Hailey Kinsel facts for kids

Hailey Kinsel (born October 3, 1994) is an American professional rodeo cowgirl. She is famous for barrel racing and competes in the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). Hailey has won the WPRA barrel racing world championship four times. She won in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022 at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). She also won the NFR Average title once in 2020. Hailey and her amazing horses have qualified for the NFR eight times in a row, from 2017 to 2024. She has been competing in rodeo since she was a kid. She won many awards in high school and college in barrel racing and breakaway roping. Her horse, Sister, was even named Barrel Racing Horse of the Year in 2018.

Early Life and Rodeo Start

Hailey Kinsel was born on October 3, 1994. She grew up in Cotulla, Texas. Her parents, Dan and Leslie Kinsel, owned a cattle ranch. They both had rodeo backgrounds, which helped Hailey get interested in horses and rodeo. They supported Hailey and her brother in sports, school, and livestock events.

When Hailey was younger, she liked gymnastics more. But when she turned 11, she became very interested in barrel racing and rodeo.

Hailey's Rodeo Journey

When Hailey was 13, she got her first special barrel horse named Josey. Hailey and her mom trained Josey together. Hailey competed with Josey in junior high and high school. Later, she rode a horse named Thunder Stones, or TJ, during her college rodeo years. TJ also helped her start her professional career in the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA).

Hailey and her mother bought her main barrel racing horse, DM Sissy Hayday, who they call "Sister," when Sister was a young filly. They trained Sister from the very beginning. Sister's father was a famous horse named PC Frenchman's Hayday, also known as Dinero. Hailey said they chose Sister because they loved her older half-sister. They wanted to find horses from the same family.

Hailey became a professional rodeo competitor in 2015. The WPRA manages barrel racing and breakaway roping. Other rodeo events for male competitors are managed by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). All the big championship events happen together at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). This event takes place in December in Las Vegas, Nevada. In July 2017, Hailey qualified for her first NFR. She has also won The American Rodeo three times, in 2017, 2019, and 2021.

First Big Wins (2017)

Hailey and her family bought Sister when Hailey was in her first year of college. It was a bit tricky to train Sister at first, but the horse had natural talent. They waited until Sister was five years old to start her in serious competitions. In 2017, Sister's second year of competing, Hailey qualified for her first NFR.

Hailey won a gold medal at the Days of '47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also won the West of the Pecos Rodeo in Texas. She placed second in several other rodeos that year.

Hailey competed for the first time at "the world's richest one-day rodeo," The American Rodeo. This big event is held in Arlington, Texas. Hailey and Sister won the semi-finals and moved on to the finals. In the finals, Hailey and Sister took a risk and went for the win. They won the event with a fast time of 14.689 seconds. Hailey was one of three competitors who split a huge $1 million prize. She won $433,333.33 that day! Hailey said, "God is good, and my horse is awesome." Sister helped Hailey win almost $500,000 in just a few months.

First NFR Championship (2018)

In February 2018, Hailey and Sister competed at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo in Texas. They broke the arena record with a time of 13.60 seconds. Hailey said this win was special because she grew up going to this rodeo near her home.

She won many other rodeos that year, including the Calgary Stampede in Canada. She won $121,000 at Calgary. She also won the Days of '47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the second year in a row.

Sister, Hailey's horse, earned over $1 million in her career this season. Hailey said about Sister, "She really is that fast and that athletic... Some horses just have it, and she has that 'it' factor."

At the NFR in Las Vegas, Hailey Kinsel won her first barrel racing world championship. She finished the competition with a record $350,700 in earnings for the season. Hailey had the championship secured before the final round. She chose to let Sister rest and rode her backup horse, TJ, in the last round.

Back-to-Back Wins (2019)

Hailey won the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo again in 2019. She also won her second The American Rodeo championship. In July, she matched the arena record at the historic Calgary Stampede with a time of 16.99 seconds.

At the NFR in Las Vegas, Hailey and Sister won their second World Barrel Racing Championship. Hailey became the first barrel racer to win two titles in a row since Kelly Kaminski in 2004-2005. Hailey earned a total of $290,020 for her 2019 season.

Record-Breaking Year (2020)

In 2020, Hailey and Sister set a new WPRA rodeo record. They ran a standard barrel racing pattern in just 16.63 seconds. They also set a new arena record at the Lawton Rangers Rodeo in Lawton, Oklahoma, with a time of 16.90 seconds.

Due to COVID-19, the NFR was held in Arlington, Texas, this season. Hailey and Sister set another new record at the NFR with an incredible time of 16.56 seconds. Hailey earned $270,615 at the NFR, which was more than any other contestant. This broke her own record from 2017. She also won her first RAM Top Gun Award. Hailey finished the 2020 season with $349,076 in total earnings. She won her first NFR Average title and her third barrel racing world championship. Hailey was the first WPRA member to win all these titles in one season!

After her big win, Hailey was allowed to take Sister on a victory lap, which is rare. Reporters asked if Sister knew how special she was. Hailey said, "She loves it, she continues to love it, she has a blast out there. She doesn’t do it for anything I do it for. She does it because she thinks I asked her to and she likes me."

More Success (2021)

In March 2021, Hailey won The American Rodeo for the third time, taking home $100,000. In July, during "Cowboy Christmas" (when lots of prize money is available), Hailey earned over $22,000. She won the Livingston Roundup Rodeo in Montana and placed second at the Cody Stampede in Wyoming.

Hailey also won the 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo, known as "the Daddy of 'Em All." This was her first time winning this famous rodeo. She gave all the credit to Sister, saying, "My horse is amazing… and tries so hard no matter what the job... She is truly the best thing in my life."

Career Highlights

• 4 WPRA barrel racing world championship titles (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022)
• 1 NFR Average barrel racing title (2020)
• 8 NFR qualifications (2017-2024)
• 1 RAM Top Gun title (2020)

Hailey's Horses

• DM Sissy Hayday "Sister" is a beautiful Palomino American Quarter Horse mare born in 2011. She is Hailey's main competition horse.
  • 2017 Scoti Flit Bar Rising Star Award
  • 2018 Horse with the Most Heart
  • 2018 AQHA/PRCA/WPRA Barrel Racing Horse of the Year
  • 2019 Horse with the Most Heart (tied with two other horses)
  • 2021 Second place AQHA Barrel Racing Horse of the Year

• Thunder Stones "TJ" was born in 2004. He is a Quarter horse gelding. Hailey rode him in college and as a backup horse professionally.

• DH Jess Stellar "Jules" was born in 2013. She is a Palomino mare Quarter horse.

Awards and Achievements

• 2022 WPRA World Champion barrel racer
• 2020 WPRA World Champion barrel racer
• 2020 NFR Average Champion barrel racer
• 2019 WPRA World Champion barrel racer
• 2018 WPRA World Champion barrel racer
• 2016–2018 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) barrel racing national qualifier
• 2018 NIRA College Champion barrel racer
• 2014 Texas High School Finals Rodeo Champion barrel racer
• 2014, 2016 National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA) Finals qualifier in barrel racing and breakaway roping

Personal Life

Hailey Kinsel grew up in Cotulla, Texas. She now lives on her ranch in Stephenville, Texas. In 2017, she graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Agriculture Economics. While in college, Hailey was very busy. She took classes, cared for three horses, led a Bible study, and competed in professional rodeos.