PROMISING FUTURE Smith Top Barrel Racer at Inaugural Rookie Roundup By Josie Fladager T wenty-year-old Presley Smith was crowned the inaugural Cowboy Channel Rookie Roundup presented by Resistol barrel racing champion inside the historic Cowtown Coliseum on April 30. This win moved Smith to second in the Resistol Rookie Standings with total winnings just over $15,500 so far for 2022.
Traveling about eight hours from Denham Springs, Louisiana, Smith made a solid run Friday in the long round of 15 competitors with a time of 14.05 seconds to place second and make it back to the round of eight on Saturday. A time of 13.88 seconds earned her second again and the chance to make another run in the final round of four. After only about an hour rest, Smith’s horse Smooth Movin Guy (barn name Jerry McGuire, or Jerry for short) flew back into Cowtown Coliseum to run a time of 13.82 seconds and win the event. Leading up to the event, Smith was looking forward to being a part of history with the opportunity to compete in the first-ever Rookie Roundup. With the hype the event was creating and winnings to count towards the Resistol Rookie standings, Smith chose to draw out of the Ruby Buckle event in Guthrie, Oklahoma and focus on Fort Worth. The expectation that Jerry would do well in that setup and her family going to be able to make the trip solidified the choice for Smith. After never having the chance to qualify for The American semifinals, Smith was eager to get to run in a select group inside Cowtown. “I was really excited because it kind of had that vibe and intensity about it,” said Smith. Jerry did not disappoint, and Smith was not hesitant to give him, and the team that prepared him for her, credit in her interview with the Cowboy Channel immediately after the win. Throughout high school rodeo, Smith’s main mount was a horse she called Ghost. Her parents bought Jerry, the cow bred gelding as a 3 year old in 2017. Throughout the years, Smith tried to sell Jerry several
times because she thought it would be a good business decision. However, when Ghost encountered a career ending injury during Jerry’s 6-year-old year, Smith’s parents, Rick and Christy Smith, and Molly Childers, who seasoned Jerry in rodeos, insisted that Smith give the buckskin gelding a chance. The team won their first jackpot together and have been blazing a trail ever since. Jerry is now 8 years old, and the pair won second at Athens and placed at Lufkin earlier this year before their win at Fort Worth. “He’s super special to our family. I tried selling him so many times, but he’s not going anywhere now,” Smith declared. While her parents did not own any horses when she was born, Presley talked her dad into promising her a horse when she was 8, with her father thinking the child’s fascination would fade over time. When she turned 8, she began taking riding lessons and worked to prove her dedication to horses, but still didn’t have a horse of her own two weeks before she turned 9. “I told my dad, ‘If you buy me a horse before I turn 9, you didn’t lie to me.’ So needless to say I got a horse,” Smith recalled with a laugh. Smith filled her WPRA Permit on Jerry in 2021 and is having a standout Rookie season for 2022. As far as long term plans go, Smith says she is going to listen to her horses and take it one step at a time. For the immediate future, Smith plans on pursuing the circuit rodeos and hauling with Sarah Rose Waguespack for a summer rodeo run. Smith bought 6-year-old Mister Prime Time, another buckskin gelding, to have a backup for Jerry in the trailer. With Jerry’s outstanding performances in the arena, Smith decided to take a semester off from college with the goal of making it to the continued on page 26 Presley Smith took advantage of a great opportunity to compete in the Rookie Roundup at the end of April, and she and Smooth Movin Guy raced their way to the top of the leaderboard to win the inaugural title. With the win Smith put herself in a great position for the summer run to try and add her name to the list of WPRA Rookies of the Year at season end. As of press time, she is currently third in the rookie standings. Photo by Kenneth Springer
Presley Smith was all smiles in the winner’s circle at the Rookie Roundup at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. Joining Smith was Tom Glause (PRCA), Ricky Bolin (Resistol Hats) and Patrick Gottsch (Cowboy Channel). Photo by Kenneth Springer
JUNE 2022 WPRA NEWS 13
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