Local Girl, Horse Ride to a Junior National Finals Barrel Racing Rodeo Title

Fourteen-year-old barrel racing rodeo champ Devin Young of Rosanky, and her seven-year-old sorrel gelding Tequila, originally from West Point, did it again at the 2021 Jr. National Finals Rodeo (NFR) held in Forth Worth at the famous Cowtown Coliseum on June 28-July 3 because Devin now has the title of the 2021 Jr. NFR Barrel Racing World Champion.

The Jr. NFR is a one-of-a-kind opportunity that showcases the best of the best in all of youth rodeo and provides contestants the ability to perform on the biggest stage and jump-start their Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association careers. However, what makes this even more special for Devin is that the Jr. NFR only started in 2019 so this was Devin’s first time to attend. Plus the Cowtown Coliseum is a really small pen with fast times and because it is small it can be a hard pen for running barrels.

“Devin went into this knowing she had to make good clean runs to get to the finals. She and Tequila had never run in this arena before, so they needed to get their minds right and figure out the small pattern, it’s was the smallest pattern they have ever run. I had all the faith in the world in them, I knew they would give it their best shot! They made five runs in six days and we are so proud of how Devin handled herself in and out of the arena,” said Amanda Young, Devin’s mother.

At the Jr. NFR barrel racers had to make it through five runs. In the 1st go-Round of 110 barrel racers, she won the round with a time of 13.62. In the 2nd go-Round out of 110 barrel racers again, she won with a time of 13.48. The 1st and 2nd rounds were averaged to get the top 50. Her time placed 1st in the average. She continued in the Top 50 with a time of 13.49 where she won the Top 50. Next were the Top 20 Semifinals where her time was 13.61 where she won the Semifinals. In the Finals which showcased the Top 6 her time was 13.57 where she won the finals with a $10,000 payout!

Devin said, “I knew going in the pattern was going to be very difficult to run in only because of its size and how many runs I was going to have to make in it. I just knew I had to push Tequila past the barrels as hard as I could and he would do his thing.” Devin herself is so proud of how far she and Tequila have come, “It was just amazing. I never would have thought we would win as much as we did much less all five rounds. I am truly so incredibly proud of Tequila and how much he has grown to love barrel racing as much as he does.”

Summertime, of course, has allowed Devin to practice more. “I am practicing much more now that it’s summertime, which makes it much more convenient not having to worry about having to ride in the dark or being in bed at a decent time,” said Devin.

Practicing more may have helped Devin become the 2021 Jr. NFR Barrel Racing World Champion but along with Devin’s persistence and the bond she and Tequila share nothing can stop this barrel racing duo to continue to dominate the rodeo scene.