Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013
The WNFR barrel racers have to haul their horses a lot of miles to get to Las Vegas, and once they get here they have to decide where they will call home. Behind the Thomas & Mack they build temporary stalls and each timed eventer is assigned two stalls to house their horses. Some contestants let their horses call the Thomas & Mack home for the duration of the event. Others only use their stalls to keep their horse from before grand entry through the end of the performance, choosing to keep them off site overnight. Some horses are at equine resorts and others are kept at ranches of Las Vegas area rodeo friends. Each contestant knows their horses well and they make this decision based on what their horse needs. In some cases contestants feel like they want to approximate their home barn routine or feel that the foot traffic from so many contestants and their horses will make their horses excited all day long. There are three 2013 WNFR barrel racers keeping their horses at the Thomas & Mack. Shada Brazile, Sydni Blanchard and Jean Winters are all keeping their horses right at the arena, which makes going to barrel practice at open arena time easy and it allows their horses to feel at home at the rodeo arena.

Friday, Dec. 13, 2013
Fashion and Funds for a Cause
One of the hottest seats in Las Vegas outside of the Thomas & Mack is at the South Point Hotel & Casino. Each year more than 1,000 people gather for an afternoon of fashion and fund raising. The latest western fashions provided by Wrangler and Panhandle Slim's Rock and Roll cowgirl collection modeled by NFR contestants and their wives. Some of the contestant's children were also on the runway showcasing Wrangler's All-Around Baby collection designed by the WPRA's own Shada Brazile. There were raffle tickets for some amazing prizes. For the eighth year Martin Saddlery has teamed up with WPRA Champion barrel racer Sherry Cervi to donate a beautiful Sherry Cervi barrel saddle to help raise funds for JCCF. The total amount earned for this event surpasses $1 million with over $80,000 raised from today's event. The Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund disperses 100% of all donated funds to injured WPRA cowgirls and PRCA cowboys to ease their financial burden while they recover. All of the first-time NFR qualifiers in the barrel race walked the runway, and they were joined by Christie Loflin and Mary Walker.

First time NFR Barrel Racers Michele McLeod, Taylor Jacob, Sabrina Ketchem and Jane Winters had to learn a dance number for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund Fashion Show. They went through the routine a few times in rehearsals just before the show. Wrangler and Panhandle Slim had racks of clothes for the models to choose their outfit for the stage   Christy Loflin and Mary Walker go through rehearsals with steer wrestler Clayton Haas. In addition to getting a groove on stage, he is helping Mary get Latte down the alley at the NFR. After they chose their clothes for the fashion show Jane Winters, Shada Brazile, Taylor Jacob, Michelle McLeod and Sabrina Ketchem got a chance to hang out back stage. Christie Loflin, Mary Walker and Sabrina Ketchem watch while Michelle McLeod gets some help in getting ready for the runway from her daughter. Shada Brazile and Sabrina Ketchem modeling the latest western fashion during the Just Cowboy Crisis Fund fashion show. The first time NFR qualifiers Taylor Jacob, Sabrina Ketchem, Michelle McLeod and Jane Winters, posed on stage while emcees Pam Minick and Sharon Camarillo watch on.

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013
Home on Road
The path to an NFR qualification is paved with a lot of miles going from rodeo to rodeo. Not only do WPRA barrel racers need to get their horses and tack from one place to another they also have to live on the road. A horse trailer becomes home during the rodeo season. Sometimes it takes more than one rig to get to all of the rodeos necessary to make it to the Finals. Hauling partners Sherry Cervi and Brittany Pozzi and husband-wife contestants Shada and Trevor Brizile had multiple trucks and trailers on the rodeo trail during the 2013 rodeo season. Jane Melby gave us a tour of the 28' Logan Trailer that she calls home when she's on the road.

Jane Melby and her horses Perkulees and Rascal have spent a lot of time in her Logan trailer in 2013. A truck and trailer make up the rig that takes rodeo cowgirls down the road throughout the rodeo season. Jane Melby's 4-horse trailer has living quarters with a slideout and a side tack compartment in the rear. Jane takes a lot of tack with her to the National Finals. Jane can check on her horses from her living quarters in her trailer. Horses aren't the only travel companions that hit the rodeo trail with Jane. Cheyanne and Lucky have been on the road with Jane for nearly a decade.

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
Facetime with Rodeo Contestants
Rodeo fans can spend some time with the Top 15 WPRA NFR qualifiers during rodeo week at the National Finals Rodeo. The barrel racers are running all over Las Vegas giving interviews and signing autographs. The WPRA barrel racers at the NFR have schedules to sign autographs at their sponsor's booths at different times, and they will be at the WPRA booth (#1635) at the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center at 3150 Paradise Road in Las Vegas. Check out the full schedule below. If you're in town drop by and check out all of the saddles that will be given to each of the 2013 WPRA NFR Qualifiers.

The full schedule of NFR qualifiers who will be signing autographs at the WPRA booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center's Cowboy Christmas. Shada Brazil has a lot of fans lined up to get her autograph at the WPRA booth. Jean Winters takes time to pose for a picture with this big rodeo fan. She also showed her NFR cowboy boots by Justin. Brittany Pozzi and Fallon Taylor pose with fans during autograph sessions at the Convention center while signing at their sponsor's booths.

Round 5 winner, Lisa Lockhart, traded in Louie for a stick horse to compete with her little cowgirl during the Exceptional Rodeo. This exceptional rodeo hand got a special interview after getting riding and barrel racing instructions from Top 15 barrel racers Jean Winters and Shada Brazile. Top 15 barrel racer Taylor Jacob and barrel man John Harrison pose with this exceptional cowgirl at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Fallon Taylor celebrating the Tough Enough to Wear Pink night in her Barbie Barrel Racer outfit offers some riding tips to this little buckaroo and then poses for a quick picture as a cherry on top. Christy Loflin carried this little guy around for over an hour. He was happy to meet Smokey the Bear. Sabrina Ketcham's partner at the exceptional rodeo came ready to rodeo in knee high boots. Jane Melby spends time with a rodeo fan at the Exceptional Rodeo. The leader for the Ram Top Gun award, Sherry Cervi, gave some rodeo advice to Eric, an exceptional rodeo participant. Later Sherry got some help wrangling this little cowboy from Team Roper Derrick Begay while Eric played on top of a dummy steer.

Monday, Dec. 9, 2013
Back Numbers Tell Ya Where You're At
Every WNFR contestant wears a back number that is determined on the basis of the total prize money won during the regular WPRA/PRCA season. Every rodeo kid grew up wearing their mom's back number and dreaming of their future barrel runs. Each contestant receives an official back number, and Wrangler makes a limited number of miniature back numbers with each contestant's number to share with special kids in their lives.

Shada Brazille came into the WNFR in 13th place for the Barrel Race and 86th overall. She is excited to be at her first WNFR, especially since she qualified with her husband, Trevor, who is competing in the Calf Roping and Team Roping and is currently winning the All Around Title. Three time world champion Sherry Cervi earned the #2 back number for the 2013 WNFR. She tipped her hat to the crowd after wining Round 2. Mary Walker considers Jaylee and Wayce, pictured here, to be her adoptive grandchildren. They get to wear Mary's #4 back number while they are in Las Vegas to cheer Mary and Latte on. Mary gave little Jaylee her old paint horse after meeting them at this year's Clovis, CA rodeo. Mary has been using 'Paint' here at the NFR this year for the grand entry. Fallon Taylor has been wearing some unique rodeo wear at the NFR. Each day her outfit follows a theme and includes a custom hat and pants that have been hand painted by an artist. In Round 3 she wore an outfit called "Gold Night" that featured a hat from Glam & Grit that used a replica image of her 1995 WNFR back number.

Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013
Practice Makes Perfect
They say that championships are won in the rodeo arena, but champions are made in the practice pen. The Top 15 barrel racers are no stranger to arenas or practice pens, no doubt. When they are onsite at the WNFR there is an outdoor pen and a covered warm up pen that they can use to ride their horses. They have limited but exclusive access to the rodeo arena at the Thomas & Mack.

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013
Rodeo is a Dirty Business
For barrel racers the ground plays a major role in making fast runs. It takes a lot of dirt to build at the WNFR rodeo arena at the Thomas & Mack. They haul in over 1,200 tons of dirt to fill the floor to 12-15 inches deep. But, the dirt doesn't stop there. It takes another 800 tons to build the stalls behind the arena where the contestants house their horses

Fallon Taylor kicking up some of the 1,200 tons of dirt in the WNFR arena in Round 2. Temporary barns serve as home for many of the WNFR's equine athletes, which are built on 800 tons of dirt.

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013
THE WPRA STAR GALA
The WPRA Star Gala is a 3 hour event honoring rodeo committees, contract personnel, and of course the Top 15 NFR qualifiers. The event is packed with interviews and awards.

WPRA Directors Prepare the Star Gala stage. Southeastern Director Doreen Wintermute (left) and Wilderness Director Julie Herman RFD TV set stage lighting and sound. Turquoise Director Sarah Kieckhefer arranges an array of gifts and awards for the Top 15 Star Gala emcee, Pam Minick chats with Shada Brazile and Shada's horse handler, Bambi Robb. Top 15 gifts World Champion Mary Walker spending time with a Make a Wish invitee who was injured in a horse accident. The Top 15 gifts were too abundant to carry by hand. The hotel luggage card was filled to the max.

Shada Brazile being upstaged by her beautiful kids, Style, 3 and Treston,6 Justin Boots' Tassie Munroe and Tom Feller Congratulate Jean Winters on her first NFR qualification Michele McLeod is flanked by Jason Martin and Charlie Cole, the two cowboys who own the horses she will ride here at the Thomas & Mack Receiving their NFR Back Number - It's Official Now!! One-third of the NFR field will be running down the alley for their first NFR experience. After being introduced on stage at the Welcome Reception, Sherry Cervi files by table after table receiving the great sponsor awards presented to each NFR Qualifier.