Rodeo Daily

Breakout Star Emerges at Incredibly Tough Austin Barrel Racing Qualifier

Rodeo Austin held an extremely competitive qualifier in Stephenville, Texas. Many past NFR qualifiers attended and the horse power was unbelievable and fun to watch.
Maddy Dickens|
Kynzie Rae McNeill

Denver, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston are notorious indoor winter rodeos for the added money that these rodeos put up for contestants as well as the restricted limits on who gets to compete.

For a long time these rodeos did not allow contestants the opportunity to get into these rodeos unless they met the exact set of standards that were set, usually around the previous year's world standings. However, times are changing.

This year Denver, San Antonio, and Austin all held a qualifier, of some sort, for anybody who owns a professional card to enter. Austin just recently had their qualifier in Stephenville, Texas. This was a one header and the top 20 would move on to Rodeo Austin.

Out of about 150 contestants, qualifiers 13-20 had less than a tenth of a second separating themselves.

At the end of the day it was Kynzie McNeill who led the pack. She was aboard her young gelding Vizion. He is a 7-year-old gelding by He's a Famous Bugs and out of a Firewater Flit mare. This past year was his first chance to hit some of the rodeos in the Turquoise Circuit and he would then go on to qualify for their first circuit finals as a team.

McNeill acquired him as a 2-year-old and brought him up slow. During his futurity years he only went to 7, but won over $40,000. It appears that she has picked one of the best times to start hauling him to rodeos. Last summer alone he won Flasgstaff (arena record), Monticello, and El Paso (arena record).

This pair is already starting to turn heads. Austin and Tuscon have been their only two runs at rodeos this year. They qualified for the short go at Tuscon and then won the Austin qualifier. Moving forward, Kynzie hopes to get him some opportunities at the bigger rodeos and take it from there when summer rolls around!

Kynzie didn't get to rodeo much last year, but she is headed to Austin now with a great chance to keep winning. Competitors are so grateful for the opportunity that some of these bigger indoor rodeos are setting up for them. Hopefully this continues on and viewers keep getting the chance to see a great horse race!

Full Results

Barrel racing:
1. Kynzie McNeill, 15.40 seconds, $5,189
2. Londyn Ross, 15.51, $4,151
3. Randee Prindle, 15.60, $3,373
4. Emma Charleston, 15.61, $2,594
5. Jolene Montgomery, 15.64, $2,076
6. BryAnna Haluptzok, 15.68, $1,557
7. Chloe Gray, 15.70, $1,297
8. Tasha Welsh, 15.73, $1,168
9. (tie) McKinlee Paschal, Tana Renick and Kim Squires, 15.75, $908 each
12. Sissy Winn, 15.77, $649
13. Maggie Wright, 15.80, $519
14. Kristi Cole, 15.81, $389
15. Ryann Pedone, 15.82, $259

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens is a professional barrel racer, with success at all levels of rodeo and competition. She was a reserve National Collegiate Champion at Tarleton State University where she graduated with honors and a Masters in Business Management. She also competed as part of the Mountain States Circuit where she was Rookie of the Year and a 2x qualifier for finals. Maddy resides in Loveland, Colo. She spends most of her free time riding, training and competing in barrel racing. When she is not on a horse or in the arena, she enjoys following collegiate and professional basketball and football, traveling, and is always up for a “friendly” competition.

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