Records fell in the barrel racing in 2017, with the top 15 ladies in the world smashing four major records in the WPRA. One competitor had a standout rodeo season, while others continually added their names to the record books during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Regular Season Earnings

For the first major record, we have to look all the way back to the Calgary Stampede in July, when Tiany Schuster passed the regular season earnings record mark just over halfway through the 2017 rodeo season. Schuster finished out her record season with $250,378 to her name.

Before the 2017 season, Schuster had only earned $42,225 is career earnings in the WPRA — so to say she had an impressive year would be an understatement for the cowgirl from Krum, Texas.

WNFR Average Record

Fast forward to the 2017 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, where records continued to fall after spectacular performances by the top 15 barrel racers in the world. No barrel racer was more consistent than Nellie Miller, who’s consistency paid off with an average record and the world championship.

With a time of 137.32 seconds on 10 runs, she beat the record set by the ever-consistent Lisa Lockhart, with her time a time of 137.98 on 10 runs in 2016. The average and world title wins were made all the more special for Miller because she was riding a home-grown horse by the name of Rafter W Minnie Reba, known as "Sister."

"When I was at the NFR in 2010, we struggled so to come back this year and have this type of year is just really amazing," Miller said in a WPRA interview. "I can't thank my parents enough for helping me get to this point. It is truly a family affair."

Miller’s father Sam trained Sister before handing the blue roan mare off to Miller.

WNFR Arena Record

Round three was arguably the most exciting of the 2017 WNFR when Dublin, Texas, native Kassie Mowry laid down a record-breaking run with a time of 13.36 on her buckskin FirewaterMakeMeHappy, aka "Junior," beating the former record by one one-hundredth of a second.

The fans at Thomas & Mack had little time to catch their breath from the record-breaking excitement, before Hailey Kinsel took to the arena and broke the record once again with a time of 13.11 aboard DM Sissy Hayday, aka "Sister."

WNFR Earnings Record

Not only does Kinsel hold the new arena record for the WNFR, but she also edged past Amberleigh Moore’s WNFR earnings record of $187,692 set in 2016. Kinsel won $189,385 during the 10 rounds of competition, solidifying her second record of the finals.

That record came partially thanks to winning the final round of competition in another rapid time of 13.17 seconds, in a run where Kinsel sprained her wrist; she later joked that there is such a thing as trying too hard.

If anybody wants to laugh, i sprained my right hand in round 10. There is a such thing as trying too hard? Replying to all these nice people is incredibly difficult. #wenttoofast #butitwasworthit

— Hailey Kinsel (@haileykaykinsel) December 19, 2017