No. 3 Ranked Barrel Racer in the World Shatters Arena Record at Calgary Stampede

The first gunners in a star-studded round of barrel racing, Hayle Gibson-Stillwell and her great mare Buncha Dinero ("Piper"), earned their place in the record books once again on Showdown Sunday in Calgary, Alberta.

At the iconic Calgary Stampede, Gibson-Stillwell and Piper shattered the arena record, stopping the clock at 16.56 seconds.

From each of the three pools, the top three highest money earners moved on to Showdown Sunday for a round of nine. The top four from that round came back to compete for the biggest prize of the "Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth," $50,000.

In the round of nine, Gibson-Stillwell was the first cowgirl to run in an incredible lineup. From 2018 Calgary Stampede Champion Hailey Kinsel to Heidi Gunderson, who made her way through the qualifier, every horse in the field proved they were capable of running 16-second times in the massive pen.

Throughout the week, the arena record has already fallen once. In Pool B, Michelle Alley briefly took the arena record from Kassie Mowry, with a time of 16.72 seconds. Just a handful of runs later, Mowry and her great gelding, Force The Goodbye, came back with a 16.68-second run to once again stake their claim.

A testament to what a knowledgeable ground crew can accomplish in consistency and safety, countless 16-second runs abounded throughout all three pools and Showdown Sunday. In the round of nine, five cowgirls stopped the clock at under 17 seconds. Michelle Alley tipped a barrel but clocked in at 16.91 seconds.

Gibson-Stillwell led the pack with her blistering-fast 16.56-second run. Not far behind, Carlee Otero rode Blingolena to a 16.67.

One of the qualifiers for the prestigious event, Heidi Gunderson, was riding five-year-old futurity phenom, Wonder If Im Lucky, for a 16.68-second time. Both Gunderson's and Otero's runs would have been arena record contenders earlier in the week.

Barrel racers had to be 16.75 or faster to earn a seat in the final four, another incredibly tight race.

Gibson-Stillwell had the top of the ground once again, coming back with a 16.819-second run. Otero's 16.833 came close, but not quite, to surpassing her for the top of the leaderboard. Gunderson clocked in at 17.201.

The final runner, Hailey Kinsel, topped the round with a 16.802, just .017 seconds faster than Gibson-Stillwell for the win.

The California cowgirl and her home-raised palomino finished in second place for $20,000.

Though she may not be taking home the bronze, Gibson-Stillwell is leaving Calgary $35,750 richer and will make a big move in the World Standings, where she was ranked No. 3 as of July 7, 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google