Meet the Horsepower Giving Barrel Racers Their Edge at the NFR

In reality, very few horses get to see the inside of the Thomas and Mack arena in December. Without question, those who walk on the hallowed ground are indeed in a class by themselves.

The top 15 barrel racers in the world will roll into Las Vegas with very precious cargo following behind them. Here is a snapshot of the elite athletes fans will get to cheer for as they run down the alleyway.

Force the Goodbye and Kassie Mowry

The 2024 World Champion Barrel Racer, Kassie Mowry comes into the 2025 NFR in the lead again and in a commanding fashion. After only entering 28 rodeos, Mowry leads the field with $203,445.

The incredible bay gelding, Jarvis, will headline the story for most as he has been nothing but stellar all year long.

Pedigree of Force the Goodbye — All Breed Pedigree

Sir Epic and Brittany Tonozzi

Tonozzi will be making her 18th appearance at the National Finals Rodeo. The Texas talent has amassed more than $3.6 million in her illustrious career and it isn't slowing down any time soon.

Sir Epic and Tonozzi have been a force over the last two years and the duo will be tough in Las Vegas. Tonozzi recently won the third round of the Mountain States Circuit finals in statement fashion on the good-looking grey gelding.

Pedigree of Sir Epic — All Breed Pedigree

Ivory On Fire and Emily Beisel

"Liza" is certainly one to watch in the group of talented horses Emily Beisel will show up with at the Thomas and Mack. Beisel will be making her seventh appearance and each and every time, she is locked and loaded with equine talent.

In 2025 she won first at four rodeos and came up reserve champion at nine more. Together, Beisel and her team earned more than $189,000 on the season to place them in the number three position headed into Round No. 1.

Pedigree of Ivory on fire. — All Breed Pedigre

DM Sissy Hayday and Hailey Kinsel

What's left to say about this duo? The crowd will go wild and "Sister" will show us all the traditional headshake as she shows off in the arena. The pair is nearly guaranteed at least one round win when they pull on the grounds of the NFR.

pedigree of DM Sissy Hayday — All Breed Pedigree

Seis Corona and Megan McLeod-Sprague

McLeod-Sprague is making her first appearance at the NFR, but she is no rookie to the winner's circle. After joining the WPRA in 1997, the Idaho cowgirl is known throughout the industry for always having incredible horsepower.

A strong showing in Sioux Falls was a great preview into how this team might perform in Las Vegas.

pedigree of Seis Cornona — All Breed Pedigree

Blazin ta Betty and Lisa Lockhart

For many years now, Lisa Lockhart has been associated with buckskin horses. So, to see her come running down the alley on a sorrel mare was a shock for many. But, that's not where the impression stopped. Blazin ta Betty has dropped some incredible runs picking up championship titles.

In preparation for the NFR in 2024, Lockhart chose to run the mare at The Hondo Rodeo Fest and the duo looked outstanding. As of the date of publishing, Lockhart said Betty was the choice.

pedigree of Blazin ta Betty — All Breed Pedigree

AM Regina George and Carlee Otero

Carlee Otero just keeps showing up with incredible horses. When the little package of dynamite comes running down the alley, people take notice. In the 2025 season, Otero crossed the million dollar mark in career earnings while also qualifying for her fifth trip to the NFR.

She had all the success on a variety of horses this year but she is choosing to name "Regina" known as AM Regina George as her main mount coming into Round No. 1.

pedigree of AM Regina George — All Breed Pedigree

RV Two Dash Ta Vegas and Anita Ellis

There are a lot of things fitting about the horse's registered name that will be arriving at the Thomas and Mack with superstar Anita Ellis. To begin with Ellis hasn't really yet chosen who will be the "main" mount so we will feature both. To top that, who couldn't give the headline to a horse named Dash ta Vegas? Ellis and RV Two Dash Ta Vegas certainly did that.

In her first appearance at the NFR, Ellis is coming in with a lot of confidence. She made the world take notice when she made incredible runs at the Calgary Stampede on not one but two different horses.

pedigree for RV Two Dash Ta Vegas — All Breed Pedigree

Ellis will also have SGL Rico and just like stated above about Calgary, this horse is 100% capable of drawing a big check at the NFR. It won't matter which horse Ellis chooses each night, she will be a bullet.

pedigree for SGL Rico — All Breed Pedigree

Jettin ta Heaven and Halyn Lide

Lide was on the bubble for a good bit of the last full month of the regular season, but the pressure never got to this incredible duo. Lide and her sorrel mount just kept coming at the competition picking up check after check.

Both Lide and her sister-in-law, Katelyn Scott had to battle to the very end to see if they would make the cut. The family proved they have ice water in their veins because both of the talents will be seen at the NFR for the first time in 2025.

pedigree for Jettin ta Heaven — All Breed Pedigree

KN Fames Best Yet and Tayla Moeykens

After finishing in the No. 16 hole for the 2024 season, Tayla Moeykens took the lessons learned and engaged full steam ahead in 2025. When the cutoff happened, this young Montana cowgirl left no question whether she would be headed to Vegas in 2025. Finishing in No. 10, Moeykens is excited to make her first trip and looks to add to her season earnings of more than $142,500.

Moeykens has won at every level and has an experienced rodeo family standing behind her to get her through the grueling 10 days of Vegas. We look for her to find her way to several round checks.

pedigree for KN Fames Best Yet — All Breed Pedigree

Adios Pantalones and Tricia Aldridge

The duo of "Adios" and Tricia Aldridge has become an internet sensation. The palomino stallion has earned a lot of wins in his short time in the arena. So many so that he is the all-time winningest stallion in futurity history.

Aldridge has done a great job of documenting the horse and their journey to their first NFR qualification. Together they have amassed more than $141,000 in their first full year of WPRA competition. Now, how much will they win in Vegas?

pedigree for Adios Pantalones — All Breed Pedigree

Buncha Dinero and Hayle Gibson-Stillwell

This duo came right down to the wire to make their first qualification to the NFR. While it might have taken a little longer to make sure she was in, Gibson-Stillwell has been setting the rodeo arena on fire all year. She won 11 rodeos and was the co-champion at two more. Following those performances, she was the reserve champion at six more.

"Piper" registered as Buncha Dinero is Gibson-Stillwell's first home-raised foal. The success rate these two have had is impressive. In 2025, Piper ran at 59 PRCA rodeos and got a check at 41 of them.

pedigree for buncha dinero — All Breed Pedigree

Steal Money and Wenda Johnson

Barrel racing fans everywhere have come to know both the horse and rider names here. Finishing the year in the No. 13 position in the World Standings, Johnson will be making her sixth appearance in Las Vegas.

The 2025 season was good from start to finish for Johnson as she picked up the win in Odessa, Texas which is one of the first winter rodeos to kick off the season and then she finished the season winning Amarillo, Texas which is held on some of the very last days of the season.

Steal Money and Tempting Moon Dash will make the trip to Vegas with the opportunity to run down the alley. Fans everywhere come to the fence to watch "Mo" round the pattern.

Pedigree for Steal Money — All Breed Pedigree

Pedigree for Tempting Moon Dash — All Breed Pedigree

Born On Derby Day and Andrea Busby

In 2024 Andrea Busby made her first trip to the NFR and ended the year earning the coveted NFR Average Title. Not only did she run the fastest total time on 10 runs for 2024, but she set a new record for all to try to beat.

While the horse she accomplished that task on won't be going to Vegas this year, Busby has a trailer full of talent. Born On Derby Day has looked impressive all season and as Busby said, "She has earned the right to be the 'one' in Vegas."

pedigree for Born On Derby Day — All Breed Pedigree

Justa DTF Frenchman and Katelyn Scott

It truly all came down to the wire for Katelyn Scott and her team of horses to make the cut for the 2025 NFR. Scott did it in fashion though. Regardless of the fact that she wasn't qualified into Sioux Falls, this Texas cowgirl just put her head down and made the best of the month of September.

In the last month of the season alone, Scott picked up checks totaling $34,290 to ensure she was headed to Vegas. She plans on using Justa DTF Frenchman who is better known as "Peanut" as her main mount.

pedigree of Justa DTF Frenchman — All Breed Pedigree