Barrel Racer Jimmie Smith posted the fastest time of the first two rounds at the NFR with a 17.04 second run to take the top spot in the second round. She edged out Round 1 winner Hailey Kinsel by .05 seconds to prevent Kinsel from winning the first two rounds.
Smith changed her gameplan after struggling in Round 1, and the change paid off.
“Last night, I don’t know, I wasn’t nervous, but we couldn’t find the third barrel down there,” said Smith, who is at her first Finals. “Tonight, we had a new game plan and we remembered there were three barrels just like the rest of the year, and she (Lena) was really dialed in and fired super hard.”
Smith jumped to fifth in the World Standings thanks to the round win and has a good chance to jump up to as high as third place with a good showing in the next Eight Rounds.
NFR BARREL RACING RESULTS
First Round: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 17.18 seconds, $26,231; 2. Tiany Schuster, 17.25, $20,731; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.32, $15,654; 4. Cheyenne Wimberley, 17.37, $11,000; 5. Stevi Hillman, 17.50, $6,769; 6. Shelley Morgan, 17.56, $4,231.
Second Round: 1. Jimmie Smith, 17.04 seconds, $26,231; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 17.09, $20,731; 3. Shelley Morgan, 17.20, $15,654; 4. Tiany Schuster, 17.28, $11,000; 5. Lisa Lockhart, 17.34, $6,769; 6. Stevi Hillman, 17.40, $4,231.
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