Rodeo Update

Lide, Conner Top Earners Over Cowboy Christmas

By Ann Bleiker

The 2024 rodeo season and world standings race are heating up and throughout the whole month of July it will be at a fever pitch. The first wave of big money and standings shuffle comes after the Fourth of July week, known in rodeo as Cowboy Christmas.

The top money earner over Cowboy Christmas on the barrel racing side was Halyn Lide of China Spring, Texas, finishing with $32,550 which moved her to No. 11 in the world standing with a total of $60,892. As you might recall she got her year started sharing the win at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver with Hailey Kinsel in January. Lide is now looking for her first trip to the Wrangler NFR and is riding a wave of momentum right now.

Lide’s biggest Fourth of July check came north of the border at the Ponoka Stampede in which world champion Lindsay Sears won. Lide won $14,743 there and added another $10,099 at the Greeley Stampede aboard Jettin’ Ta Heaven, better known as “Keeper.” Her third and final check came at Oakley, Utah, totaling $7,708.

“I went into this set of rodeos with big goals, and apparently Keeper had big plans,” wrote Lide on her Facebook page. “At Greeley, Keeper placed in both rounds, won the finals and the average and won Oakley too!”

Keeper also got the call in Ponoka and seems to be loving these big rodeos.

Emily Beisel was a close second in total money, after having been the top money earner in 2023. Beisel finished with $30,211 and moved to No. 1 in the world standings. She picked up checks in Ponoka ($17,460), St. Paul, OR ($11,086) and Red Lodge, MT ($1,665). Beisel definitely seems to have her Fourth of July run figured out. This year she added Teasin Dat Guy “Chewy” to her arsenal. Chewy carried Molly Otto to her first NFR in 2021 and continues to find her way to the winner’s circle. The horse is now owned by 4M Performance Horses.

Beisel won the first round of the NFR Open on Tuesday night (July 9) in Colorado Springs aboard Chewy.

On the breakaway roping end Josie Conner was the top money earner cashing checks for $15,815. Her biggest windfall came in Killdeer, ND, winning $6,322 followed by St. Paul, OR ($4,745) that added breakaway for the first time this year. She also picked up checks in Belle Fourche, SD ($2,612), Cody, WY ($1578), Oakley, UT ($558).

When new standings were released, Conner moved to No. 4 in the world with $62,141. Jackie Crawford held onto the No. 1 spot extending her 2024 earnings total to $90,028 as she looks for her 24^th world title in the WPRA. Taylor Munsell, who won the Reno Rodeo the week before the Fourth of July, is second with $77,970 and Danielle Lowman is third with $75,091.

Attention now turns to the Calgary Stampede and NFR Open payouts the end of this week. Then will roll into Salinas, CA and Nampa, ID before the three big Utah Rodeos – Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City, Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork and Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo. The month will conclude with the Daddy of ‘em All in Cheyenne.

Hang on tight as it is shaping up to a wild and hot July!

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