UNEXPECTED SURPRISE Lockhart Lands Third Average World Title After Action Packed 10th Round By Joe Kusek
L isa Lockhart and her horse Levee were almost at the warm-up tent when Grady Lockhart tugged at her sleeve to get his wife to stop. “You’ve won the average. Get back out there,” said her husband, motioning toward the loud arena and the victory lap horse. Lockharts were just as stunned as everybody else inside the sold-out Thomas and Mack Center. In just minutes, Lisa Lockhart vaulted from fourth to first to win the barrel racing average at the 65th Annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge. “I was getting ready to take the horse back to the trailer,” said the horsewoman from Oelrichs, South Dakota. “How quickly things change.” Lockhart and her talented seven-year-old gray gelding made 10 clean runs in 137.18 seconds to earn $209,096 at professional rodeo’s premier event. She won the final round in a time of 13.54 seconds as the icing on the cake. She also won the third round in a time of 13.51 seconds. When all things were tabulated, Lockhart finished as reserve world champion in the final standings with $343,688. In the ninth round, the 17-time Wrangler NFR qualifier became the WPRA’s career money leader with a second-place finish. Lockhart has earned $3,510,066 since joining the WPRA in 1993. She passed four-time world champion Sherry Cervi ($3,388,790) while new world champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi is third with $3,348,318. The mother of three is also the WPRA’s career money leader at the Wrangler NFR with $1,712,318 won under the bright lights of Las Vegas. “Thirty years ago, when I got my pro card, there were no goals of this
magnitude in mind,” said Lockhart. “It was just ‘Work hard and be the best you can be.’ And I’m still working at it every day.” That work ethic put her in position for a wild finish. Entering the 10th round, only .98 seconds separated Tonozzi, Kassie Mowry, Jordon Briggs and Lockhart in the average. Lockhart, the second one out, opened with a time of 13.54 seconds. “I wasn’t sure if 13.5 was going to hold up and place,” she said. Mowry, Tonozzi and Briggs followed and all uncharacteristically had downed barrels, allowing Lockhart to climb the average standings. “A lot transpired in 10 minutes. This is pretty emotional because it was such a surprise,” said a teary-eyed Lockhart, trying to digest the massive momentum shift. “Obviously, it means more when it’s unexpected. The element of surprise is rewarding itself. “I know how hard it (the average title) is to attain. It means that we were rewarded for our effort. It has been a good journey.” The 2023 NFR average title was Lockhart’s third in her illustrious career with the other two coming in 2014 and 2016. “I could have never scripted this,” continued Lockhart. “Winning the round, average and reserve in the world was totally unexpected.” Lockhart entered the Wrangler NFR fifth in the world standings. After opening with a time of 14.16 seconds, her last nine runs were all sub-14- seconds with a differential of just .55 seconds. She and Levee placed in seven rounds, winning rounds three and 10. Their best time was 13.41 seconds which placed second in the ninth round. “Levee just got stronger as the NFR went on,” Lockhart said of the horse registered Promise Me Fame Guys by Aint Seen Nothin Yet and out of Bar Blue Lass. Lisa Lockhart and Promise Me Fame Guys “Levee” took home the 2023 Wrangler NFR average title after navigating the cloverleaf pattern 10 times faster than anyone else in the field. Lockhart won her third average title in a total time of 137.18 seconds on 10 runs. In so doing she also finished as the reserve world champion with $343,688. WPRA photo by Kenneth Springer
Lisa Lockhart competing in her 17th consecutive NFR was as shocked as anyone to win the average title after an action-packed 10th round. The average title was Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi’s to lose going into the 10th round but a downed barrel by not only the world champion but also by Kassie Mowry and Jordon Briggs and a clean run by Lockhart had her taking the victory lap inside the Thomas and Mack on the final night. The cherry on top was that Lockhart also won the round in a time of 13.54 seconds. WPRA photo by Kenneth Springer
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24 WPRA NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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