"Wonder Woman" Routier and Missy Surpass $1M in Earnings

Jessica Routier is known as the "Wonder Woman" of barrel racing. She is a devoted wife and mother of five who manages a full-time ranch with her family in Badlands, S.D. She has also competed in the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) for six consecutive years, all on one mare named Missy.

Missy (Fiery Miss West) is a 2011 palomino mare by Firewater Frenchman, out of Frenchmans Bo Dashus, by Royal Quick Dash. Missy is owned by Gary Westergren of Lincoln, Neb.

Routier's journey with Missy began when she started working for Westergren in 2011. They developed a system where Routier would train Westergren's colts for barrels and also use them on the Routier ranch.

"Gary's ultimate goal was to have one run at the NFR, but in my mind I knew how difficult that was so it wasn't something we were actively trying to do," said Routier.

In 2015, Routier retired her main rodeo horse, Smoothie (Especials Smoothie), and she thought her chances of competing in the NFR were slipping away. However, she saw something in Missy.

"Missy just started out as a winner," said Routier.

During Missy's five-year-old year, Routier and her husband Riley added twin daughters and another daughter to their family, so Missy went to Routier's good friend, Ashley Day, of Volborg, Mont., to futurity and earn some money before Routier took her back to futurity on her own.

In 2017, Routier decided to try Missy on the rodeo side of barrel racing. Together they won the Badlands Circuit Finals, which qualified them for the RAM National Circuit Finals in 2018 where they finished second. That then qualified them for the Calgary Stampede and set off a snowball effect that continued throughout the rodeo season, qualifying them for their first NFR in 2018.

Missy played a pivotal role in Routier's success. The team then qualified for the NFR six consecutive years from 2018 to 2023.

"It was Missy who got us there. With my family, I had always kind of drug my feet to get out and go rodeo and Missy forced me to do it and go to the next one. I was just along for the ride, Missy told me to hold on" said Routier.

Although Routier has always brought a backup horse to the NFR, Missy has been the primary choice to run down the alley. Missy has run in all 60 NFR rounds that Routier has participated in.

At the 2023 NFR, Missy crossed the $1 million mark in earnings after receiving their sixth-place check in Round 6. Every dollar of the $1 million has been won with Routier, except for a couple of hundred dollars won with Day during Missy's futurity year.

Missy's accomplishments were not limited to money. She also won the 2023 Horse with the Most Heart award, which was voted on by all the other barrel racers who made the NFR.

"Every horse that's here has so much heart or they wouldn't be here, but to have all the barrel racers vote for her is incredible". said Routier.

The ranch work helped teach Missy how to handle immense pressure and taught her grit, which she carried over into the rodeo world.

"She [Missy] even worked the alley on the ranch when we would sort cattle. If she could handle the alley back home, the alley at the Thomas and Mack would be a breeze," said Routier.

Routier and Missy finished the 2023 season ninth in the WPRA world standings with $194,843 and sixth in the average with a total time of 142.76 on 10 runs at the 2023 NFR.