Rodeo Daily

$1 Million Mare Matches Up With New Jockey to Chase $1 Million American Rodeo

The incredible Hello Stella will have a new jockey at the American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas, in April.
Teal Stoll|
Sharin Hall and Hello Stella
Sharin Hall and Hello Stella | Fernando Sam-Sin

There is no other event in rodeo quite like The American. With the "underdogs" eligible for a $1 million payday on top of the $100,000 grand prize in each event, we see some less familiar faces and names on a huge stage. While professional rodeo athletes will also compete, through the qualification system, cowboys and cowgirls of all ages and backgrounds can also earn their position in Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

In professional rodeo, there is a requirement that members must be at least 18 years old and the mens and womens events are separate. Women can compete in the barrel racing, but men cannot. In open events, futurities, and other major barrel races, it is common to see male trainers and jockeys. While the internet might get incredibly upset over this "revelation," some of the best in the business are men.

One of those young up-and-coming trainers is Dale Long. If you follow the aged events of barrel racing, you are likely familiar with his name. Long has trained and jockeyed several winners already in his career. Kicking off their futurity season by placing in the famed Barrel Futurities of America $uper$takes, Long and Saaul Good (Winners Version x Wild FrenchLady x Frenchmans Guy) have over $121,000 in lifetime earnings, per QStallions. Now in their first derby year, Long and the 2020 gelding are still winning.

It was aboard "Sully" that Long punched his ticket to Globe Life Field at the American Contender East Regional Semi-Finals in Lexington at the Kentucky Horse Park, back in January. Although there is no doubt Sully and Long would have been a force to be reckoned with at the American, Sharin Hall posted an exciting announcement on Facebook earlier this week.

Hall fell just short of moving on to Globe Life at the American Central Regional Semi-Finals. Aboard her phenomenal mare, Hello Stella, Hall has ranked countless wins across the country throughout the mares career. From the aged events to rodeos to open and slot race wins, there is not much the duo has not won. Stella, a 2017 mare by The Goodbye Lane and out of the Dash Ta Fame daughter, Go Go Fame, has over $1 million in career earnings.

We noticed this past weekend that Long was aboard Stella at the Elite Extravaganza. Hall posted on Facebook that it was their first competition run together and Dale was "all smiles" after the run, where he placed fourth in the Open 1D in a very salty round. Stella has a style and reputation that brings everyone to the fence to watch her run and Long looked a perfect fit, riding the hard running, hard turning mare.

Brandon Cullins rode another great The Goodbye Lane daughter, MJ Segers Fast Lane, to the $1.1 million victory in 2024. It will certainly be exciting watching Long and Stella run down the alley, hoping to match that incredible accomplishment.

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Teal Stoll
TEAL STOLL

Teal Stoll is a lifelong Wyomingite from a working ranch family of several generations. Both sides of her family have deep roots in rodeo, as contestants and stock contractors. Teal grew up horseback and actively competes in rodeos and barrel races. She has degrees in both business and accounting, which she uses operating her own bookkeeping service. Teal enjoys spending time with her horses, training colts, and maintaining her string of athletes. When she isn’t at the barn, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or on her paddle board at the lake. Teal lives with her fiancee and a plethora of animals, because she can’t say no to a displaced critter with a sad story. When she isn’t on the road running barrels, she spends her time helping with day to day operations on the family ranch.

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