RodeoHouston was the big barrel payday, and Kassie Mowry won it

Kassie Mowry ran the RodeoHouston pattern in 14.19 seconds, and the run paid $65,000. That is the biggest barrel racing check of the winter, off the biggest barrel stage of it.

Houston stacked the money behind her. Hailey Kinsel was a few hundredths back at 14.22 and took $30,000. LaTricia Duke ran 14.32 for $20,000. Three women, one arena, $115,000 between the top three.

The fastest single run of the winter came somewhere else. Anita Ellis clocked 14.16 at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, worth $16,512, and barrel times do not carry from one arena to the next, so the comparison stays loose. What does carry is the check. Houston wrote the biggest ones.

Mowry has the season's richest run on her card. The summer is long and the pattern changes every week. The money she banked in Houston does not.