LAS VEGAS — DECEMBER 5, 2024 — Round One of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo kicked off inside the Thomas and Mack Center Arena with powerhouse duo Hailey Kinsel and DM Sissy Hayday taking home the round win.
In June, Las Vegas Events and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association jointly announced the financial details of the agreement that will keep the NFR in Las Vegas through 2035. Over the term of the contract, the total payment dedicated to the contestants and stock contractors will be $264,323,473. Las Vegas’ commitment to the NFR is the richest int he sport’s long and distinguished history. The new agreement will begin in 2024. Las Vegas Events will guarantee an additional $1.3 million in contestant purse and stock contractor compensation in 2024 and 2025, as a signing bonus to the PRCA. For the 2024 NFR, the prize money for contestants will be $12,501,505 and stock contractors will receive $3,750,451 — making the payout the amount of $16.2 million, which includes guaranteed prize money of $1.2 million for NFR qualifiers.
2024 NFR Barrel Racing Horsepower
Top 10 EquiStat NFR All-Time Leaders
Hailey Kinsel and DM Sissy Hayday Win Round One of the Wrangler NFR
The four-time Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world champions Hailey Kinsel and DM Sissy Hayday came into the Thomas and Mack Center Arena in Round One of the 2024 Wrangler NFR and left no questions why they are champions. The duo came into this year’s NFR sitting in the No. 1 position in the WPRA world standings and as the first pair to run down the alley they turned in a 13.38 to take the lead and hold it through 14 other teams. For fans of barrel racing it comes at no surprise to see the $3 million pair rise to the top of the field and take home the first round win.
“I feel like the run was kind of a reflection of how she’s acted the last couple days, ever since the first practice, she’s been like pulling, raring to go, and a little bit much, a little more than I would normally like for Round One, or even just expect,” Kinsel said. “I finally quit telling myself this is Round One, like, let’s just treat this like it’s round 70,-whatever, because she knows the drill and knows what she’s gonna do in it.
“So I knew she was gonna fire,” Kinsel continued. “She was a little tighter than I was expecting in the turns, but honest. I mean, she was really honest. I probably took more chances than maybe I should have, but it worked out. I was lucky in that sense.”
The Cotulla, Texas, native has earned 22 NFR round wins over her eight NFR qualifications, and more than $1 million in career NFR earnings. In Round One she added $33, 687.18 to those earnings for the Round One win. Incidentally, she also beat her own NFR Round One record she previously set in 2018 with a 13.51. She and Sister also still hold the overall NFR arena record of a 13.11, which they set in 2017.
Ever a student of the game Kinsel knows the fine details of not only her horse, but what it takes to be successful in a high-pressure situation. For Kinsel, that comes back to how she approaches each run, mentally.
“I try not to ever think about goals in terms of, like, results based goals, because I feel like you have so little control over that,” Kinsel said. “So the goals I think about are, how I’m going to approach each night? I want to approach it like I’m coming from 15th. I want to approach it like anything can happen and I’m just going to go for it each time. I want to approach it like I’m not scared, and treating it that way for me has helped me keep all the other stuff out of my head.”
Any returning NFR qualifier will tell you 10 days in Vegas truly is a mental game and requires some fortitude to conquer. Kinsel is among five returning 2023 NFR qualifiers including Kassie Mowry, Emily Beisel, Lisa Lockhart and Wenda Johnson. There are also five first-time qualifiers including Ashley Castleberry, LaTricia Duke, Halyn Lide, Andrea Busby and Abby Phillips. Incidentally, there are also five returning NFR qualifiers that have been to the NFR, prior to 2023: Leslie Smalygo, Tiany Schuster, Dona Kay Rule, Carlee Otero and Shelley Morgan.
First Time NFR Earners
Three out of the five NFR first-time qualifiers earned paychecks in round one: Abby Phillips, third place with a 13.63, worth $20,623.74; Andrea Busby fourth place with a 13.70, worth $14,126.88; Ashley Castleberry, fifth place with a 13.75, worth $8,693. Of those three, two of the horses were also first time NFR money-earners and one was the 2023 WPRA World Champion Barrel Horse.
Phillips finished third aboard VF Expensive Taste putting “Andi Anderson” among the elite list of NFR money-earning horses in her first appears at the Thomas and Mack Center Arena. Castleberry earned her first NFR paycheck aboard Skyy Blue, also a first-time NFR money earner. Busby, was aboard her home-bred Jets Top Gun, who led Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi to the 2023 WPRA World Championship. This year “Benny” has been on the road with Busby and led her to her first NFR qualification, and showed up in Round One to finish fourth.
2024 Wrangler NFR Payout: $16.2 million
Guaranteed prize money: $1.2 million
Competition prize money: $11,301,505
Payout Per Round, Per Event: $108,668.32 each
1st, $33,687.18 (per man in team roping)
2nd, $26,623.74
3rd, $20,103.64
4th, $14,126.88
5th, $8,693.47
6th, $5,433.42
Average Payout: $326,004.95 each
1st, $86,391.31 (per man in team roping)
2nd, $70,091.06
3rd, $55,420.84
4th, $40,750.62
5th, $29,340.45
6th, $21,190.32
7th, $14,670.22
8th, $8,150.12
2024 NFR Barrel Racing Round One Results
- Hailey Kinsel/DM Sissy Hayday/13.38/$33.687.18
2. Carlee Otero/Blingolena/13.55/$26,623.73
3. Abby Phillips/VF Expensive Taste/13.63/$20,103.64
4. Andrea Busby/Jets Top Gun/13.70/$14126.88
5. Ashley Castleberry/Skyy Blue/13.75/$8,693.47
tie-6. Leslie Smalygo/Justaheartbeattofame/13.84/$2,716.71
tie-6. Shelley Morgan/HR Fameskissandtell/13.84/$2,716.71
8. Emily Beisel/Ivory On Fire/ 13.87
9. Wenda Johnson/Steal Money/13.88
10. Tiany Schuster/Famous Mic Guy Ver/13.90
11. Lisa Lockhart/Promise Me Fame Guys/13.92
12. Dona Kay Rule/High Valor/14.04
13. LaTricia Duke/DM High Roller/14.11
14. Kassie Mowry/Force The Goodbye/18.34
15. Halyn Lide/Jettin Ta Heaven/18.75
2024 WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings (After Round One)
- Hailey Kinsel/$247,789.72
- Leslie Smalygo/$208,623.70
- Ashley Castleberry/$188,928.37
- Kassie Mowry/$172,282.84
- Emily Beisel/$164,004.96
- Lisa Lockhart/$150,887.64
- Carlee Otero/$149,512.88
- Abby Phillips/$145,603.52
- Tiany Schuster/$142,495.16
- Andrea Busby/$139,952.65
- LaTricia Duke/$139,130.44
- Halyn Lide/$131,965.70
- Dona Kay Rule/$131,480.98
- Wenda Johnson/$127,969.63
- Shelley Morgan/$123,906.01
2024 WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings (Prior to NFR)
- Hailey Kinsel | $204,102.54
- Leslie Smalygo | $195,906.99
- Ashley Castleberry | $170,234.90
- Kassie Mowry | $162,282.84
- Emily Beisel | $154,004.96
- Lisa Lockhart | $140,887.64
- Tiany Schuster | $132,495.16
- LaTricia Duke | $129,148.01
- Halyn Lide | $121,965.70
- Dona Kay Rule | $121,480.98
- Wenda Johnson | $117,969.63
- Andrea Busby | $115,838.17
- Abby Phillips | $115.510.22
- Carlee Otero | $112,909.82
- Shelley Morgan | $111,189.30
