Kelsey Barry, 27, has made up her mind. She’s in it to win it.
“It kind of just happened. I went to a few Xtreme Ropings and then, once I started winning at those, winning the Cinch All Girl has become my goal now that I’m at the top.”
Without knowing she had the goal of taking the All Girl this year, Barry—a 4.5 header who’s won $23,280 thus far and has a nearly $13,000 lead over the No. 2 spot—did go into the year wanting to step up her game.
“I focused more on just changing out my practice scene. I used to work a lot and now I take more time to practice. I’ve got a couple new horses, and I’m just putting more effort into it this year.”
For Barry, the horses signify an improved commitment to the sport and its opportunities.
“They bring more speed, more horsepower. I was kind of just doing it more as a hobby and not focusing on attaining any goals, but once I got to winning, it became fun. So, it’s something I put more focus into.”
The bulk of those winnings were earned in April’s Texas Championships, when Barry took home a whopping $12,700. This month, she added to her cache with a $2,500-win when she and Cayetano Tijerina pulled ’em tight with 36.2 seconds on four in the USTRC Cowboy Capital Classic’s #10.5. That $2,500 win, plus additional winnings at the Xtreme Roping’s Cinco de Mayo Classic earlier in the month, total up to an additional $4,600 for the month of May.
“Winning checks makes it easier to go almost every weekend,” Barry reasoned. “I had won at home some, around here at local jackpots, but now, this year just started off good, and it’s just kept rolling.”
Since the dollars have supported her newly realized goal, Barry’s reworked her approach.
“My brother helps me a lot in the practice pen,” Barry said of PRCA roper Chase Wiley. “I’m taking more advice and practicing at it more than I was before now that I have attainable goals. My game plan has kind of changed to focus on going to more US-affiliate and US ropings, instead of spreading out to more World Series and other ropings. I’m still going to World Series, but, I’m focusing my weekends more around what counts toward the All Girl.”
