A Look at Barrel Racing’s Fiercest Season and Newest Athletes
For WPRA and PRCA contestants, summertime offers the biggest opportunities of the rodeo season. With major events like Cheyenne Frontier Days, Calgary Stampede, Reno Rodeo and California Rodeo Salinas on the schedule, those aiming for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas must capitalize on these big paydays, even if it means braving the scorching heat. The “summer run” draws out veteran competitors while also attracting new athletes vying for the coveted Rookie of the Year title.
The 2024 WPRA Rookie of the Year in barrel racing, Océane Veilleux, knows the importance of making summer rodeos count. Meanwhile, Emma Kate Parr, a rising star in the race for the 2025 rookie title, is entering the first “summer run” of her barrel racing career. How are these two cowgirls tackling the sport’s most competitive season?
Veilleux, originally from Saint-Alfred, Quebec, now competes on the Texas A&M Commerce college rodeo team. Her journey to becoming Rookie of the Year began as a trail-riding little girl watching barrel races at her hometown rodeo. Her parents bought her a one-eyed pony, which was eventually replaced by her trusted horse Charlotte. Veilleux began traveling to Texas for futurities and soon discovered college rodeo. She applied to join TAMUC’s rodeo team and pursued her dream.
“As soon as I turned 18, I decided to follow my dream of rodeoing,” Veilleux said. “I didn’t have much experience in the rodeo world, but I’m grateful for what college rodeo taught me during the year prior to my first pro rodeo.”
Veilleux said bringing home her rookie title took perseverance. As a rookie, she didn’t know what to expect, and she quickly learned that pro rodeos are unlike other events in the sport. Adjusting to the larger American arenas took time, but she powered through and finished the 2024 season with $47,370.43 in earnings.
“The summer run is crucial,” Veilleux said. “There are so many rodeos during the summer that it’s time to catch up and make money.”
After last year, Veilleux said she learned the importance of running her horses on larger patterns before hitting the summer rodeos. After competing in smaller indoor arenas during the winter, she and her horses needed to adjust their timing for the bigger outdoor patterns. This year, she plans to rely on her signature palomino gelding, Ice Cream (Heavens Guy), who is coming back from an injury he sustained at San Antonio. Veilleux’s favorite summer rodeo is in Salt Lake City, Utah.
When asked what advice she would give aspiring rookies, Veilleux recommends thoughtfully selecting which rodeos to attend and not overrunning your horse. She stresses the importance of having a good support team and encourages moving on from bad runs quickly. She says, “Just make every run count, and if it goes bad, then move on to the next ... keep pushing ‘til the end because you only have one rookie year. Learn from every experience and have so much fun.”
Emma Kate Parr, a barrel racer from Greensboro, Alabama, is currently fighting for the 2025 WPRA rookie title. She began riding as a child and took barrel lessons from her neighbor, which eventually led to her meeting Chuck and Linda Gail Stewart. Parr credits the Stewarts as being a major part of her success. When it comes to the competitive rookie race, she says, “I try to not pay much attention to the standings and just go make every run count.”
The WPRA season is far from over, but Parr has already made significant strides toward the rookie title as summer approaches. In April, she was crowned champion barrel racer at the 2025 Resistol Rookie Roundup at Fort Worth’s famous Cowtown Coliseum, with the help of her powerful gray gelding, DG Excuse My French.
Parr is well aware of how pivotal the “summer run” will be for her rookie year, and she knows the road ahead will be filled with challenges. Like Océane, she has been running her horses on patterns with varying sizes and setups to prepare them for the diverse arenas they’ll encounter on the rodeo trail. She plans to compete on her horses Pierre (DG Excuse My French), Piper (Pipe Down Compromise), Smuggs (Smugglin Doubles), and Chloe (Hooked on Famous). When asked which summer rodeo she is most excited about, Parr says her sights are set on Calgary. She has already earned more than $20,000 this season, and the monumental summer rodeos could propel her toward the rookie title.
With so much prize money available before the WPRA season ends, the next barrel racing rookie champion remains uncertain. However, one thing is clear: she is most likely packing her trailer, loading her horses, and hitting the road to make the most of rodeo’s toughest and richest season. The journey to Las Vegas takes grit and dedication—qualities that will certainly be tested under the summer sun as contestants travel from Florida to Wyoming. Rodeo is a year-round affair, and whether you’re a fan or a competitor, there’s much to look forward to as the summer run gets underway.
