It was a Wednesday to remember for the Queen Creek Barrel Racing Association. QCBRA brought out two races at John Volken Academy Ranch in Queen Creek, Arizona, 38 riders in the morning and around 80 in the evening, and a day that produced one of the best stories of the season.
Morning Race – Positivity Posse Takes the Win
The morning race drew 38 riders and when the dust settled it was Positivity Posse member Elysia who stood at the top of the leaderboard with a time of 16.359. If you follow Southwest Barrels you know the Positivity Posse is about more than winning. It recognizes riders for their character, kindness, and heart. Seeing a Posse member take home the morning race was a perfect reminder of what this community is all about.
Watch Elysia’s Winning Run
If the video doesn’t appear above click here
Night Race – NFR Qualifiers Raise the Bar
The evening QCBRA race brought a different level of competition with around 80 riders. NFR qualifiers Megan McLeod Sprague and Hayle Gibson Stillwell both made the trip out and put on a clinic, each running multiple horses throughout the night with several placing in the 1D.
Megan took 1st on Jagger with a 16.045, 2nd on Swoon with a 16.207, and 5th on Ticket with a 16.397.
Hayle was right there with her, taking 3rd on BB Moonshine Shine with a 16.226 and 6th on Smiling n ta Fame with a 16.433.
1D Final Results
1st – 16.045 – Megan Sprague on Jagger – $326.00
2nd – 16.207 – Megan Sprague on Swoon – $250.00
3rd – 16.226 – Hayle Gibson on BB Moonshine Shine – $182.00
4th – 16.359 – Elysia on Shakeya Moolah Maker
5th – 16.397 – Megan Sprague on Ticket
6th – 16.433 – Hayle Gibson on Smiling n ta Fame
7th – 16.499 – Markie McLeod on Cadet
Watch Megan Sprague’s Winning Run
If video doesn’t appear you can see it here
A Moment Worth Highlighting
Elysia won the morning QCBRA race out of 38 riders with a 16.359 and that same time carried into the night race where it held up for 4th place in a field of around 80 riders including two NFR qualifiers. Across a full day of competition against roughly 118 riders combined, a 13 year old Positivity Posse member stood at the top of the morning and near the top of the night. That is a day worth remembering.
Photos and Video
Full race photos from the QCBRA event are available on our Smugmug gallery at southwestbarrels.smugmug.com. The full livestream replay is available on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@SouthwestBarrels and on our Facebook page.
Want to Compete?
The Queen Creek Barrel Racing Association hosts regular races at John Volken Academy Ranch in Queen Creek, Arizona. If you would like to enter a future race or stay up to date on upcoming events visit the QCBRA Facebook page at facebook.com/qcbra.