February 25, 2022 — FORT WORTH, TEXAS — The American Rodeo Semifinals barrel racing began Friday with the Preliminary round inside Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. Barrel racers from across the country will be battling it out in hopes of claiming a qualification to The American Rodeo at AT&T Stadium on March 6 and a chance at a $1 million bonus. The American runs February 25–26, March 1-4, and March 6 with the Semifinals Preliminaries, Buy Back, Semifinals performances and Contender Round taking place in Cowtown Coliseum before moving to AT&T Stadium on March 6 for the Top Eight and Final Four championship rounds.
Check back here with Barrel Horse News magazine and follow along on social media @BarrelHorseNews for updates, results and more from The American.
Elizabeth Broussard Schmid Wins Buy Back Round
By Kailey Sullins
February 26, 2022 — FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Led by Elizabeth Broussard Schmid, the salty American Semifinals Buy Back Round saw four barrel racers advance to the Semifinals performance rounds next week. Find full buy back results here.
Broussard Schmid rode 2008 gelding Bogies French Trick (Frenchmans Bogie x Fols Gold Hooray x Fols Gold) to a fast 13.506 to win the Buy Back Round of the 2022 American Semifinals.
Trained and started by Ducky Keller, Broussard Schmid purchased “Trick” as a 7-year-old. While the two had to learn together through the seasoning process, Broussard Schmid and Trick began clicking and have earned more than $37,000 together as a team.
“He’s very sensitive, and he’s a very free-running style,” Broussard Schmid said. “I have to really work on keeping my composure and just staying calm and riding smooth versus push-style.”
Now, after their success inside Cowtown Coliseum during The American Semifinals Buy Back round, the duo is one step closer to a qualification to The American Rodeo inside AT&T Stadium on March 6.
“Our first run was good, I just stopped riding a little too early,” Broussard Schmid said of their Semfinals Preliminary run. “Going into the first I probably went into it too wide and just hit it.”
Broussard Schmid was out for blood in the Buy Back round.
“I was so mad,” she said with a laugh. “I was so mad at myself for not riding him right. My plan was to go in there with a vengeance and keep the barrels up. It was kind of a wild run. We were wide on every one, but he was running really fast. We made up for it.”
Broussard Schmid along with the next three fastest times advance to the Semifinals performances next week.
The American Semifinals Buy Back Round Barrel Racing Qualifying Results
- Elizabeth Broussard Schmid, Bogies French Trick, 13.506, $1,000
- McKenna Coronado, Duallys Real Dream, 13.558, $1,000
- Troy Crumrine, SR Industry Titan, 13.564, $1,000
- Ryann Pedone, JS Milo And Stitch, 13.573, $1,000
Brittany Dallaire and Heavenly Harvey Win American Semifinals Barrel Racing Prelims
By Kailey Sullins
February 25, 2022 — FORT WORTH, TEXAS —The American Rodeo Semifinals barrel racing began February 25 with the Preliminary round inside Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. Brittany Dallaire and Heavenly Harvey topped the field with a 13.464, worth a lucrative $23,870.
The Morriston, Florida, resident made the trek to Fort Worth, Texas, with hopes of earning an American Rodeo qualification, however she was quick to admit she didn’t place unrealistic expectations on her unproven mount. The 4-year-old gelding by JL Dash Ta Heaven out of Ima Cash Dancer by Cash Not Credit has only had about 20 runs in his career, so Dallaire was careful to pressure the young talent.
He showed up in rare form and exceeded all expectations.
“He’s only been running a couple of months. He’s got less than probably 20 runs under his belt, so he definitely lacks experience, but he makes up for it in confidence. I just wanted to be smooth and go make a business-type pass, get back in the top 30 so that we could try again in the next go. As always, he had different plans and he wanted to be fast—I’m not mad,” Dallaire said with a laugh.
Dallaire and Heavenly Harvey will advance to the Performance rounds of The American, which begin March 1, but still have to battle it out against some of the toughest horses in the country if they want to run down the alleyway inside AT&T Stadium for a chance at a $1 million bonus.
“I’m just going to try to be smooth,” Dallaire said. “That’s all you can do on him. If you try to go fast, you’re going to go way too fast, so I just try to sit there and put him in the right spots and hope it works out.”
From a field of 294 barrel racers who earned their berth to The American Semifinals prelims from qualifiers held across the country from 2021 to 2022, and several Exemption contestants including the high school and junior high school rodeo champions, the field was narrowed down to the top 30 times. Those 30 fastest runs of the day will advance to The American Semifinals performance rounds March 1-3, split between three performance rounds, to battle it out for a qualification to The American, which consists of the Contender Round on March 4 in Cowtown Coliseum, and then on to AT&T Stadium for The Top Eight and Final Four Championship on March 6.
—> Read More: Cowtown Coliseum Arena Record Set in 2021 by Janna Brown and DH Jess Stellar
The American Semifinals Prelims (Slack) Results – Feb. 25
- Brittany Dallaire, Heavenly Harvey, 13.464, $23,870
- Bryana Lehrmann, VF Wishbone Red, 13.533, $19,092
- Tasha Welsh, Seis Smashin Fame, 13.569, $15,512
- London Gorham, Cashin Chicks, 13.590, $11,932
- Cayla Small, Slick N Black, 13.612, $9,546
- Taylor Hanson, French Kiss To Vegas, 13.613, $7,159
- Kassie Mowry, Epic Guy, 13.669, $5,966
- Janna Brown, Jets Top Gun, 13.692, $5,369
- Sarah Rose (McDonald) Waguespack, Roses Roan Ranger, 13.693, $4,773
- Fonda Melby, RF Back For The Cash, 13.696, $4,176
- Rita Cheeney, Smokin Gold Too, 13.701, $3,579
- Halyn Lide, Jettin Ta Heaven, 13.704, $2,983
- Michele Pankiw, Mircale Candy Girl, 13.705, $2,386
- Jimmy Bryant, Little Bit Of Cowboy, 13.707, $1,789
- Laura Mote, Red Hot Redbull, 13.709, $1,193
- Charlie Johnson, Poenixonthecimarron, 13.28, $1,000
- Wylee Mitchell, Smokey Gold Jack, 13.736, $1,000
- Marne Loosenort, Lovin Fame, 13.743, $1,000
- Kristin Hanchey, Smooth Way Ta Heaven, 13.758, $1,000
- Bayleigh Choate, TJR Stinson Blue, 13.764, $1,000
- Tandy Meyers, Streakin Dusty Light, 13.765, $1,000
- Kylie Weast, Hell On The Red, 13.779, $1,000
- Kellie Collier, Positively Streakin, 13.788, $1,000
- Oceane Veilleux, Heavens Guy, 13.809, $1,000
- Cody Ward, DS Toastin Dash, 13.828, $1,000
- Taryn Boxleitner, Dash Ta Fame Bardell, 13.842, $1,000
- Lakken Bice, Nocrimetabe Unleashed, 13.847, $1,000
- Megan Swint, Bells Lil Bro, 13.849, $1,000
- Summer Shafer, Barvatos, 13.861, $1,000
- Lisa Thornton, Straight Toasted, 13.862, $1,000
American Semifinals Barrel Racing Schedule, Rules and Draw
Click here for American Rodeo Barrel Racing Schedule
Click here for complete rules and guidelines on the 2022 American Rodeo and Semifinals.
Click here for the American schedule including other rodeo events.
