CIRCUIT FINALS CIRCUIT FINALS: CALIFORNIA BARRELS ROAD TRIP Payton Schoeppach Punches Ticket to NFR Open to Represent California By Ann Bleiker N o matter what the future holds for WPRA member Payton Schoeppach her 2023 season will be one she won’t soon forget.
In April, she captured the biggest win of her career winning the esteemed Red Bluff (CA) Round-Up. The 22-year-old from Lincoln, California, used that win as a catalyst to return to the California Circuit Finals for the second consecutive year ranked No. 3. Schoeppach approached the circuit finals much like she did when she won Red Bluff. She went in and turned in three consistent runs placing in the money each round with times of 13.59, 13.60 and 13.53 seconds respectively. She finished in a tie with veteran barrel racer Kathy Petska with 40.72 seconds on three runs. “It was really good. I am very thankful to have split it with Kathy (Petska) as she is a fierce competitor,” stated Schoeppach. “It was an amazing experience. I was really happy with how my horse worked and it was just an awesome weekend. “I wanted to win it [the average] as I finished second last year. I knew what kind of runs I needed to make in order to hopefully get the win. I just went in focused on consistency and making the same run every time. I tried to keep my horse at the top of his game, and it ended up working out perfectly.” She accomplished her goal
Payton Schoeppach was a model of consistency at the California Circuit Finals turning in times of 13.59, 13.60 and 13.53 to finish in a tie for the average with Kathy Petska and punch her first ticket to the NFR Open in July. Petska won the year-end so she will join Schoeppach in representing the California Circuit. Photo by Crystal Amen
Now Schoeppach is excited to compete at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, CO, at the foot of Pikes Peak. “I have wanted to go there as a lot of my friends went last year and they said how awesome it was,” noted Schoeppach. “I am very excited, very thankful and hope it doesn’t rain. I plan to bring a horse for the mud and one not for the mud and whatever happens I am thankful to be there.” The timing also seems to be working in her favor as she recently got accepted to the dental program, she had been waiting on to further her career path as a dental hygienist. “I got accepted to a program that starts this September,” she said. “I was originally on a wait list and just got accepted so I will be moving in August. I plan to rodeo everywhere I know Bossy excels and that Bossy loves. I plan to take each rodeo one at a time and just have fun with it.” Petska will be joining Schoeppach in representing California after winning the year-end title along with tying for the average championship. For Schoeppach she can’t think of a better person to be able to compete with at the 2024 NFR Open. “She has always been so consistent with her horse and pretty cool to be able to compete and run with someone and win with someone that just has so much experience, rides so well and trains so well,” stated Schoeppach. “It was an honor to share the title with her. “
aboard a 13-year-old paint registered The Mafia Boss that she simply calls Bossy. He has been her go to mount since high school. Bossy helped qualify her for the National High School Finals Rodeo and then the College National Finals Rodeo while she was competing for Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.
38 WPRA NEWS FEBRUARY 2024
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting