Women in Rodeo: Makenzie Mayes' Impressive Early Season Run

The 2026 rodeo season is heating up quickly and barrel racers across the country are putting in the work to earn a spot in the top 15. One cowgirl is fresh off winning the 2025 Resistol Rookie of the Year award and is proving she earned that title for a reason.

Mayes Eyes Top 15

Mackenzie Mayes is making her way to the top this year after being crowned at the end of last season. She currently sits at No. 24 in the world standings but she is picking up momentum after winning $101,500 at the Hondo Rodeo with a dominant three-round performance.

Partnered with her mare, Rousey, the duo has been unstoppable so far this season, banking $25,498 in the WPRA as of April 21st.

At the Hondo, which isn’t a PRCA/WPRA approved rodeo, she was a force to be reckoned with as she won Rounds 1 and 2, and secured another check in the finals. Not to mention, she was awarded both the Maverick Award and the three-head average title inside Caesars Superdome.

The 22-year-old cowgirl made waves during her first season, which ultimately won her the Rookie of the Year title. She landed at No. 24 by the end of the season last year, so she is already above where she was this time last season and it’s clear she’s gunning for her first National Finals Rodeo qualification.

Impressive Early Season Runs

She had an amazing run at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado earlier this year. She won Semifinals 2 there, which led her to the finals, where she ultimately fell short. But that doesn’t mean Mayes isn’t hanging with the best of the best in the sport.

She also had a top dollar performance at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo where she earned her way to the Semifinals 2, where she placed second after falling short by just a small margin to the legendary Hailey Kinsel.

She’s marked herself as a true competitor this season as she’s consistently landed on top of the leaderboard, beating out some of barrel racing's best including Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Summer Kosel, Carlee Otero, and LaTricia Duke. This is no easy feat, but clearly Mayes is one to watch this season.

Despite sitting at No. 24 in the world standings, Mayes has big summer rodeos ahead of her with ample opportunity to cash some more checks. She’s only $2,000 behind Blake Molle at No. 23, and is only $5,000 behind Tricia Aldridge, the 2025 reserve world champion.

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