Two hundred ninety-eight feet of pure adrenaline. Crossing lush grass and Columbia River bedrock soil, charging full force into a sold-out crowd with roaring cheers and brightly painted bucking chutes, the barrel racing event at the Pendleton Round-Up is unlike any other.
Testing the sport’s top equine athletes and cowgirls’ stamina and agility, the famed “Green Mile” nearly doubles the distance of a standard barrel racing pattern, presenting a challenge that even the best struggle to conquer.
For many, the Green Mile is a daunting course, even with specialized “ice nails” added to horseshoes to improve traction on the slick grass. But for Tayla Moeykens and her trusted mount, Lizard, the unique setup felt like home.
The duo, who finished third at the 2024 Pendleton Round-Up, rode to redemption in 2025. With a blazing 28.45-second first-round run — the fastest of the week — the Montana State University alumna found herself taking a victory lap on Championship Saturday.
“It’s so cool,” Moeykens said with a champion’s grin. “The victory lap was incredible. To hear everyone cheering was unreal.”
Moeykens and Lizard clocked a two-run aggregate of 57.05 seconds to claim the title, earning $7,065 and moving to 10th in the world standings with $134,845.47 in Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) earnings. The win all but secures her spot in the top 15 and a trip to her first National Finals Rodeo (NFR) this December.
The moment carried extra weight for the young cowgirl, who raised and trained Lizard, now 12, since he was just six months old.
“Last year we ended up third, and Lizard loves it here,” Moeykens said. “Running the fastest time in the first round was unexpected and surreal. Each win is special, but this one — being here, with this setup — makes it even more meaningful.”
The Green Mile demands a different level of preparation. Moeykens credited her training program for helping her team excel.
“We do a lot of exercising in our pasture and on grass,” she said. “We even set up the pattern in our five-acre field to help get ready to run here.”
Moeykens narrowly edged veteran barrel racer Lisa Lockhart, the 2025 Reserve Champion, in one of the event’s most thrilling finishes.
While the victory carries major NFR implications, Moeykens is staying focused on the present.
“We take it one run at a time and try not to get ahead of ourselves,” she said. “On Oct. 1, we’ll know for sure.”
Final Pendleton Round-Up Barrel Racing Results:
- Tayla Moeykens, 57.05 seconds on two runs, $7,065
- Lisa Lockhart, 57.32, $6,055
- Jamie Olsen, 57.52, $5,046
- Whitley Sharp, 57.67, $4,373
- Paige Jones, 58.04, $3,364
- Makenzie Mayes, 58.08, $2,691
- Wenda Johnson, 58.09, $2,018
- Hayle Gibson-Stillwell, 58.31, $1,346
- Tristan Parrish, 58.44, $1,009
- Britni Carlson, 59.33, $673
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