NFR Qualifying Barrel Horse Produces Winners in Two Events at Governor's Cup

During the 2024 National Finals Rodeo (NFR), we saw a few special horses leave an incredible impact in that tiny yellow arena. The challenging setup and long rodeo are challenging for even the best, but each year, there are horses that simply own the Thomas and Mack.

One of those equine athletes competed in the steer wrestling, amassing over $250,000 throughout the ten-day rodeo. Owned by Justin Shaffer, Telle Em PYC is better known as "Banker."

Banker helped Shaffer qualify for the NFR, along with his traveling partner, Tucker Allen. Although it was his first trip to Las Vegas for the "Super Bowl of rodeo," Banker was outstanding under the high-pressure conditions.

He carried Shaffer and Allen both to multiple checks throughout the NFR, including a hefty average check for Allen. When things were not clicking for Jesse Brown midway through the finals, he asked if he could ride Banker. For the back half of the NFR, Brown and Banker were unstoppable, earning three of five round wins.

Again with Banker's help, Shaffer and Allen will return to the 2025 NFR. Shaffer is currently No. 3 at $155,773 and Allen is No. 5 at $149,105. Shaffer and Banker are coming off an incredible weekend at the Governor's Cup in Sioux Falls, S.D. With the fastest time of the rodeo at 3.0 seconds winning Round 2 for $11,911, they made their way into the final round, where they took another win for $32,000.

Jesse Brown is the No. 2 man in the World Standings, with $162,157 earned. He also rode Banker in Sioux Falls, where he banked nearly $11,000. Out of the four men competing in the final round of the steer wrestling, two were aboard Banker (Shaffer and Brown).

Banker, who is sired by PYC Paint Your Wagon is out of the great mare Tell Em Belle. Owned by Woodbury Performance Horses (also the owner of Lisa Lockhart's mount and 2025 Cheyenne Frontier Days Champion, Rosas Cantina CC), Tell Em Belle qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in the barrel racing.

Banker competes in professional rodeo alongside his half brother, who followed in their mother's footsteps with a career in barrel racing.

Megan McLeod-Sprague and "Jag" (Seis Corona) have made waves this year in the barrel racing. The duo came out of the winter building rodeos incredibly strong and continued to ride that wave throughout 2025 to a top five finish in the WPRA World Standings.

Jag is also out of Tell Em Belle and by leading barrel horse sire, Dash Ta Fame. McLeod-Sprague and Jag won Round 1, finished second in Round 2, and third in both the Semi-Finals and Finals in Sioux Falls, earning nearly $37,000.

Heading to their first NFR, it had to be an incredibly exciting weekend for McLeod-Sprague with Jag shining in a small setup, similar to the Thomas and Mack. The duo earned wins and huge paydays at some of the biggest rodeos of the entire year, including the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, and the Calgary Stampede.

Woodbury Performance Horses shared this fun post on social media highlighting the two superstar athletes as they headed into the finals at Sioux Falls:

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