2023 WRANGLER NFR ROUND BY ROUND By Ann Bleiker, Photos by Kenneth Springer
utilized it so was very determined tonight to use it to the best of my ability,” stated the Oelrichs, South Dakota cowgirl. “I try to not put too much pressure on it as it is definitely best to be on top of the ground, but it has proven you can also win at the bottom of the ground. So, I tried not to overthink it but tried to utilize it.”
WINN WINS ROUND 1 OF THE 2023 WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO It was a winning night for Sissy Winn at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the first round on December 8, 2023. After a postponed campus of UNLV on Wednesday, December 6 the 2023 edition kicked off in fine fashion. Being 11th on the ground in a round that saw lots of downed barrels Winn and A R Dash Ta Flame “Scoop” took care of business laying down a 13.71 second run to get her first-round win at the “Super Bowl of Rodeo.” “I am just so excited. I had a good feeling about tonight on Scoop, but I didn’t think it was going to be No. 1,” stated Winn after her victory lap. “Last year was my rookie year here at the NFR and I definitely let those nerves get to me. I had all these plans in my mind. This year we were going for it.” Winn knocked No. 1 barrel racer Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi off the top of the leaderboard for the round. Pozzi Tonozzi aboard Jets Top Gun “Benny” was first out on the ground and set the pace with a 13.75 second run. HILLMAN BROUGHT THE HEAT ON NIGHT NO. 2 AT THE WRANGLER NFR first round on Thursday, December 7, following the tragic shooting on the
Lockhart was aboard Promise Me Fame Guys “Levee” owned by Teton Ridge and the 7-year-old gelding gave his jockey a quick ride around the cloverleaf pattern inside the Thomas and Mack. Lockhart has brought some great ones to Las Vegas so we asked her what makes Levee so special in this pen. “Consistency and he loves his job,” stated Lockhart about Levee. “He wants to do the same thing every time so that takes the guess work out of it as a jockey. When you know you just have to do your job and they are going to do theirs and you can count on that team effort it gives you so much confidence.” Lockart and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi have each qualified for rodeo’s “super bowl” 17 times and they too were impressed with the tight race in the second round of action. “Brittany and I were talking about it in the warm-up pen and how tough it was and the toughest we have ever seen,” noted Lockhart. “It was astronomical how it could really be that tight.” WINN BACK TO HER WINNING WAYS ON NIGHT NO. 4
The WPRA barrel racers put on a show during the second round. From top to bottom it was a race to the finish and eight-time NFR qualifier Stevi Hillman took the victory lap on Saturday night. Hillman was aboard Sand in My Socks “Sandi” and they stopped the clock in
Sissy Winn went back to what got her to the winner’s circle on the first night of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge and it landed her back in the winner’s circle for the second time. Winn of Chapman, Texas, made her first NFR appearance in 2022 and that
13.62 seconds narrowly edging NFR rookie Summer Kosel with a 13.63-second run. Hillman of Granbury, Texas was 10th out on the ground which seemed to suit the duo just fine. “That round was really tough, and I didn’t leg lift last night and it cost me some money,” stated Hillman of Granbury, Texas. “Tonight, I just focused on riding square and that mare took care of me. “It is just so fun to run with that kind of competition and I am grateful to be here (in the winner’s circle).” Times in this round ranged from 13.62 to 13.91, Sissy Winn was only one outside that with two downed barrels. FAN FAVORITE LISA LOCKHART GETS RD 3 WIN AT WRANGLER NFR Third round and some high school classmates from Montana were the good luck charm for Lisa Lockhart who got the victory lap on Sunday night. Lockhart, who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 17 straight years took advantage of being the first runner out and she set the bar high with a quick 13.51 second run. “Honestly I have been top of the ground before and actually not
experience is paying dividends for both her and her horse A R Dash Ta Flame “Scoop.” During the fourth round they stopped the clock in a time of 13.50 seconds, the fastest yet of this year’s rodeo. “I rode like I did the first night,” stated Winn after capturing her second round win. “I went back to the basics and just watched that first run over and over again. I watched a lot of runs that I ran small pens on him. The last two nights, I was just getting too tense and working too hard to make it clean. It went together tonight.” Winn picked up another cool $30,706 to move her NFR earnings to $71,413. Only No. 1 barrel racer Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi has won more NFR money thus far this year with $77,851. The other big news of the night was that 17-time NFR qualifier Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi surpassed the $1 million mark in NFR earnings alone with a second place finish on night No. 4. She now joins the NFR $1 million Club that includes Lisa Lockhart, Sherry
14 WPRA NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online