and final round on Saturday night to win her first NFR average title. ROUND 10:KINSEL WINS FOURTH WORLD TITLE, MORGAN CAPTURES FIRST AVERAGE TITLE
ROUND 9: SISTER SPEEDS THROUGH CLOVERLEAF PATTERN TURNING IN FASTEST TIME AT 2022 WRANGLER NFR
Hailey Kinsel and Sister captured their fourth win at the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge in speedy fashion during the ninth round. The duo stopped the clock in 13.34 seconds, just a night after Leslie Smalygo and Gus ran the fastest time of the rodeo in 13.41 seconds.
One year ago, Hailey Kinsel left the Thomas and Mack a little disappointed after her streak of world titles came to an end, but she was determined to not leave empty handed in 2022.
Kinsel, of Cotulla, Texas, entered her sixth Wrangler National Finals Rodeo ranked fifth but after five round wins, including the 10th, she is once again at the top of the barrel racing world with $302,172. “This one is hard to put into words,” stated Kinsel moments after winning the 2022 WPRA World Champion Barrel Racing title. “This one is emotional. It was a different year in some ways than the last couple. Coming in chasing is a little bit fun but also a little bit of pressure. I made some errors this week and my horse so oh well and fixed it for me. She is amazing. “Last year after making a mistake in the 10th round I wanted to make sure I didn’t do that twice, so just tried to learn from it and gosh it has been an incredible year for everyone. We had the most amazing group of women here and what a year Jordon (Briggs) had.” Kinsel, turned in the fastest time of the NFR in the ninth round in a time of 13.34 seconds and she and Sister returned on Saturday night to win the round in another fast time of 13.35 seconds. All totaled Kinsel won $182,783 in Las Vegas, the most of all barrel racers. Shelley Morgan came to Las Vegas with a goal of having 10 clean runs and she did exactly that in championship form. Morgan won her first NFR average title in a time of 137.28 seconds. She was making her fourth appearance and came in ranked sixth. She finished the year third in the world with $265,030. Jordon Briggs finished as the reserve world champion after finishing fourth in the average in a time of 142.41 seconds and won $96,741 during the 10 days in Las Vegas. WPRA Rookie of the Year Bayleigh Choate was the only other barrel racer to have 10 clean runs and finished second in the average in a time of 138.98 seconds. Margo Crowther was honored before the 10th round performance with the Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award presented by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. She received a custom bracelet and a $5,000 bonus check.
During the early 2000s there were two other great athletes at the Thomas and Mack that would feed off each other and try to beat each other’s time-Fred Whitfield and Cody Ohl. It is like Sister is human and she wants to have the fastest time and it gets her motor running when another horse out runs her. “Sometimes it seems that way,” replied Kinsel, when asked if she thought Sister seemed human at times. “She is funny especially the times she peaks as it seems like she knows when to make it count. I can only help her feel good so much and when she decides to feel good that is on her. “She had a good look in her eye today and she was doing everything fast tonight when we were warming up. My mom told me you better hold on tonight. So, she definitely had that in her tonight.” Kinsel continues to lead the world with $266,263 to Jordon Briggs’ $232,082. Besides being the fastest time thus far, it was the wild trip around the barrels that Kinsel will remember for years to come after losing a rein coming out of the second headed to the third. “I can’t imagine how Charmayne (James) felt with no bridle,” Kinsel said when discussing another rodeo icon and historic run in WPRA history here at the Thomas and Mack. “At least I had half a face. I have never had that happen on her before. Going into the third barrel I knew that the more runs we make in here she is going to get a tick tighter, and I know she knows where the third barrel is at. I had told myself I was going to have to sit down and really ride and had thought I might have to grab an outside rein on her tonight but that wasn’t an option tonight. She was definitely doing her own thing tonight and I started off saying woah, but it all worked out.” Only two barrel racers haven’t hit barrels through nine rounds and that is Shelley Morgan and WPRA Rookie Bayleigh Choate. Morgan is first with 123.77 seconds on nine, while Choate is looking to become the first WPRA rookie since Charmayne James in 1984 to win the average. She trails Morgan in a time of 125.33 seconds. One can bet Morgan will be laser focused on keeping them all standing on the 10th
First Time NFR Qualifiers
World Champions competing at 2022 NFR – Jordon Briggs, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Hailey Kinsel
16-time qualifiers Lisa Lockhart and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 WPRA NEWS 37
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