Barrel racer Rainey Skelton was just 17 years old when she won her first Women’s Rodeo World Champion title in 2021.
“I have not gotten to go the last two years, so I’m excited to get back. I finally have my horse, she’s sound and ready to go, so I’m excited,” Skelton said.
College rodeo has kept Skelton busy, but a suspensory issue for her mare has held up her trips to the WRWC the last two years. The ranch-raised mare, that Skelton calls Jewel, goes back to a mare that Skelton’s grandma owned.
“They are full of personality. They know what they want. They don’t like other horses. They don’t like many people, but they do love their job. Jewel was, unfortunately, the only colt we got out of Lilly. I wish we could’ve gotten more, but she did end up passing away. But, Jewel has just been phenomenal from the get-go and she’s a very special horse to me and my family,” she said.
Skelton’s preparation for this WRWC includes outdoor runs for Jewel and a stronger mental game. The action starts at Cowtown Coliseum on May 12 exclusively on The Cowboy Channel.