Barrel racers Murray, Mowry finish sixth, ninth in world after profitable NFR

Flash Staff Report
TheFlashToday.com

(December 16, 2017) –Tillar Murray recorded a go-round victory, made the money five times, finished fourth in the average and left Las Vegas having earned more than $100K.

And this was just her first National Final Rodeo.

Murray moved up six spots in the world rankings during the NFR, climbing from 12 to a career-best sixth. No doubt, for her and 10-year old gelding “Royal Star Commander,” the pinnacle of the 10-night championship event was finishing the clover in 13.4 seconds to win Round 7.

Murray was 1.52 seconds faster than Nellie Miller of Cottonwood, California in Round 7, when the other local barrel race qualifier, Kassie Mowry of Dublin, was fifth in 13.68. Mowry finished ninth in the world standings.

The local racers turned in the second and fastest times out of all 150 trips through the cloverleaf at Thomas & Mack Center. Mowry and 7-year old gelding “FireewaterMakeMeHappy” set an arena record in 13.36 seconds in Round 3, only to watch as Hailey Kinsel crushed it with a new record time of 13.11. Murray’s winning time in Round 7 was third fastest, by Kinsel again with a Round 9-winning 13.43.

Kassie Mowry split 9th and 10th at the National Finals Rodoe, where she finished in the money in four rounds with her 7-year old gelding FirewaterMakeMeHappy. || Courtesy DUDLEY BARKER/dudleydoright.com

Murray rode a heater from Round 6 through Round 9, placing third, first, second and fifth to make up for missing the money in rounds two through five. She was fifth on opening night. She turned in a n average time of 142.89 seconds on 10. With the $10,000 qualifier’s bonus, Mowry left Las Vegas having pocketed more than $73,000.

Mowry split ninth and tenth in the average at 154.36 on 10. She made the round money in second place in Round 1 and Round 3, fifth place in Round 7 and third in Round 9. Penalties in the second and eighth performances stopped the Dubliner from placing in the average.

Ranking	Current To Round	Contestant	Average Score	Average Place	Round 1		Round 2		Round 3		Round 4		Round 5		Round 6		Round 7		Round 8		Round 9		Round 10
Ranking	Current To Round	Contestant	Average Score	Average Place	Score	Plc	Score	Plc	Score	Plc	Score	Plc	Score	Plc	Score	Plc	Score	Plc	Score	Plc	Score	Plc	Score	Plc
1	10	Nellie Miller	137.32/10	1	13.64	1	13.74	4	13.66	5	13.84		13.75	6	13.93		13.52	2	13.87	4	13.52	2	13.85
5	10	Ivy Conrado	137.40/10	2	13.90	6	13.89		13.59	4	13.58	2	13.59	1/2	13.74	5/6/6	13.78		13.86	3	13.87	6	13.60	5
7	10	Lisa Lockhart	138.12/10	3	13.98		13.96		13.67	6	13.76	6	13.59	1/2	13.84		13.63	4	13.93	5	14.00		13.76	6
6	10	Tillar Murray	142.89/10	4	13.89	5	13.90		18.76		13.85		13.88		13.63	3	13.40	1	13.73	2	13.85	5	14.00
11	10	Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi	144.01/10	5	13.99		13.62	2	19.18		13.87		13.68	4	13.74	5/6/6	13.79		14.16		13.90		14.08
2	10	Hailey Kinsel	144.95/10	6	13.69	3	13.65	3	13.11	1	13.63	4	13.67	3	13.49	1	18.54		18.57		13.43	1	13.17	1
12	10	Kathy Grimes	149.55/10	7	13.85	4	13.90		13.70		13.73	5	14.06		14.15		19.17		18.97		14.05		13.97
14	10	Kellie Collier	153.08/10	8	14.13		13.83	6	14.58		16.12		13.90		19.50		13.85		13.95	6	18.97		14.25
9	10	Kassie Mowry	154.36/10	9/10	13.68	2	19.24		13.36	2	15.41		13.93		13.96		13.68	5	18.95		13.66	3	18.49
3	10	Tiany Schuster	154.36/10	9/10	14.07		14.10		14.20		14.34		13.90		13.52	2	13.70	6	23.56		19.05		13.92
4	10	Amberleigh Moore	156.49/10	11	18.95		13.54	1	13.57	3	13.56	1	18.74		18.73		13.75		13.54	1	18.69		13.42	3
13	10	Sydni Blanchard	164.97/10	12	14.18		13.80	5	18.90		25.40		18.72		13.77		13.62	3	18.98		14.21		13.39	2
8	10	Stevi Hillman	176.05/10	13	18.68		23.67		13.84		24.59		14.00		13.74	5/6/6	15.18		19.05		18.95		14.35
15	10	Kimmie Wall	177.92/10	14	14.14		19.07		18.95		18.69		19.04		19.10		18.91		14.07		14.12		21.83
10	10	Taci Bettis	128.05/9	15	0.00		13.87		13.68		13.59	3	13.74	5	13.72	4	13.78		18.43		13.70	4	13.54	4