Fan Favorite Lisa Lockhart Gets Rd 3 Win at Wrangler NFR

By Ann Bleiker

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Third round and some high school classmates from Montana were the good luck charm on night No. 3 for Lisa Lockhart who got the victory lap on Sunday night. Lockhart, who has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 17 straight years took advantage of being the first runner out and she set the bar high with a quick 13.51 second run.

“Honestly I have been top of the ground before and actually not utilized it so was very determined tonight to use it to the best of my ability,” stated the Oelrichs, South Dakota cowgirl. “I try to not put too much pressure on it as it is definitely best to be on top of the ground but it has proven you can also win at the bottom of the ground. So I tried not to overthink it but tried to utilize it.”

            Lockhart was aboard Promise Me Fame Guys “Levee” owned by Teton Ridge and the 7-year-old gelding gave his jockey a quick ride around the cloverleaf pattern inside the Thomas and Mack. Lockhart has brought some great ones to Las Vegas so we asked her what makes Levee so special in this pen.

“Consistency and he loves his job,” stated Lockhart about Levee. “He wants to do the same thing every time so that takes the guess work out of it as a jockey. When you know you just have to do your job and they are going to do theirs and you can count on that team effort it gives you so much confidence.”

            Lockart and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi have each qualified for rodeo’s “super bowl” 17 times and they too were impressed with the tight race in the second round of action.

            “Brittany and I were talking about it in the warm-up pen and how tough it was and the toughest we have ever seen,” noted Lockhart. “It was astronomical how it could really be that tight.”

Pozzi Tonozzi still has a strangle hold on the No. 1 spot in the world and leads the average with a three-run total of 41.17 seconds. Pozzi Tonozzi is also inching closer to becoming the fourth WPRA cowgirl in the 75-year history of the WPRA to win over $1 million in NFR earnings alone. She is now only $17,564 away from accomplishing that feat as well in 2023. Lockhart is at the top of that list with $1,562,252 in NFR earnings along.

            Pozzi Tonozzi has amassed $324,147 in earnings and is closing in on a new season earnings record. The current record is held by reigning world champion Haley Kinsel with $350,700 set in 2018.

In addition to it being Memorial Night on Sunday night at the NFR, fans and contestants also brought attention to childhood cancer through the Golden Circle of Champions program. Each year this program brings children affected by cancer to a night at the rodeo and everyone sports the color gold. Jessica Routier along with Missy was right in line with their gold and is also a contender for the 2023 Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award made possible by the Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Fans can vote daily for the lady they think brings the best fashion each night.

            Fourth round action gets underway, Monday, December 11 at 5:45 p.m. PT LIVE on the Cowboy Channel.

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Rd. 3 results: https://wpra.com/nfr-2023-results-sunday-december-10-2023/