85 Rodeos, One Goal: Tayla Moeykens’ Road to Her First World Title

The No. 7 barrel racer in the world is gunning for her first world title this season.

Tayla Moeykens | WPRA

The women of rodeo know how to make their way to the top of the leaderboard when it counts. With only 15 barrel racers heading to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) Tayla Moeykens is sitting at No. 7 in the world with more rodeos under her belt than anyone else in the top 10.

85 Rodeos Leads To No. 7 in the World

It’s this kind of grit that landed her a second straight qualification to the NFR as she pounded the pavement at 85 total rodeos throughout the 2026 season. She put in more work to earn her $164,788 than almost anyone other than Andrea Busby at No. 15 (99) to land where she is. 

Since joining the WPRA in 2021, Moeykins has been battling her way to the top slowly but surely. After finally securing her first trip to the Thomas & Mack Arena last season, she has only gotten better. The EHV-1 outbreak may have held her back last year, only allowing her to land at No. 15, but she’s coming back better than ever this December. 

Moeykens pulled in wins at 11 rodeos in 2026, a massive feat for anyone but especially for this cowgirl who is looking to come back from behind. She set the bar high for herself, securing the titles at the North Dakota Rough Rider Cup and Cheyenne Frontier Days to round out the season. 

At No. 7 in the world, the cowgirl is higher in the world standings than she has been before, and with so much experience under her belt this season, hopefully with her horses in full health, she can make major waves in the Thomas & Mack Arena.

Major Horse Power Back

Tayla Moeykens' win at Cheyenne Frontier Days helped her rise to No. 7 in the latest WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings. | CFD photo by Click Thompson

Moeykens was held back at the NFR last season after choosing to leave her horses home given the EHV-1 outbreak, but her main mount KN Fames Best Yet (Yeti), a seven -year-old gelding has been back and riding strong all season long. He has been her top earner and delivered major career milestones, including the barrel racing title at the Cheyenne Frontier Days. 

She also has a Pendleton Round-Up winner in her back pocket as well as JM PocketsDoubleDash (Lizard), a 12-year-old gelding trained by her mother, rides along with Moeykens to rodeos. This iconic gelding is a great backup to have in case something similar happens again to last year. 

Moeykens may have nearly $50,000 between her and the No. 1 spot, but it’s clear that this cowgirl is not slowing down this season. As she guns for her first world title, she’ll have to draw on the 85 rodeos she competed at this season to ground herself. It’s that kind of experience and grit that leads to world champions.