Crowther rides her way to world top 10 standing
Earns spot in National Finals Rodeo
Longtime competitor Margo Crowther made qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo in barrel racing one of the items on her bucket list.
She not only made that dream come true this month, but also made the most of it, winning nearly $90,000 for 10 days of work in Las Vegas.
Crowther made a more than respectable showing at the NFR, finishing ninth in the average, just out of the money, coming in strong the final two days, finishing fourth and second.
Crowther was in contention for the average midway, moving up to third place. However, she knocked down a barrel in Round 6 and another in Round 8, which resulted in five second penalties for each, dropping her in the standings. Several draws where she was among one of the last riders, on choppy ground that resulted in finishes just outside the money, were also a hindrance.
However, she did cull a win and one with honors. She was the Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award winner for attire worn throughout the competition, including a heavily fringed pink shirt with blue fringes. She also had a similar short with purple and pink, giving her a “Macho Man” Randy Savage look, with the huge belt buckle to match.
According to the National Cowgirl Museum Hall of Fame, the award is named after the “daring trick rider who brought a style, glamour and spirit to the rodeo arena.”
Crowther, 37, made the NFR on the strength of a great summer where she won six rodeos, including the tour finale in Puyallup, Wash.
The $96,871 she earned this season put her eighth in the world standings, resulting in her NFR qualification. She added nearly $90,000 to that at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, bringing her total to $184,751.
Crowther won $22,851 in the final round with a 13.43 second run, only .08 seconds behind Hailey Kinsel, who won the world championship, winning more than $302,172 despite finishing eighth in the average, while Shelley Morgan won the average, one of only two racers to not tip over a barrel.
It was a good year for the North Fort Myers professional barrel racer who has a long ride to Vegas.
She made a run at the NFR in 2008, but her mare, Lexus, died of salmonella.
She married, started a family and took a break. She then came back eight years later, winning the 2016 WPRA World Finals riding Sissy, her current horse.
Crowther would dabble with going on the road for the next few years before winning her next huge event, the National Barrel Horse Association world championship in October 2021.
That win gave her a window of opportunity, and the “professional rodeo mom,” went all in, bringing her three children with her over the summer, starting a little slow before peaking down the stretch with several victories and high finishes, culminating with the win at Puyallup.
To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com