Harman Continues Building Momentum in Career-Defining Start to 2026 Season

Gracen Harman had a plan for the coming weekend.

On Wednesday, the Hempstead, Texas, barrel racer made her run at the Clark County Fair and Rodeo in Longdale, Nev., before intending to load up and head to Salina, Utah, for a Women’s Professional Rodeo Association competition April 10-12. The event, which features solely barrel racers and breakaway ropers, is a qualifier for the Calgary Stampede later this year.

One buzz of the phone scrapped all those plans, but in the best way imaginable.

“I just got the call this morning that I was invited to the Calgary Stampede, so that was an exciting call,” Harman said with a laugh. “It’ll be my first time in Calgary. I know that’s a really fun rodeo and I’m looking forward to that one.”

It’s another big moment on a growing list that the up-and-coming cowgirl has experienced this season.

As of Thursday morning, Harman is ninth in the WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings with a little more than $33,100 in earnings. By comparison, she’s less than $1,000 away from eclipsing her total earnings from 2025, when she finished with slightly more than $34,000, placing her 51st in the standings.

It all started back in October when she took third in the average at the Texas Circuit Finals, including three straight round wins to close the event. From there, Harman’s 2026 has been a whirlwind as she qualified for most of the major winter indoor rodeos, including her first trip to RodeoHouston.

“While the outcome wasn’t what I liked, it was still an amazing opportunity to be invited to Houston and get into that rodeo,” Harman said. “It’s like the hometown rodeo for me because we live about an hour from Houston and I’ve been going there since I was a little girl. So to be able to run in it was awesome.”

Little by little, she’s added to her earnings total, including round money in San Antonio and, most recently, from the ABC Pro Rodeo in Levelland, Texas, while finishing runner-up at the Southeastern Livestock Exposition in Montgomery, Ala. back in late March.

The success is thanks in large part to a lot of work over the past two years with her primary mount, King. When Harman picked up the horse a little over two years ago, she quickly learned he could be “a little bit tricky,” and it took a lot of runs to diagnose and adjust to his quirks.

“I think maybe we learned all the what not to do’s before we learned the to-do’s,” Harman joked. “I realized that he just likes specific set ups. He likes a little bit smaller pattern if you can. But he really does like a fence or a wall at the first barrel. It’s just been learning how to handle that first barrel. But he’s just wicked fast. It’s been fun trying to figure him out.”

Additionally, Harman’s trailer depth got a boost last year when her other horse, Chewy, was cleared to start competing again after two years of recovery from surgery. That’s given her a pair of equine partners capable of handling any situation.

It’s all added up to put her 2026 season on a career-changing trajectory. For now, Harman is happy with where she is and looking forward to building on the momentum she’s been able to capture.

Does it end with her first trip to Las Vegas for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this December? That’s still to be determined. Until then, she plans to enjoy the ride.

“It’s awesome. I feel great about it and I feel very blessed. I kind of don’t have very many words for it,” she said. “It’s just been super exciting trying to pick up checks when I can get them. Hopefully everything keeps clicking.”