Rodeo Daily

Wheeler Swaggers Her Way to the Top at Diamond Classic Derby

The list of winners in the Diamond Classic Derby boasted multiple million-dollar earners, World Champions, and Horses of the Year.
Teal Stoll|
Taycie Matthews competing at the 2023 WNFR.
Taycie Matthews competing at the 2023 WNFR. | Hillary Maybery for SI Rodeo Daily

The Diamond Classic Main Event had a total of $1,288,500 in added money and prizes for 2025. The massive event included a 2D Derby for nominated horses, with $300,000 added. The "Taylor County Events" were open to all horses, with a $10,000 added Derby. Held at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene, Texas, April 4-13, the Derby had 180 entries.

Round 1

Newly married Blaise Wheeler (Bercegeay) has been absolutely unstoppable lately and her streak carried over to the Derby at the Diamond Classic. In Round 1, she took the top spot with a 15.030 for $8,754 aboard The Goodbye Guy (The Goodbye Lane x Frenchmans Drama x Frenchmans Guy), owned by Scott Duke. "Swagger" is the most recent addition to her running string and she has only made a handful of runs on the talented gelding. She also placed second aboard one of her own mounts, Plea Barrgain (Judge Cash x Cristys First CD x Dash Ta Fame) with a 15.192 for another $6,088.

The top 15 of the Derby was a veritable "who's who" of barrel racing royalty. 2025 American Rodeo Champions, 2024 WPRA World Champions and a two-time Horse of the Year, Kassie Mowry and Force The Goodbye (The Goodbye Lane x VF Forcit First x Burrs First Down) placed third. 2025 American Rodeo Reserve Champions, Taycie Matthews and Fame Fire Rocks (Firewaterontherocks x W R Aces Fame x Dash Ta Fame) took eighth. Chrome Plated Fame (Dash Ta Fame x Rods Last Ladybug x Sharp Rodney), the full sibling to 2025 futurity standout, HP Hotrod, placed ninth with Ashley Schafer. Million dollar mare, Hello Stella (The Goodbye Lane x Go Go Fame x Dash Ta Fame), and Sharin Hall, finished 10th.

Round 2

Alyssa Gabrielson topped the round with an incredibly fast 14.911. Riding Rare Kelly (Darkelly x Man Its Gettin Hot x Rare Bar), she pocketed $8,754. Sharin Hall and Hello Stella were right behind them, with a 14.974 for second. Michelle Alley and the phenomenal Lipstick N Stilletos (RR Mistakelly x Seis Caress x Tres Seis) finished third with a 14.988. Taycie Matthews and Fame Fire Rocks clocked a 15.061, good for fourth.

Blaise Wheeler landed two horses in the 1D again in the round, taking fifth with The Goodbye Guy and sixth on her standout, SBWFeelinThePressure (No Pressure On Me x Feelinthefirewater x JL Dash Ta Heaven) with a 15.118. Ashley Schafer and Chrome Plated Fame finished in the money again, at eighth. Mowry and Force The Goodbye also earned another round check, at 11th.

Average

Earning the $26,263 win in the average was Blaise Wheeler and The Goodbye Guy. She also finished 11th in the average aboard Plea Barrgain.

Alyssa Gabrielson and Rare Kelly placed second, followed closely by Sharin Hall and Hello Stella, Taycie Matthews and Fame Fire Rocks, Michelle Alley and Lipstick N Stilletos, Kassie Mowry and Force The Goodbye, and Ashley Schafer and Chrome Plated Fame - in that order. In that list alone, we have a million-dollar mare (Hello Stella), 2023 WPRA Horse of the Year (Fame Fire Rocks), a million-dollar gelding and World Champion (Force The Goodbye), and two more six-figure earners (Lipstick N Stilettos and Chrome Plated Fame).

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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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