"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.