
Windham Weaponry World Rankings – Eighth go-round:
(Rank/Season earnings/NFR earnings/Total world earnings)
1. Fallon Taylor $131,471.13 $87,349.75 $218,820.88
2. Lisa Lockhart $121,617.00 $85,664.05 $207,281.05
3. Kaley Bass $155,279.55 $27,890.63 $183,170.18
4. Michele McLeod $100,645.02 $38,311.29 $138,956.31
5. Britany Diaz $102,946.71 $28,656.84 $131,603.55
6. Nancy Hunter $104,289.49 $26,051.68 $130,341.17
7. Mary Walker $99,712.14 $26,971.15 $126,683.29
8. Kassidy Dennison $92,051.12 $34,020.43 $126,071.55
9. Sherry Cervi $93,048.33 $29,116.59 $122,164.92
10. Trula Churchill $75,874.35 $42,602.16 $118,476.51
11. Carlee Pierce $90,430.58 $25,438.69 $115,869.27
12. Christy Loflin $91,736.41 $16,243.99 $107,980.40
13. Christine Laughlin $93,134.61 $0.00 $93,134.61
14. Jana Bean $70,415.60 $22,067.30 $92,482.90
15. Samantha Lyne $70,577.07 $0.00 $70,577.07
