CIRCUIT FINALS: PRAIRIE BARRELS SIGN FROM ABOVE Nowlin Takes Step Back to Focus on Circuit Rodeos, Results in NFR Open Qualification By Ted Harbin T he story of Tracy Nowlin is one of resilience. The first time she won the average title at the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo was 2016, when she rode the then-10-year-old DJG Madison to the title and advanced to the national circuit
finals, which took place in April 2017 at Kissimmee, Florida The pair had success there, too, and it eventually catapulted them to a qualification to the 2018 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Through each run made and each mile down the road, Nowlin was hampered by a condition known as thoracic nerve tunnel, which became more debilitating over time. “I was sick the last eight weeks of making the NFR, but I’m so bullheaded, I just took more Ibuprofen and Tylenol and just went on,” said Nowlin, who placed in three rounds to win the average at the circuit finale in 2023, which took place in October at Duncan, Oklahoma. She’s had surgery to alleviate the issues, which included migraines and other complications that just knocked her off her feet. The pain was almost constant, and she’d take motion-sickness medications so she wouldn’t throw up because of the pain. The thoracic nerve tunnel caused a bulging disc, which further complicated the issue. There was a misdiagnosis, and she worked with medical professionals to try to figure out what she could do. Through it all, Nowlin has continued to chase those rodeo dreams. She only began to focus on the region made up of rodeos and contestants primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska after some unfortunate circumstances. Her truck was wrecked as she was heading to her Nowata, Oklahoma, home from Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was the second episode with the truck in a short time. “I think that was just God telling me that I needed to focus on the
circuit,” Nowlin said. “After all that went on this year, winning the average at the circuit finals was pretty satisfying.” She said she was blessed to still be around after the wreck, so she focused on faith and the things she could control. Everything else was in His hands. “I decided to just come home and slow down,” she said. “I rodeoed close to home. I didn’t have a truck for eight weeks, so I just did what I could do.” Oh, and there was a nice caveat that came with all that; once she arrived in Duncan for the regional championship, she and Dolly Jo excelled. Now 18, the sorrel mare out of Run Madison by Royal Blue Chew Chew showed everyone what she was all about. Nowlin and her red racer placed in three rounds – which included posting the fastest time of the rodeo with a 15.98-second run to win the final round – and earned $7,252. “It’s just nice to show everybody that Dolly’s not done,” Nowlin said. “I just had to go in there with the mental attitude that I was going to ride her all the way to the hole. At this point, I’m healthier because there was a while where I couldn’t do that. Dolly was trying to take care of me and knew that my body couldn’t take it. “Both of us know I can do my job now.” They’re off and running and hope to see what 2024 will show for it. Now that she’s earned another bid to the national circuit finals – now called the NFR Open in Colorado Springs – she’ll see what else the year brings. “I’ve been blessed to ride some great horses, and I hope God keeps blessing me,” she said. Tracy Nowlin first won the average in the Prairie Circuit in 2016 and in 2023 she duplicated that feat placing in all three rounds, which included posting the fastest time of the rodeo with a 15.98 second run to win the final round – and earned $7,252 in the process. She will now get a chance to compete at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs in July. Photo by Kay Miller
Tracy Nowlin and Dolly Jo battled it out at the Prairie Circuit Finals in Duncan, Oklahoma, and when the dust settled, they landed atop the leaderboard with a three run time of 48.30 seconds to Emily Beisel’s 48.41 seconds. Photo by Fly Thomas
36 WPRA NEWS FEBRUARY 2024
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