The National Finals Rodeo is underway in Las Vegas and the world standings race is heated.

Pre-Round 10 Update

Here is the unofficial breakdown for what has to happen in the race every barrel racer has their eye on: the world championship. It’s going to come down to the final performance, and all though there are very outside chances, here are the four main cowgirls who have a gold buckle within reach.

It’s Hailey Kinsel’s to lose. She has a $34,181 lead over Jordon Briggs, thanks in part to a wild round win in Round 9. Kinsel is also in the last hole of the aggregate, and she would have to majorly stub her toe to lose out on her No. 8 aggregate position. She has about .8 ahead of the No. 9 position, which belongs to Flordia cowgirl Margo Crowther.

The closest upset to Kinsel is regular-season earnings leader, Jordon Briggs. Briggs is projected at No. 4 in the aggregate, which would pay $34,976. She currently trails Kinsel by $34,181, but Kinsel is solid at No. 8 in the aggregate, which will pay $6,995. The difference after the current placings is $6,200, so Briggs would need to place at No. 5 in the go-round, which would pay $7,461.60 and put her just above Kinsel in the world.

In short, here’s how Lisa Lockhart and Wenda Johnson play into the world standings race, all though more steps would have to take place.

Pre-Round 9 Update

The aggregate race continues to be drama-filled each night inside the Thomas & Mack. Round 8 saw Briggs turn in a solid 13.59 to be just out of placing in one of the fastest round of barrel racing so far. Aggregate leader Wenda Johnson knocked the third can and pushed herself back to No. 6 in the aggregate. Pre-Round 8, Johnson was No. 1 in the projected world standings, but Briggs is back in the hunt.

Sissy Winn bumped her final turn and it fell in slow motion, adding five seconds to her run and knocking her back to No. 7 in the aggregate from top-three territory. Only Shelley Morgan and Bayleigh Choate have stayed clean on eight runs.

Leslie Smalygo topped the round with the fastest run of the week, a 13.41, and Emily Beisel is now around $1,000 away from officially joining the $1 Million-earning barrel racer club after placing No. 2 in the round with a 13.43. Lisa Lockhart helped herself out in the world standings race after placing No. 3 and earning $17,254.95 to her year-end total. Lockhart still holds No. 3 in the aggregate race.

In No. 4, Hailey Kinsel added $12,125 to her total earnings, and is still holding at No. 8 in the aggregate with two downed barrels in Rounds 1 and 6. Her projected standings with an eighth-place aggregate finish still put her No. 3 in the world standings if it was over Pre-Round 9.

Pre-Round 8 Update

The crowd inside the Thomas & Mack gasped whenever Lisa Lockhart’s grey gelding ,Levee, hit the third barrel with his shoulder during Round 7, shaking up the aggregate and potential world standings.

Wenda Johnson added another go-round win to her week and has set herself up to take the driver’s seat of the aggregate with a 96.55 on seven runs, while Shelley Morgan has moved into the No. 2 slot just .10 behind Johnson. Only four cowgirls have kept all the barrels standing in Las Vegas: Johnson, Morgan, Sissy Winn and Bayleigh Choate. Mathematically the world standings race is still open, but Briggs sits No. 1 with $232,082 earned, just under $7,000 ahead of challenger Hailey Kinsel. Depending on which cowgirls maintain their aggregate position, Briggs and Lockhart both have the chance to place deep in the aggregate, further adding to the drama.

Pre-Round 7 Update

Lisa Lockhart grabbed the aggregate lead in Round 3 and hasn’t let go. The South Dakota cowgirl is at her 16th National Finals Rodeo and hungry for her first world title. She jumped from the No. 14 position to No. 3 and has placed in five out of six go-rounds to earn a total of $97,440.62 in 2022 NFR earnings after Round 6.

• Brittany’s Back, Beisel’s Bad and Barrels Are Down: NFR Round 6 Barrel Racing
• Listen to The First 6 Round Winners’ Full Post-Run Interviews at the 2022 NFR
• NFR Timer Equalizes 30-Year Age Gap Between Lockhart and Kinsel

Jordon Briggs entered the NFR in the No. 1 position with a $50,000 lead over No. 2 Dona Kay Rule, but her position was upset by three-time world champion Hailey Kinsel and DM Sissy Hayday, “Sissy.” Kinsel has earned $105,834.92 over six rounds and moved up from her original No. 5 slot. Briggs’ $44,509.90 hasn’t been enough to ward off Kinsel for the time being, but Briggs still holds down No. 6 in the aggregate despite a disappointing downed barrel in Round 6, a check that would add $18,187.21 to her earnings.

Briggs is the highest-placing cowgirl with a downed barrel in the aggregate.

Full NFR Round-by-Round Barrel Racing Payout

NFR Barrel Racing Aggregate Standings

Pre-Round 10

Unofficial WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings

Pre-Round 9