RODEO NEWS

Race to the Finish

By Ann Bleiker

Professional rodeo isn’t for the faint of heart and every individual within range of the top 15 is laser focused on the goal at hand to make the Top 15 and earn a trip to Las Vegas in December. Two individuals eyeing a first time NFR qualification in the barrel racing are Tayla Moeykens and Tricia Aldridge.

This past weekend both had big wins inching them closer to their ultimate goal. Moeykens won the first round at the 115th Pendleton Roundup with a time of 28.45 seconds just edging Lisa Lockhart with a 28.52. Moeykens then finished second in the final round in a time of 28.70, just behind round winner Jamie Olsen in 28.60, which was just enough to land atop the leaderboard in a total time of 57.15 on two runs. Lockhart would finish second in the aggregate with a 57.32, and Olsen was third with a 57.52. All totaled Moeykens added $16,372 to her 2025 standings and is currently ranked 10th in the world with $134,845.

For Aldridge, she narrowly missed the cut to make the finals in Pendleton finishing 15th in the first round in a time of 29.49 but that didn’t slow her down any as she finished the week picking up wins in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Abilene, Texas. Aldridge and Adios Pantalones stopped the clock at the New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo in a time of 15.07 seconds to capture the win and add $5,820 to her earnings.

In Abilene, they stopped the clock in 16.88 seconds for another $3,897. Not only was the money important but all three were Cinch Playoff Series rodeos where the top 8 in the standings not already qualified after Mandan, ND rodeo will earn a spot in the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, SD.

“This year, from the beginning we have been chasing the “Playoff Series” to have a chance to run at Sioux Falls the last week of the season,” wrote Aldridge on Facebook. “Adios has pulled the weight and placed at almost all of them. The original goal this year was to get in the top 40 and get to the buildings next year.”

As it turned out they did that and much more with Adios winning nine rodeos throughout the year and finishing reserve at five. Now they have a qualification to the NFR and a chance to run down the alleyway at the Thomas and Mack on the line as the 2025 regular season comes to a close on September 30.

Katelyn Scott, who is also trying to find her way into the top 15, finished second to Aldridge in both Albuquerque and Abilene and sits No. 16 in the world.

Breakaway roping in Pendleton had its own excitement with Bailey Patterson, who currently resides in Pendleton, getting the big win finishing with a two-run time of 6.2 seconds and added $14,774 to her 2025 standings. 2021 WPRA World Champion and Pendleton Champion Sawyer Gilbert finished second in a time of 6.6 seconds.

Patterson, who grew up in Ellensburg, Washington as Bailey Minor, was close to the title in 2023 in Pendleton finishing as reserve champion behind Joey Williams. That year, Williams won it with a 6.5 and Patterson finished in 6.9.

“It was worth the wait, this is awesome,” stated Patterson. “I drew a great calf today.

“Stella always makes the grass feel like just another rodeo. She deserved to win Pendleton more than me and she was named breakaway horse of the Pendleton Round-Up.”

Neither lady is in contention for the Top 15 with Patterson using the win to move to 52nd in the world with Gilbert currently ranked 26th.

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