Hailey Kinsel had not won a go-round at NFR prior to Wednesday, but her steady finishes kept her No. 1 in the world standings.
Now, with a win in Round 7, she has extended her lead at the top to almost $30,000.
“Oh, it feels really good,” Kinsel said after her 13.6-second ride. “It’s nice to move up the dirt again. I kind of used my mulligan earlier when I had my first good ground draw, so I was glad to move back up and have a really good shot at it tonight. My horse has been trying hard, so I was glad to give her a good shot at it.”
To win the world championship, Kinsel will have to fend off Amberleigh Moore, who is second in the world standings and has won more than $114,000 at this year’s NFR thanks to winning Rounds 3 and 6.
Emily Miller, who has won more than $98,000 at this year’s NFR, is sitting in third in the world standings and second in the NFR average.
Nellie Miller and Lisa Lockhart entered the week No. 1 and 2 in the world but they have fallen back to No. 4 and 5 respectively. Neither has earned more than $40,000 through 7 rounds.
Barrel Racing World Standings (NFR money in parentheses)
1. Hailey Kinsel - $236,712 ($87,846)
2. Amberleigh Moore - $207,982 ($114,923)
3. Emily Miller - $196,990 ($98,846)
4. Nellie Miller - $193,168 ($38,557)
5. Lisa Lockhart - $181,313 ($34,961)