LAS VEGAS — DECEMBER 8, 2023 — The first round of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, presented by Teton Ridge, officially kicked off December 8 after the originally scheduled first performance December 7 was cancelled due to the deadly shooting that took place December 6 on the University of Nevada – Las Vegas campus, on which the Thomas and Mack Center arena is located. The Las Vegas Events Board of Trustees and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association board of directors announced that the first round would be postponed, and to maintain the tradition of 10 rounds of the NFR, an additional make-up round has been added on the morning of December 13 at 10 a.m. There will be no public access to this round, but it will be streamed live on The Cowboy Channel. The Wrangler NFR will still run through December 16 with the 10 full rounds to determine PRCA and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world champions. The original $11.5 million purse will remain in place and be paid out in full over the nine days of competition and ten rounds.
Sissy Winn and A R Dash Ta Flame Win Round One
Sissy Winn conquered the field of 15 in the first round of the Wrangler NFR aboard 10-year-old gelding A R Dash Ta Flame with a time of 13.71, worth $30,706. This marks Winn’s first NFR round win at only her second NFR.
“Scoop” has been Winn’s main mount throughout the regular season, and he’s not new to the winner’s circle. He’s earned Winn $85,618 of her $109,022 regular season earnings from 22 rodeos.
Trained by Danyelle Campbell and campaigned by Campbell to $65,233 before Winn took the reins in 2022, Winn was quick to give Campbell credit for help in her success aboard the gelding by Dash Ta Fame and out of Discreat Retreat by Mr Jess Perry.
“I have four things written down and hanging in my bathroom that Danyelle Campbell said, ‘If you have to write it down Sis, just write it down,’ and it’s soft, collected… just little things that help me remember what I have to do so Scoop can do what he did tonight,” Winn said. “My dad in the alleyway tonight was saying, ‘soft, collected.’”
The game plan worked for the 25-year-old cowgirl from Chapman Ranch, Texas. Ultimately, in a field that saw seven downed barrels, Winn and Scoop bested the No. 1 cowgirl in the WPRA world standings by .04 seconds. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Jets Top Gun came into Round One as the first barrel racer out on the ground and turned in a 13.75. It seemed the regular-season earnings record-holder was set to claim the first round until Winn, at draw No. 11 on the ground, turned in her 13.71.
“Scoop is such a big horse and he’s powerful, and if I have him in the right position, which I did tonight, he didn’t have any trouble,” Winn said.
Winn is simply enjoying her time at her second NFR and focusing on riding her horse correctly, putting it all on the line and taking advantage of the opportunity.
“It’s a great feeling to be back here. I said it last year that you never know if you may or may not come back the following year, but now we’re here and I just want to enjoy it,” Winn said.
Winn moved from the No. 11 position in the world standings to the No. 6 position.
2023 NFR Barrel Racing Horsepower
2023 NFR Barrel Racing Horses Connections and Stats
Notable Round One Runs
Even with seven downed barrels on the field of 15, first-time NFR qualifier Paige Jones didn’t let first-year jitters get to her. Aboard Famous Hayday, she turned in a 13.97 to win fourth place and put $12,877 on her world standings earnings, bringing her from $102,968 to $115,845 — plus each NFR qualifier earns $10,000 for their qualification — making Jones’ world standings earnings $125,845. Jones came into the NFR in the No. 15 position, and after Round One, she’s currently sitting in the No. 10 position.
2023 NFR Barrel Racing Round One Results
Place, Name, Horse, Time, Money Won
- Sissy Winn / A R Dash Ta Flame / 13.71 / $30,706.41
- Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi / Jets Top Gun / 13.75 / $24,268
- Kassie Mowry / CP He Will Be Epic / 13.90 / $18,325
- Paige Jones / Famous Hayday / 13.97 / $12,877
- Jessica Routier / Fiery Miss West / 14.05 / $7,924
- Jordon Briggs / Famous Lil Jet / 14.10 / $4,953
- Lisa Lockhart / Promise Me Fame Guys / 14.16
- Sue Smith / Diamond Center / 14.17
- Wenda Johnson / Steal Money / 18.65*
- Ilyssa Riley / Themajorthriller / 18.87*
- Stevi Hillman / Sand In My Socks / 18.87*
- Taycie Matthews / Heavenly Firewater / $18.98*
- Summer Kosel / Firewaterfrenchfame / 19.12*
- Hailey Kinsel / DM Sissy Hayday / 19.18*
- Emily Beisel / Namgis D 33 / 23.83**
*denotes penalty
2023 WPRA World Standings (after Round One)
- Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi / Lampasas, Texas / $304,831
- Jordon Briggs / Tolar, Texas / $175,777
- Emily Miller Beisel / Weatherford, Oklahoma / $168,752
- Kassie Mowry / Dublin, Texas / $162,127
- Taycie Matthews / Wynne, Arkansas / $154,161
- Sissy Winn / Chapman, Texas / $149,729
- Lisa Lockhart / Oelrichs, South Dakota / $144,592
- Jessica Routier / Buffalo, South Dakota / $136,897
- Wenda Johnson / Pawhuska, Oklahoma / $130,506
- Paige Jones / Wayne, Oklahoma / $125,845
- Summer Kosel / Glenham, South Dakota / $125,682
- Ilyssa Riley / Hico, Texas / $121,473
- Stevi Hillman / Granbury, Texas / $119,015
- Hailey Kinsel / Cotulla, Texas / $115,776
- Sue Smith / Blackfoot, Idaho / $115,644
2023 WPRA World Standings (Prior to NFR)
- Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi / Lampasas, Texas / $270,563
- Jordon Briggs / Tolar, Texas / $160,824
- Emily Miller Beisel / Weatherford, Oklahoma / $158,752
- Taycie Matthews / Wynne, Arkansas / $144,161
- Lisa Lockhart / Oelrichs, South Dakota / $134,592
- Kassie Mowry / Dublin, Texas / $133,802
- Wenda Johnson / Pawhuska, Oklahoma / $120,506
- Jessica Routier / Buffalo, South Dakota / $118,973
- Summer Kosel / Glenham, South Dakota / $115,682
- Ilyssa Riley / Hico, Texas / $111,473
- Sissy Winn / Chapman, Texas / $109,015
- Stevi Hillman / Granbury, Texas / $109,015
- Hailey Kinsel / Cotulla, Texas / $105,776
- Sue Smith / Blackfoot, Idaho / $105,644
- Paige Jones / Wayne, Oklahoma / $102,968
Wrangler NFR Total Payoff: $11.5 million
For the third consecutive year, the PRCA and Las Vegas Events have upped the purse money for the Wrangler NFR, bringing it to a record-setting more than $11.5 million. Based on the updated purse, the increase will see round winners take home $30,706.41 and average winners earn $78,747.07. Each round will pay a total of $99,052.92, while the average will pay $297,158.77 per event. Each qualifier also receives $10,000 for their qualification to the NFR, and it’s added to their world standings total at the conclusion of Round One.
Payout Per Round, Per Event: $99,052.92
1st: $30,706.41
2nd: $24,267.97
3rd: $18,324.79
4th: $12,876.88
5th: $7,924.23
6th: $4,952.65
Aggregate Payout, Per Event: $297,158.77
1st: $78,747.07
2nd: $63,889.14
3rd: $50,516.99
4th: $37,144.85
5th: $26,744.29
6th: $19,315.32
7th: $13,372.14
8th: $7,428.97
