Chaley Hext took top honors and won the 3D division of the Summer Shootout in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This is the 21st year of the event which hosts some of the best barrel racers from across the nation. An estimated 800 cowgirls competed at the OKC State Fair Arena in barrel-racing events.

The local 16-year-old made two runs over Friday and Saturday, and said her horse got better with each run. Chaley said she rode her mom’s horse, “Nancy,” because she was not able to run the horse she had planned on taking. It worked out because Chaley said she was the one who had trained Nancy. “Saturday, she hit the second barrel super tight, and I knew that I would have to ride her Sunday because she was circling the barrels really tight,” said Chaley. “She was ready to turn on Sunday, and she definitely did that.” Chaley and Nancy turned in a time of 15.788 to take the 3D win and a weekend’s worth of bragging rights.

Chaley said the next thing for her is preparing for high school rodeos that will start up in September.

At the Northwest Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association Finals held Aug. 9 in Cherokee, Oklahoma, Canadian barrel-racer Liza Cooper won All-Around in the 6-and-under division, and Camree Slavin won All-Around in the 11-14 division. COURTESY PHOTO