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WPRA Barrel Racing Bubble Watch: The Race for the NFR Heats Up

Originally posted on Rodeo on SI | By Kate Robinson | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 8:11 PM ET

With less than two months left in the regular season, rodeo athletes nationwide are striving to secure a spot at the National Finals Rodeo in December. The top 20 WPRA barrel racers are locked in a fierce battle to the finish.

The top 15 ladies will see the inside of the Thomas and Mack and that leaves the girls looking in from the outside on the bubble. These competitors are on the cusp of securing their spot, but have a little way to go before the season wraps up.

Sitting in No. 16 is Chloe Gray. With just over $81,000 on the season, she stands the closest to making the top 15, just behind Wenda Johnson, who has earned $91,000 this season. In 2025 so far, Gray won the Laramie Jubilee Days, Sheridan WYO Rodeo, Toppenish Rodeo, and most recently, Omak, Wash. It will take a few more wins for the athlete to pass Johnson and overtake the No. 15 spot.

The No. 17 spot in the world standings belongs to Paige Jones. With just over $80,000 on the season, Jones is inches away from Gray’s No. 16 spot, although overcoming Johnson’s rank will take more than one win in order to secure her a spot at the NFR. The Oklahoma native has been trying to find her way back to Vegas.

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In the middle of the bubble at No. 18 is Leslie Smalygo and her trustee partner, “Gus”. She is chasing her third NFR qualification, sitting at over $79,000 in earnings. With her only win coming from the Oklahoma City ProRodeo, she has to bring her A-game in order to qualify for the NFR.

Bringing up the No. 19 spot is Katie Jo Halbert, only $2,000 behind Smalygo, with nearly $78,000, she stands to move up in the standings and secure a spot into the limited entry rodeos at the beginning of next season, even if she doesn’t clinch an NFR spot.

She most recently took home a victory at Logan, Utah, on her way to the northwest run by two full tenths of a second, which is almost unheard of these days.

Rounding out the bubble placements at No. 20 is LaTricia Duke. With one NFR qualification to show, coming just last year, she’s racing towards the end of the season, pushing for another. She’s earned almost $76,000 this year with a win at the Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede, Canyonlands PRCA Rodeo, Heritage Rodeo, and the Red Bluff Round-Up.

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With each rider pushing to make their mark at the NFR, the top 15 athletes will run down the alley of Thomas and Mack come December. The top three barrel racers in the world are a trio of former world champions- Kassie Mowry, Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi, and Hailey Kinsel.

As the season races toward its finish, we’ll see who takes home the title by the end. These girls don’t need big wins to do it, but they need to stay consistent over the next few weeks and pull as many checks as possible.

This article first appeared on Rodeo on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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