Rodeo Daily

Two Elite Competitors to Attend Panamerican International Barrel Racing Championships

The Triple Crown Senior World Championship has teamed up with the International World Barrel Horse Federation to send two competitors to Panama.
Teal Stoll|
Fernando Sam-Sin/@fsamsin

Each year, the International World Barrel Horse Federation proudly presents its flagship event, the Panamerican International Barrel Racing World Championships. In 2025, the event will be held in Las Lajas de Coronado, Panama, April 4-7.

The International World Barrel Horse Federation strives to grow the sport of barrel racing around the world. Each year, two champions from each country are invited to compete in the Panamerican International World Cup. While the goal is to someday be a part of the Olympics, until then, the Cup will remain the only similar barrel racing competition.

At the one-of-a-kind event, the contestants are not allowed to ride the horse they compete on prior to the event. Not only can they have never ridden the horse, they have never even seen them before. The horses are provided by the host country and horses are drawn. With three rounds of competition, contestants change horses for each round. Only allowed three minutes of warm-up time with each horse prior to their run, riders are truly tested by this format.

The two American competitors who will attend the event this year earned their position through the Triple Crown Senior World Championship (TCSCW), Lance Graves of Hartshorne, Okla. and Sheila Ellis of Carthage, Mo.

They qualified through another unique concept - the TCSCW. An effort of three influential barrel racers - Lance Graves, Martha Josey, and Renea Bolling, this is the first time the TCSCW will be collaborating with the International World Barrel Horse Federation.

Through the three races of the TCSCW, Graves and Ellis earned their positions. The LG Masters is held in conjunction with the LG International Championship in McAlester, Okla. At Martha Josey's ranch, the Josey Gold Cup is the second leg of the "Triple Crown." The third and finale race is the Seniors Only World Championships in Hutchinson, Kan.

The TCSCW Champion and Reserve Champion are determined based on points. Over a total of nine races, those points are combined. Not only are these runs in three different states, they are in three very different arenas, from an outdoor to a very small indoor. The idea behind this is similar to the Thoroughbred Triple Crown, where horses must thrive in three very different races to become the champion.

Graves has had a storied career in barrel racing, training countless champions and winning at every level. He has also been very influential on an international scale, helping to grow the sport and visiting other countries. Graves has competed in the event multiple times. Sheila Ellis qualified aboard Ivory By Choice, a former racehorse. The two have racked countless wins together and the son of Ivory James has now earned Ellis a trip to Panama.

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Teal Stoll
TEAL STOLL

Teal Stoll is a lifelong Wyomingite from a working ranch family of several generations. Both sides of her family have deep roots in rodeo, as contestants and stock contractors. Teal grew up horseback and actively competes in rodeos and barrel races. She has degrees in both business and accounting, which she uses operating her own bookkeeping service. Teal enjoys spending time with her horses, training colts, and maintaining her string of athletes. When she isn’t at the barn, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or on her paddle board at the lake. Teal lives with her fiancee and a plethora of animals, because she can’t say no to a displaced critter with a sad story. When she isn’t on the road running barrels, she spends her time helping with day to day operations on the family ranch.

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