Taking second place and $12,000 in the championship round at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Jimmie Smith was presented with an additional $5,000 on Saturday at Dickes Arena as the 2020 recipient of Fort Worth’s Jerry Ann Taylor Award.
The Jerry Ann Taylor Award and $5,000 cash prize is presented annually to the best-dressed barrel racer during the finals, and Smith was a shoe-in this year, hitting the dirt in a shimmery turquoise and pink ensemble made by Natasha Roberts.
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Famer and board member, Pam Minick explained to the crowd that the award is to encourage women in professional rodeo to carry on the tradition of wearing colorful western attire in the rodeo arena.
“There’s a lot of well-dressed women who have won this award before me,” Smith said.
Winning the award at the Fort Worth rodeo made it particularly special for Smith. “It’s one of my favorites,” she said. “Last year it was my first win at a big winter rodeo. I love Fort Worth, San Antonio, and San Angelo.”
The Texas A & M graduate was the 2018 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Rookie of the Year. Last year, she finished 19th after her palomino mare Lena on the Rocks was injured at the Calgary Stampede. Aiming was for her first NFR this year, Smith was ranked third in the 2020 world standings before her Fort Worth earnings were tabulated.
